Talk to me about fixed gears

[jrenaut]

I have never ridden a fixed gear bike. I’ve somehow got it in my head that I’d like to. Because my commute is so short relative to nearly all of you, and because it goes through the city and the associated stop lights, and because it’s very difficult for me to find time to go for long weekend rides, I think I’ve plateaued in terms for biking for fitness. So I’m thinking that commuting on a fixed gear would change that.

Never mind that I have no idea where I would put it (I couldn’t replace my road bike with a fixed gear because there’s no way I could pull the kids in the trailer up 19th Street on a fixie) or any of those other things.

What’s great about fixed gears? What sucks? I know we have a lot of people on the forum who ride them and I’m really curious to hear all sides (without starting a flame war).

[americancyclo]

More importantly, who has one in/around 60cm that I can try to ride!?

[Dirt]

As someone who has put 4000+ miles on a fixie this year, I guess that makes me the poster child for these things.

They’re fun to ride! I got back to riding fixie to get a bit more of a workout with my 15 mile commute. I had so much fun with it that I really don’t ride my other bikes that often.

I’ve seen lots of different incarnations of fixies. I’ve got 4 different incarnations: 1) Surly steamroller as a beater with fenders. I can ride it in virtually any weather; 2) Surly Troll with a rack up front for panniers if I need to haul stuff; 3) Big Pink is my bike for long rides… though I’ve been using it for commuting lately too; and 4) Mountain bike which is really fun on trails, in the mountains and around town.

Many talk about how they’re easier to care for. Many use them as an expression of style. I guess I do that too… with Big Pink at least. There certainly is a fixie culture in DC. I don’t do so much with that… except that I photograph, observe and comment.

If I were starting on a fixie for the first time, I might try something with flat bars. You don’t need to cut them down super narrow… maybe a little more narrow than a mountain bike since you may not need the width for honking up steep hills. All of my fixies are drop bars except for the mountain bike. I basically set them up like road bikes… same saddle height, bar height and width.

I hope that helps a little.

Pete

[baiskeli]

What specifically makes a bike with no gears fun? I don’t get it.

[Dirt]

@americancyclo 20693 wrote:

More importantly, who has one in/around 60cm that I can try to ride!?

Mine are probably a little tall for you, sir. I just found out that the seatpost and frame on Big Pink have become one. I don’t really want to take any measures to extract it until the end of the month since that is the bike that I’m using for Total200. Everything is right on the bike at the moment, I don’t want to mess it up. I could probably set up the troll as something you can mess around with.

[Dirt]

@baiskeli 20696 wrote:

What specifically makes a bike with no gears fun? I don’t get it.

Great question. I have absolutely no answer for you in general terms. I can list some of the reasons I love it.

I like that I’m much more in touch with the terrain that I’m riding. Hills take a little more planning and technique.. both going up them and down them. I like the simplicity. I enjoy the challenge.

I like that many, if not most fixie riders have put their bikes together themselves. For some, that is a matter of necessity… the bike gets put together from parts cast-off or left over from other bikes. For others it is a matter of building a bike that does exactly what you want it to be… functionally, personality-wise or both. I guess that’s as close to the fixie culture as I really get.

Ultimately YOU are the one that needs to decide if it is fun for you or not. It really isn’t for everyone. Test ride one. Borrow one. If you’re bold and have the ability, build one.

[jrenaut]

I would like to build one eventually, though at the moment I’m not sure I’m entirely capable. Though I suppose it’s the gears that are really the hard part to set up, right?

[ShawnoftheDread]

I think Dirt should set up a “play with a fixie” day for all us wannabes to give it a whirl. We could each take a lap or two around Haines Point after work. Payment would be a pack/container of his favorite beverage.

[jrenaut]

@ShawnoftheDread 20709 wrote:

I think Dirt should set up a “play with a fixie” day for all us wannabes to give it a whirl. We could each take a lap or two around Haines Point after work. Payment would be a pack/container of his favorite beverage.

We’d each have to grow a foot taller.

[jabberwocky]

I did the fixie thing when my commute was down the W&OD into Tysons. It made the daily slog down the W&OD more entertaining and added some variety. I still ride mine occasionally but not nearly as often.

I have two fixies for anyone who wants to try them. One is actually in Dirts basement at the moment. Both are midget sized.

[baiskeli]

@Dirt 20704 wrote:

Great question. I have absolutely no answer for you in general terms. I can list some of the reasons I love it.

I like that I’m much more in touch with the terrain that I’m riding. Hills take a little more planning and technique.. both going up them and down them. I like the simplicity. I enjoy the challenge.

I like that many, if not most fixie riders have put their bikes together themselves. For some, that is a matter of necessity… the bike gets put together from parts cast-off or left over from other bikes. For others it is a matter of building a bike that does exactly what you want it to be… functionally, personality-wise or both. I guess that’s as close to the fixie culture as I really get.

Ultimately YOU are the one that needs to decide if it is fun for you or not. It really isn’t for everyone. Test ride one. Borrow one. If you’re bold and have the ability, build one.

Thanks! First rational answer to that question. Of course, it’s the first time I’ve asked.

[baiskeli]

@ShawnoftheDread 20709 wrote:

I think Dirt should set up a “play with a fixie” day for all us wannabes to give it a whirl. We could each take a lap or two around Haines Point after work. Payment would be a pack/container of his favorite beverage.

You could simply not shift on your current bike, I presume.

[Dirt]

@jrenaut 20710 wrote:

We’d each have to grow a foot taller.

Sorry. It would be a lot easier if I were human-sized.

@baiskeli 20714 wrote:

Thanks! First rational answer to that question. Of course, it’s the first time I’ve asked.

I’m rarely accused of being rational, so this is a unique honor for me. Thanks!

The only other thing that puts it in perspective for me as to why fixies are fun is to think in other terms: Why is golf fun? Tennis? Yoga? Hot dog eating contests? The answer to those completely depends on the individual. The answers to all of the above may be “They’re not fun.”

Rock on, y’all!

[jabberwocky]

Just to repeat, I have two fixies that I’d be happy to loan to any shorter folks who wanna try one. The first is a 50cm Milwaukee Orange one, the other is a 52cm Lotus Legend. Good for folks in the 5’4″ to 5’8″ range.

[DismalScientist]

@baiskeli 20715 wrote:

You could simply not shift on your current bike, I presume.

You need to have the cassette sufficiently rusted to the hub so you can’t coast.

[Author]

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