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Who here only rides fixed or SS?

3K views 24 replies 11 participants last post by  dwt 
#1 ·
Hey everyone I've just recently started doing some riding on a single speed road bike and I love it. I find myself leaving my geared bike at home alot more. Just wondering how many of you guy and gals ride only ss or fixed and why.
 
#2 ·
I ride fixed a lot, but definitely not "only." For hilly rides and longer ones, I take the regular road bike. Grinding up a steep on the fixie is a fun challenge occasionally, but having a proper gear for a long climb is a lot more fun generally. And descending on the FG, spinning 150 rpm while riding the brake to keep the speed in the low 30's, is an interesting exercise, but spinning out my highest gear and tucking in to a 45 mph descent is way more fun. Of course, with your SS you can coast.

Is it flat where you live? Have you tried FG? It's quite a different experience than SS (not to everyone's liking).

I don't think you'll get many people here saying they only ride FG or SS.
 
#3 ·
Yea I have tried fixed and not a fan. I like being able to coast. So far the areas I have ridden in are hilly. No major hills though. And the longest trip I have taken was only 20 miles. I live within 30 miles of the highest point in Alabama and so far I have not had to walk up a hill yet but I haven't reached any steep Hills either. I have a friend that only rides a retrospec mantra he doesn't seem to have any trouble. But then again he is riding alot shorter gear than I am.
 
#4 · (Edited)
I usually run 300 mile worth for SS fun and base mile early season. Unfortunately I sprained my ankle this year and pushing and standing not an option for longer than I hoped. I run a 42/16 mainly because of a tib/fib plateau and ACL injury years ago which make for pain if I run fixed or push too big a gear. So I spin my way into orbit..

I had converted my 2000 made Carl Strong Steel bike a few years back and also made a Carbon SS out of my 2006 Roubaix when I got a new 2014.

So not SS only, but sporadic use later in the season too including a group ride here and there with geared fellow riders/bike, which is always a blast.
 

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#6 ·
Similar to 2:01 I ride fixed exclusively most of the year. When it gets cold enough that I need to worry about ice I switch over to my single speed mountain bike. That said, I have been oggling some geared bikes and just might have to throw down for one.

Going from the fixed to the signle speed this winter I discovered that I tend to dislike coasting. I end up spinning most of the time regardless of whether I have the option to coast.
 
#7 ·
Always ride fixed gear @ 44:16 on solo rides up 25 miles. Over 25 miles solo and all group riders, 10 sp road bike. Can't hang on flats or climbs with geared riders in groups on fixed gear. Have tried 46:-16. Helps on flats., hurts on climbs.
 
#8 ·
I ride my fixed gear bike for most road rides, unless the terrain or distance are beyond my condition for that point in the season, or the group is stronger than my usual riding group. This past weekend we rode the Trail of the Couer d'Alenes, 50 mile out and back rail trail with an overnight. A very nice fixed gear ride. Geared at 44x70, or about 70 inches, which works fairly well for mountain rides and flat rides.

A bit of grammatical fun... The thread title could have been "Who here rides only fixed gear or SS?", which would have meant who rides nothing but fixed or ss bikes. "Who here only rides fixed gear or ss?" could be asking who does nothing at all but ride fixed or ss bikes. It's only a matter of where the only goes...

And, I usually do like the non-coasting of fixie riding. As Sheldon Brown noted, "coasting is a pernicious habit."
 
#9 ·
And, I usually do like the non-coasting of fixie riding. As Sheldon Brown noted, "coasting is a pernicious habit."

The always pedaling thing freaked me out when I first started riding fixed (don't figure that is unusual). I had built my bike with both front and rear brakes, so when my first ride consisted of a long gradual climb, followed by a short steepish descent, the rear brake acting as a sea anchor was handy getting the cadence down to a doable rate. Following the advice of this forum, I use clipless pedals, so my feet stay on no matter what the cadence. Only drawback of brakes, is that I have never learned to skid stop, which seems to be a handy skill just in case. Cool factor is more than offset by tire wear., though, so KMA, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
 
#13 ·
This thread reminds me of the question we get: "why ride fixed gear at all?" The hipsters certainly ruined the cool factor by making them commonplace. They also ruined public perception factor by riding them brakeless in cities with varying degrees of success, both in protecting themselves and others.

Which leaves the Sheldon Brown Zen approach and the "I dunno, I just like it" approach, which is where I'm at. I live in a rural area outside a medium sized city. No huge hipsters on fixies population to ruin the image. The public here hates bicycles, period, and could barely distinguish between a $6000 carbon 11 speed, and a $60 steel fixed gear, if encountered on a public road. Whatever the bike, if it's on the road, it doesn't belong there as far as John Q Public is concerned.

Other cyclists give non hipsters on fixed gear road bikes some respect, more so than mtb anyway.

I ride mine because I set it up with high rise mtb handlebars, which helps keep my back straight. My road bike with drop bars makes me hump my back enough to cause unbearable pain after only 20 miles. The back is fine on the fixed. I just like trying to grind that bad boy up hills, and spin out going down. It simply feels like my legs are getting stronger. With my mtb handlebar, it feels much like my mtb single speed climbing. I don't always ride that either, but like the change of pace.
Sorry to go off topic
 
#14 ·
Cool factor not withstanding... I have always done it as I like that way you are connected to the bike and pavement. It looking cool is something that would actually keep me from doing it, but doesn't of course. It is a winter thing for me mostly. Although this year with a disc road bike it has sat unused. ;(
 
#16 ·
Sorry to go off topic
I don't think any of that was off topic.
This thread reminds me of the question we get: "why ride fixed gear at all?"

