Fixie Bike

from_atozinc

Hello

Im thinking of changing to a fixie bike, ive never cycled one before.

my cycling is just a 4km commute each way in and out of work and then just for leisure at the weekend, where I may cycle 20 or 30km.

Would a fixie suit the 20-30km stuff ?

Are they hard to get used to for someone that has never cycled one before ?

Id definitely be getting one with brakes anyway

Ole Rodrigo

They are perfect for short distances, IMO, and fine for 20 to 30km. I think they offer greater value compared to their geared counterparts at around the 1K price point. It doesn't take too long to get used to them, just take it slowly at first.

I'm fairly sure Irish law requires them to be sold with at least one brake, it is the case in The UK. I wouldn't cycle one without one anyway.

A few tips :

- Keep the crank length as short as possible - 165mm - so you can take corners without the pedal hitting the ground.

- Be extra careful with shoes laces.

- Be careful of picking up speed in heavy traffic as one brake won't offer a lot of braking power. This won't be a problem if you're paying attention, generally, but check your speed until you build your experience.

- 46 X 16 is a good gear ratio for general use.

Kinet1c

I ride a Giant Bowery (out of production afaik, not 100%) but it has a flip hub so you can switch between fixie and single speed (freewheel). It might be an idea to get a bike with this facility so should you not be too keen on the fixie format.

I commute as well as do long enough distances on it and it's been bulletproof. Kona Paddywagon and Specialized Langster are two other bikes that would be good options.

For short climbs it's fine but at my current fitness/strength level I'd not go anywhere near Sally's gap etc.

I bought the Bowery with the intention of going fixie eventually but never did and really enjoy it as a single speed.

CramCycle

from_atozinc wrote: »

Id definitely be getting one with brakes anyway

Get the two brakes, trust me, particularly if you have very little experience cycling fixed. The lack of a freewheel can be difficult for some, as in you forget, go to freewheel and then pop out of your saddle.

I would definitely get the flip flop hub (pretty standard on nearly all new ones) and a BMX freewheel so you have the options.

fiacha

I have an 09 Langster which I use for all my road cycling. I only run singlespeed as I found fixed to be hard on my knees and I was a bit of a danger to the public .

I am a lump at 140kg, so I use the stock gearing of 42x16. This is fine for climbing and nipping around town. It will spin out on long flat stretches, but that suits me as I need the high cadence. Two brakes are a must for me.
I find it perfect for long rides. Max I've done is 80Km, but I regularly do 50+. Having proper drop bars will make longer rides more comfortable, as you will have multiple hand positions.

If you are buying a stock bike, make sure that it has adequate clearance and ideally mounts for full mudguards. Getting decent mudguards on mine is a total pain.

RockWerchter

Gears are a luxury rather than a necessity, longest I've done on a fixed gear is 180km, did a couple of 150km spins with 20kg on a rack on my old Langster too.

I would recommend you give riding fixed a good go before you decide you don't like it, it's much more enjoyable once you get comfortable with it. And if you do ride fixed get good toe straps, or even better clipless pedals.

slap/dash

Fixed if you really want to, but as has been said, you'll have to be more alert than usual. Prob good for icy surfaces but myself I like to be a bit faster around town; brakes=ability to mash along without as much need for caution.

I ride plenty of km as a roadie but for around town up to 20k or so without crazy hills it's just far better to ride ss on steel. With solid built wheels you'll cruise through winters and wear and tear will be no issue. Can also put 28 or highter tyres on and blast along the canals. Have fun!

C3PO

Just started commuting this week on my new single speed steel Langster - absolutely love it! Averaging approx 26kms per hour on the 28kms round trip - tough getting home into the headwind and lashing rain on Wednesday though! Highly recommend it.

kumate_champ07

ror_74 wrote: »

They are perfect for short distances, IMO, and fine for 20 to 30km. I think they offer greater value compared to their geared counterparts at around the 1K price point. It doesn't take too long to get used to them, just take it slowly at first.

I'm fairly sure Irish law requires them to be sold with at least one brake, it is the case in The UK. I wouldn't cycle one without one anyway.

A few tips :

- Keep the crank length as short as possible - 165mm - so you can take corners without the pedal hitting the ground.

- Be extra careful with shoes laces.

- Be careful of picking up speed in heavy traffic as one brake won't offer a lot of braking power. This won't be a problem if you're paying attention, generally, but check your speed until you build your experience.

- 46 X 16 is a good gear ratio for general use.

Ive never had problems with 170mm . most 'fixies' arent pure track bikes anyway, they are either conversions or fixed gear frames with road frame geometry.

for the sake of knee joint longevity an 18t cog is recommended or larger, I actually use 22t on the rear(50t chaining), great in the city centre taking off when the lights turn green

C3PO

kumate_champ07 wrote: »

.... for the sake of knee joint longevity an 18t cog is recommended or larger, I actually use 22t on the rear(50t chaining), great in the city centre taking off when the lights turn green

Why would a larger rear cog paired with a larger front ring be easier on your knees than a smaller cog/ring combination (assuming you get the same gear inches with either)? I'm running 14/42 on my new SS but (at 53!) I'm keen to keep my already ailing knees intact!

nak

C3PO wrote: »

Why would a larger rear cog paired with a larger front ring be easier on your knees than a smaller cog/ring combination (assuming you get the same gear inches with either)? I'm running 14/42 on my new SS but (at 53!) I'm keen to keep my already ailing knees intact!

