So I bought a fixie disk cog, stuck it on my singlespeed and away I went. 4th ride, tumbled over when
getting on, got back up, went 1/4 mile and then stacked it big time while going fast in a straight line trying to free wheel.
Got thrown up in the air, came back down on the bike and then slid along the ground. Inside of my calf has big gouges from the chainring, outside of the leg is road rash all the way up. Most serious bike accident I’ve ever had, I rode home in tears.

So, yeah, you got me. I thought fixie was real. I realise now it’s a cruel joke.

Sorry to hear it didn’t go to plan, i found mine a bit funky to begin with, but once u get in the mind set of just leaving your legs to spin, rather than stop its ok, its worth another go, just have to really concentrate.

That kind of accident only ever happens once on a fixie! Lesson learned. 😉

Too right ^.

I stopped pedalling on a fixie once. Never happened since in 3 years.

Stopped pedalling first time on the track, rider in front pulled out, I instinctivly stopped pedalling and down I went. Was still pulling splinters out of my back a week later! Haven’t done it since!

After riding a track bike I have no idea how people commute on a fixie. A track bike on a track is one thing but on the road with pedestrians / vans / lorries / school run mums I have no idea how that’s supposed to safe.

I “found out” 😉 that I coast over manhole covers on bends!

surprised you fell off. mtb’ers usually coast with the pedals level so if you stop your legs just get pulled round. but if you stand up or try to coast with one pedal down your leg is locked at the knee and you get launched skywards

i only forgot to pedal 3 times, twice on the first day of riding fixed and at the end of a 120mile ride though tiredness. didn’t fall off though.

I ride fixed a bit and find that I have more control over the bike, I do use a front brake though, brakeless would be a step to far!

120 miles on a fixie? Respect! My legs are shreaded after 40!

its like anything; if you do it for a bit you get used to it. at first it seems hard and then it just becomes second nature and you dont think about it. its like people complaining that after using spuds they cant cycle with flats – yes they can just give it another half hour! going back to a freewheeling drivetrain actually feels a bit weird after riding a fixed gear for a bit.
dont get me wrong i am no fixed gear preacher – i dont think they give you a magical connection to the bike and i dont think that they are that faff-free – drivetrain needs to be fairly precisely set up to run smoothly and things that arent designed to take certain loads (pedals mainly) take funny loads when braking. but, i absolutely love my fixed gear bike for road riding, commuting, and just generally cruising around enjoying the feeling of being on a bike (one of the best feelings in the world)

best bit is letting others have a go: my mate ‘this isnt a bike its a joke bike! arargh!’

“After riding a track bike I have no idea how people commute on a fixie. A track bike on a track is one thing but on the road with pedestrians / vans / lorries / school run mums I have no idea how that’s supposed to safe. “

if you have a front brake fixed isn’t any more difficult or unsafe. if anything it’s easier as speed modulation is more instinctive when you are controlling it by leg speed and you get more braking grip in the wet as you are less likely to lock the rear.

I commute 20 miles a day on the fixie, and as above, with a front brake it’s very safe. I learned to read the road a bit more, and keep a general average speed rather than lots of stop/starts.

First time I tried my fixie my legs felt VERY strange after I got off. Like nailing it on a treadmill then trying to walk. Weird

sounds painful, is it considered acceptable to fit a bit of of plastic flicking the spokes if you can’t bear to give up the whirr of your rear free hub?

Switched to fixed for the commute (20 miles a day) a few weeks back and am really enjoying it. New skills to learn! Realised tonight on the way home that wheelie-ing the bike to an upright position (after unclipping) is the most elegant way to mount and dismount to fit through narrow canal path gate things.

Not got the hang of the stationary trackstand yet though.

Brakes front and rear for me.

my bike has 20 gears AND can freewheel.

i’m thinking it’s about time I put a fixed sprocket on the back of my ss road bike 🙂

“After riding a track bike I have no idea how people commute on a fixie. A track bike on a track is one thing but on the road with pedestrians / vans / lorries / school run mums I have no idea how that’s supposed to safe. “

if you have a front brake fixed isn’t any more difficult or unsafe. if anything it’s easier as speed modulation is more instinctive when you are controlling it by leg speed and you get more braking grip in the wet as you are less likely to lock the rear.

Yup. That and when it’s proper minging wet you have one brake that is completely unaffected by the weather.

It actually takes me far more time to get used to my geared roadie now than it does the fixie – especially climbing. The fixie does most of the pedalling for me. It all feels really choppy on the geared one unless I make a *very* conscious effort to pedal in circles.

