Fixie injury...b****x

NeilMcEoigheann

i'm a huge fixie fan and have been cycling one for nearly the past year,
i'm also a top level runner and have been having major trouble with my groin and upper leg muscles,
recently i went to finland and italy for a month and within a week of not cycling my fixie my injury cleared up. concidence? i think not because when i returned i jumped on the fixie and the next day my leg felt sore in the injured area. this sucks but i reckoned i should share it with other cyclists. the injury in no way prevents my from cycling but distroys my ability to run.
what is the rate of hipster points i loose for every km i cycle on a single speed converted from a single speed?

Morgan

Well that's what you get for riding a ludicrous fashion clown-bike .

Is it really a fixed-wheel specific problem or just a cycling problem? Would altering your bike-setup help?

Raam

what kind of gearing do you have on it?

Lumen

NeilMcEoigheann wrote: »

what is the rate of hipster points i loose for every km i cycle on a single speed converted from a single speed?

I'd say that will make no difference. :pac:

Seriously though, unless you are braking with your legs (bad idea) the problem won't be cured with a freewheel.

Bike fit or cadence issue?

Caroline_ie

... maybe quit skidding

Billy Whizz

If you're a "top level runner" then what on earth are you doing riding a fixer?!

scottreynolds

Billy Whizz wrote: »

If you're a "top level runner" then what on earth are you doing riding a fixer?!

He's trying to be cool..... aren't they all?

steinone

I wouldnt jump to that whole ss lark, firstly even if you are I would recommend a bike fit,
allot of stresses/strains from cycling are caused by a badly set up cycling position.
As was said maybe try spinning to win?
If your using cleats(which I dont remember you using before) make sure they are properly set up, if your using straps and cages make sure that the cages are large enough not to strain your leg.

crazydingo

What ratio are you running? Perhaps it's too high?

Ignore the fixie-haters, freewheels are for wimps
Regarding the hipster points, if you are worried about losing points then they are lost already!

NeilMcEoigheann

bike set up may be an issue. but i feel its the leg breaking thing that does it i think, and thats what is fun about fixie riding
second i didn't know it was a fashion icon till after i built mine
and i run 48:17
hypster points.. i was joking i don't care.. much.
i was riding a fixie cos it was simple and i worked hard while cycling uphill

TinyExplosions

Stick a rear brake on, and don't brake with your legs.

Get a bike fit

HTFU!

blorg

I am not sure skidding is the main source of fixie issues to be honest, it doesn't take much effort if you are doing it right. Sheldon's one line about eccentric contraction and micro tears seems to be about it, repeated all over the web.

I think the constant rotation without letup and the lack of control over your cadence is a more likely issue... This can have benefits to your training but I imagine it can have negatives too if overdone.

I have had more issues from long fixed spins (like the Swords 175km) where I did not skid once than normal cycling around the place where I am skidding away. Constant pedalling far more of a strain IMHO.

Caroline_ie

blorg wrote: »

I am not sure skidding is the main source of fixie issues to be honest, it doesn't take much effort if you are doing it right.

when i started to learn how to skid ... I almost pulled a muscle in my right inside thigh. It was very sore for a few days :P The long fixie spins didn't really hurt at all i have done a few long spin including the Swords 160 on it too, the next day was ok as far I remember.

Raam

Indulge me for a minute... why does one need to skid on a fixie? I gave up skidding on bikes when I was 12 :pac:

Caroline_ie

Raam wrote: »

Indulge me for a minute... why does one need to skid on a fixie? I gave up skidding on bikes when I was 12 :pac:

I reckoned I needed to learn how to skid before i am too old, now I need to master before my next Big Bday

blorg

In skidding properly you unweight the back wheel and lock it when unweighted- the skid is then caused effectively by reweighting the wheel (e.g. when it recontacts the ground.) It doesn't take much leg effort to do this.

If you don't get the unweighting right then yes it is very tough on the legs. Gradual slowing is also tough on the legs in this regard.

Apart from it being somewhat fun I do think it is good for your bike control skills, especially in wet/icy conditions. Transfers to the geared bike too.

flickerx

Raam wrote: »

Indulge me for a minute... why does one need to skid on a fixie?

So that you dont have to put a front brake on, which would ruin the minimal aesthetic of your bike.

Gavin

A Mountain Biking Guru once told me:

'skids are for kids'

I have worshiped his words even since.

blorg

Gavin wrote: »

A Mountain Biking Guru once told me:

'skids are for kids'

I have worshiped his words even since.

You gave up trying then

flickerx

Jesus, did you remember him making that post, more than six months ago?

blorg

flickerx wrote: »

Jesus, did you remember him making that post, more than six months ago?

Yes, I did