No, if it's the same size gear, no difference. It's easier to get smaller sprockets too.

I have been riding fixed for years on the road and track, have osteoarthritis in both knees and have never found that it irritated them more than the road bike (which is not really at all, cold weather is what bothers me). Had a front brake on my old bike, but didn't really need to use it, easy enough to stop without it if using clipess pedals.

rollingscone

Bit of a tangent but shifting around our bikes in a very crowded spare room this morning I was reminded of the significant weight advantage of my wife's single speed over my road bike with superior components. Definitely a plus for fixed/ss.

Unless you buy one of those awful gaspipe hipster traps.

Ole Rodrigo

kumate_champ07 wrote: »

Ive never had problems with 170mm . most 'fixies' arent pure track bikes anyway, they are either conversions or fixed gear frames with road frame geometry.

for the sake of knee joint longevity an 18t cog is recommended or larger, I actually use 22t on the rear(50t chaining), great in the city centre taking off when the lights turn green

Still, theres more advantage in general use for a shorter crank length, I would say.

Knee problems on fixed gear seem to be an individual thing. I' ve never had any problems and have done some long hilly spins, including a 420km randonee at Easter. Ive heard reports of knee conditions improving.

from_atozinc

OP here again, thanks for all the replies.

Im not too au fait with all the lingo.

This may be a bit thick, but I don't know the difference between a a fixie and single speed bike


Also, I dont know what a flip flop hub is

nak

from_atozinc wrote: »

OP here again, thanks for all the replies.

Im not too au fait with all the lingo.

This may be a bit thick, but I don't know the difference between a a fixie and single speed bike


Also, I dont know what a flip flop hub is

Fixed means there is no freewheel, single speed has a freewheel so you can stop pedalling and keep moving.

Flip flop is fixed on one side free on the other.

Alanstrainor

from_atozinc wrote: »

OP here again, thanks for all the replies.

Im not too au fait with all the lingo.

This may be a bit thick, but I don't know the difference between a a fixie and single speed bike


Also, I dont know what a flip flop hub is

Fixed means that when the bike is moving the pedals will move. You cannot stop pedaling while the bike is in motion, if you are strong enough to do so, you will stop the rear wheel. So no freewheeling to a stop, or freewheeling down hill etc.

A single speed, has a freewheel like a normal/regular bike. So you can freewheel, and stop pedaling as you wish.

A flipflop hub has both of these on the same wheel. Fixed on one side, and freewheel on the other side of the wheel. Simply taking the wheel off and turning it is all you need to do to switch.

After all that, I would strongly recommend getting a singlespeed over fixed. I ride 21km a day on a singlespeed and love it.

from_atozinc

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Fixed means that when the bike is moving the pedals will move. You cannot stop pedaling while the bike is in motion, if you are strong enough to do so, you will stop the rear wheel. So no freewheeling to a stop, or freewheeling down hill etc.

A single speed, has a freewheel like a normal/regular bike. So you can freewheel, and stop pedaling as you wish.

A flipflop hub has both of these on the same wheel. Fixed on one side, and freewheel on the other side of the wheel. Simply taking the wheel off and turning it is all you need to do to switch.

After all that, I would strongly recommend getting a singlespeed over fixed. I ride 21km a day on a singlespeed and love it.

ah ok, have ya now. thanks for reply. ya, I think a single speed with front and rear brakes could be what I need.

However, on hills etc, is it not a pain in the hole having no gears ?

Alanstrainor

from_atozinc wrote: »

ah ok, have ya now. thanks for reply. ya, I think a single speed with front and rear brakes could be what I need.

However, on hills etc, is it not a pain in the hole having no gears ?

Depends on the hill. It keeps me fit is what I'd say.

from_atozinc

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Fixed means that when the bike is moving the pedals will move. You cannot stop pedaling while the bike is in motion, if you are strong enough to do so, you will stop the rear wheel. So no freewheeling to a stop, or freewheeling down hill etc.

A single speed, has a freewheel like a normal/regular bike. So you can freewheel, and stop pedaling as you wish.

A flipflop hub has both of these on the same wheel. Fixed on one side, and freewheel on the other side of the wheel. Simply taking the wheel off and turning it is all you need to do to switch.

After all that, I would strongly recommend getting a singlespeed over fixed. I ride 21km a day on a singlespeed and love it.

are the chains on these fixie / single speed bikes a lot stronger than on a normal bike ?

Alanstrainor

from_atozinc wrote: »

are the chains on these fixie / single speed bikes a lot stronger than on a normal bike ?

I'm not too sure to be honest. But chains are cheap. I replace mine every 5000km or so...but that's hardly out of necessity, I reckon I could go a lot longer than that on a chain. But I'm quite lazy in terms of my routine maintenance! Never had a chain fail, they do stretch, and that's something worth keeping an eye on.