Does anybody do fixed off-road?

Does anybody do fixed off-road?

Yes; several people here do, and I have a bit.

I like it off-road, and on “recreational” road rides, but hated riding fixed in traffic for riding to work.

i have a beard but i’m not niche enough to ride fixed off road.
i have no interest in trying it either.

Fixed off road is. just. wrong.

Not wrong, just different.

I rode fixie on road for a bit (20 years ago when it wasn’t trendy). Luckily no accidents. I can see the appeal but where I live is too hilly & windy, esp. if you are pedalling home with panniers full of groceries etc.

I was pedalling past Auther’s seat behind a guy on a fixed/ss, mild incline and stiff headwind, looked no fun at all. I don’t feel any need to make my commute any harder.

Fixed off road looks stupid, I do have a pal that did it. He changed back fairly quickly.

Q: Does anybody do fixed off-road?

A: Yes me. Nothing extreme but definately off-road.

I think that samuri from here does too.

See also: http://www.63xc.com/

my dad used to ride a fixie, and he said that the only thing you have to worry is that you don’t tilt the bike over too much when cornering and clout the ground with the pedal!

Fixed is more difficult for urban riding. You can’t choose your pedal position so can’t go round corners as fast or squeeze through tight gaps where there is a high kerb. It’s also more difficult to hop things or pump through holes/dips etc.

It’s not wrong but it is no way more efficient/quicker unless the road is very straight with a constant gradient.

WTF is wrong with a freewheel!??

RooleyMoor – great for sparks though

“WTF is wrong with a freewheel!??”
or gears…
or and engine…
or a nice, comfy 4×4 with GPS, a CD player and air-con?

Why do we ride bikes instead of just running the trails?

I don’t know about you guys but I’m only doing any of this bike suff because I enjoy it and it need no more justification than that.

Fixed (on or off road) is just a different way of having fun on a bike.

Wearing your sister’s jeans is entirely optional 🙂

At the track I stopped pedalling a couple of times but had no problem (touch wood) – apparently my reactions are quick enough to restart pedalling hence avoiding an off 🙂

The worst one though was after a hard sprint effort.. when my lungs were hanging out I had to just coast for a second.. oops… 🙂

Pah! I’ll be impressed when I see fixie bunny hops. <waits for smart arse with youtube link>

I bought a fixie/singlespeed for my winter commuting this year. Thought it only fair to try it as I’ve constantly taken the p!ss out of singlespeeders in the past.

Riding fixie scared the sh!t out of me on a frequent basis, and riding single speed was just not fun especially in a raging headwind…simple as that. And with a tailwind you just spin out 🙁 My commute is a flat 25 miles each way.

The learning curve on the fixie is painful (although I never rode home in tears though….that’s gay 😉

I’m back to gears….lots of gears. Gears are good, so is a freewheel!

Pah! I’ll be impressed when I see fixie bunny hops. <waits for smart arse with youtube link>

youtube link

another one

Off-road fixed is an aquired taste, worst part is the downhills as you don’t ever get a rest like you do on a normal SS, oh and getting over logs/rocks is sometimes interesting. It’s good in the snow though, so much control without braking.

only ever had two scares riding fixed.

one was during rush hour, chasing down the middle of three lanes trying to get ahead of the cars pulling away from the lights into an underpass, so resenable gradient. got up to max leg spin and then tried to relax but got jolted up out of the saddle. didn’t fall but was trying desperately to stay upright whilst my legs were flailing all over the place still attached to the pedals. managed to control it, looked back and all the cars had stopped dead. prehaps out of fear, prehaps shock. not sure which but felt a right dick. its difficult trying to explain pointing just at the bike that its a fixed gear and you can’t free-wheel it….

i find that after a week of commuting on the fixed its a strange sensation to free-wheel when on the mtb. also flipped the wheel the other week because i knew i’d be riding home drunk. didn’t change it back right away and have to say i really don’t like riding SS. only one brake at the front and it’s not the strongest. realised how little i actually use the brake at all.

and i find it much easier to track stand on the mtb than with fixed.

what size gears are you running? 44/17= 2.58

Is this kind of incident not a mtb’ing rite of passage, like dead-sailoring it the first time you try spd’s, (which i’ve never done, honest :D).

Too right ^.

I stopped pedalling on a fixie once. Never happened since

Same here. I’ve never been stupid enough to try riding one again since! 😈 😉

I don’t get the better braking thing? Learn to modulate your brakes? Surely its easier to modulate a small force in your hand than a large and constantly altering force with your feet?

The only fixie I have ridden only has one wheel