Which leaves the Sheldon Brown Zen approach and the "I dunno, I just like it" approach, which is where I'm at.
I'm kind of with both of those categories of explanation. I definitely just like it, but when I try to talk about why, I do go a little kozmik. I have a theory about the mind-body synchrony being enhanced by the fact that the bike speed is always proportional to the leg speed, as with running, so you get in the "zone" more readily. But that may just be some old 60s stuff rattling around the brain.

But I know I like it, for rides that aren't too hilly. I got into it after reading Sheldon Brown's stuff. Thank you again, Sheldon. I didn't know from hip or cool, and still don't care. It does not bother me one bit that "hipsters" (whatever they are -- and why is that a dirty word?) ride them. More people on bikes is good, imho, regardless of why they do it or what kind of bike. I don't have an "image" to ruin, so I don't care about that.

I ride mine because I set it up with high rise mtb handlebars, which helps keep my back straight. My road bike with drop bars makes me hump my back enough to cause unbearable pain after only 20 miles. The back is fine on the fixed.
That is interesting, and totaly contrary to my experience riding road bikes for the last 40+ years. I love drop bars. The only times in my life I've had even the least back problems were some periods when I wasn't riding much. I especially appreciate the hooks when I'm grinding into a headwind on the FG, overgeared of course. My evening commute has had a strong headwind every night this week, and today looks like another.
 
#17 ·
I don't think any of that was off topic.

I'm kind of with both of those categories of explanation. I definitely just like it, but when I try to talk about why, I do go a little kozmik. I have a theory about the mind-body synchrony being enhanced by the fact that the bike speed is always proportional to the leg speed, as with running, so you get in the "zone" more readily. But that may just be some old 60s stuff rattling around the brain.

But I know I like it, for rides that aren't too hilly. I got into it after reading Sheldon Brown's stuff. Thank you again, Sheldon. I didn't know from hip or cool, and still don't care. It does not bother me one bit that "hipsters" (whatever they are -- and why is that a dirty word?) ride them. More people on bikes is good, imho, regardless of why they do it or what kind of bike. I don't have an "image" to ruin, so I don't care about that.


That is interesting, and totaly contrary to my experience riding road bikes for the last 40+ years. I love drop bars. The only times in my life I've had even the least back problems were some periods when I wasn't riding much. I especially appreciate the hooks when I'm grinding into a headwind on the FG, overgeared of course. My evening commute has had a strong headwind every night this week, and today looks like another.
Well, I ran into some serious health issues 3 years ago which put me in the hospital for 2 months, and off all my bikes, road, off road, for 6 months. Recovery has been a nightmare and I will never be 100% or even close. I'm older, weaker and heavier, bad combination. Never had back problems before. I went from a multi- thousand mile/yr cyclist to a multi hundred mile/yr cyclist in that time, with this back problem. Not good for self esteem, but to coin 2 cliches: "it is what it is" and it's my "new normal".
The fixie is my gift to myself as a recovery tool. Something new and different and a good training aid. Since I built it in 2013, I've messed around a lot with handlebars: drop to flat to bullhorn to high rise mtb. Brakes from front only to front and rear. The high bars and a shorter stem keep my back straighter, but no doubt look funny: neither roadie nor hipster, but fat old guy on "frankenbike". So I have to agree with you and not give a f**k what anybody thinks; just man up, grind uphill and spin down on this sucker, and keep looking forward
 
#19 ·
I had a Fuji aluminum fixed gear frame I got from Nashbar a while back, and started building it up into another bike. I swapped wheels around on other bikes and I ended up with a White Industries ENO rear wheel on the #1 bike, GIOS megalite frame fixed - which should have been on that bike from the beginning because of its semi-horizintal dropouts. The CAAD5 SS is running a campy cassette and spacers with just 17 and 18 teeth and 46 front. The new Fuji will have 40/16 with a rear surly flip-flop hub. The Sugino 40t chainwheel should arrive today from Harris Cyclery, my hometown bike store. All the wheels are Harris' Open Pro rims. So I'll have more decisions. I find myself riding fixed because of the good workout and the Sheldon-Zen connection.
 
#24 ·
The thing is I already have a spare set of wheels. hope disc freehubs laced to a treking rim (ETRTHO 622)

So I will have to get a single sprocket and a chain tensioner, depending on the frame. But most probably with vertical dropouts.

I am leaning towards a steel disc frame. I am in the UK and we have Genesis who is very much new, but they have been in the business for awhile as another entity and was recently bought over by a reputable company.
 
#25 ·
I have trouble wrapping my head around a rear disc brake on a fixed gear. Clearly, not possible with horizontal drops, probably at least a pain to line up with a tensioner as well.

For the front clearly you just need a fork with disc brake mount tab.

Genesis sells a single speed bike called the Flyer with track drops.

I'd counsel a Flyer frame; front disc and rear caliper brakes; or no rear brake
 
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