Ole Rodrigo

Alanstrainor wrote: »

After all that, I would strongly recommend getting a singlespeed over fixed.

Why do you say this ? Just curious.

Alanstrainor

ror_74 wrote: »

Why do you say this ? Just curious.

I just think that fixies are needlessly dangerous tbh. Especially on a commuting bike. I've ridden fixie commuting through Dublin, and just thought it was a mad way to go about things. And for what? It's slightly more efficient when going up hill perhaps? Beyond that I fail to see the draw to such a bike.

from_atozinc

Are scum attracted to fixie type bikes ?
Are they less likely to be stolen ?

Ole Rodrigo

Alanstrainor wrote: »

I just think that fixies are needlessly dangerous tbh. Especially on a commuting bike. I've ridden fixie commuting through Dublin, and just thought it was a mad way to go about things. And for what? It's slightly more efficient when going up hill perhaps? Beyond that I fail to see the draw to such a bike.

They do get a hard time, thats for sure !

I agree they are more challenging, initially, which might be construed as dangerous, but with a decent brake ( or two ) and some practice they shouldn't be.

On the plus side they offer more bang for your buck with fitness. And as many owners will attest, theres something compelling about the ride that gets better over time. I use mine mostly for commutes and training spins. Getting on to the road bike after riding fixed all week is made all the more enjoyable because of it.

Theres an odd rejection of them based on their association with that much maligned youth sub culture, hipsters, which makes no sense to me. Plus, they were the original bike before gears were introduced and used in the early Tour DeFrance races. To this day, riders still use them on Paris Brest Paris. Maybe cycling culture in Ireland is still in the early stages of development ?

Ole Rodrigo

from_atozinc wrote: »

Are scum attracted to fixie type bikes ?
Are they less likely to be stolen ?

Yep, thankfully.

from_atozinc

ror_74 wrote: »

Yep, thankfully.

yep to what question ?

nak

from_atozinc wrote: »

yep to what question ?

They're a lot more likely to get stolen now as they are a lot more popular than they used to be. Bike thieves know how to ride a fixie, they didn't a few years back.

Ole Rodrigo

from_atozinc wrote: »

yep to what question ?

Ive had a few occasions where mine has been overlooked while others beside have been taken. Its locked frequently in the city center while grocery shopping ( with a D lock ) and have had no issues.

Can't say if they're attracted to them. My guess would be no.

from_atozinc

Another stupid question coming up.

So for the single speed, and if this were to be compared to a standard bike with 21 gears, what gear equivelant would the single speed be equivalent to , would it be the 10th gear on a 21 speed or something like that

quozl

You choose based on the chain ring and sprocket size you put on it - or that comes with it.

Generally it'd be something around the middle of what a full normal gear range would be.

You can compare various sprocket/chain-ring ratios using online tools like this - http://home.earthlink.net/~mike.sherman/shift.html . Or you can compare one to another simply by comparing the two ratios of chain-ring:sprocket

So assuming you know what a 50/23 feels like from your current bike that is a ratio of 2.17 . A fixed gear bike with a 42/18 would be 2.33. So a bit higher gear than the 50/23. Closer to a 50/21 (2.38) which you might also have on your road bike.

from_atozinc

quozl wrote: »

You choose based on the chain ring and sprocket size you put on it - or that comes with it.

Generally it'd be something around the middle of what a full normal gear range would be.

You can compare various sprocket/chain-ring ratios using online tools like this - http://home.earthlink.net/~mike.sherman/shift.html . Or you can compare one to another simply by comparing the two ratios of chain-ring:sprocket

So assuming you know what a 50/23 feels like from your current bike that is a ratio of 2.17 . A fixed gear bike with a 42/18 would be 2.33. So a bit higher gear than the 50/23. Closer to a 50/21 (2.38) which you might also have on your road bike.

Thanks very much for taking the time.

Alanstrainor

Just FYI, if you have a bike currently, and put it into (more or less...) the same gearing as a potential single speed, it will only give you a very rough idea of how it will feel. The single speed will be a lot more direct in terms of power delivery, it's odd but they do feel different even when comparing the same gear ratio on a geared bike.

fixie fox

Kinet1c wrote: »

I ride a Giant Bowery (out of production afaik, not 100%) but it has a flip hub so you can switch between fixie and single speed (freewheel). It might be an idea to get a bike with this facility so should you not be too keen on the fixie format.

I commute as well as do long enough distances on it and it's been bulletproof. Kona Paddywagon and Specialized Langster are two other bikes that would be good options.

For short climbs it's fine but at my current fitness/strength level I'd not go anywhere near Sally's gap etc.

I bought the Bowery with the intention of going fixie eventually but never did and really enjoy it as a single speed.

What's a good online spot for a single speed freewheel for a flip--flop hub? I presume they need a special tool to take them off?

fiacha

fixie fox wrote: »

What's a good online spot for a single speed freewheel for a flip--flop hub? I presume they need a special tool to take them off?

I haven't used this shop yet, but they do seem to have a good selection of parts and information.

http://www.velosolo.co.uk/shopsingle.html

Ole Rodrigo

On Track should have them.

http://ontrackdublin.com/index.php/contact/