Oh but they do. They really, really do. Hence the need to denigrate other groups, in order to try to make themselves feel a little better about their own inadequacies.
You sound quite bitter about this.
You sound quite bitter about this.
Not at all. Although my espresso in it's itny cup is, which is why I have a little suger to temper it slightly.
Not at all. Although my espresso in it's itny cup is, which is why I have a little suger to temper it slightly.
do you lift your little finger while supping though? is your cycling cap at a jaunty angle?
next question about fixies. What 'gear' do you fix in at?
I mean what gear is it equivalent to on a standard 3 front 9 back geared mtb? I would think you would tend to have it more towards the big ring on the front with something around the mid to lower end on the back. Gear 20-23?
[b]djaustin - Member[/b]Really? I commute 100 miles a week on a fixed road bike (not fixie). I ride the club chaingang on Tuesdays and average 19-20 mph.
Then I get the geared bike out and try and keep up with the fast group!
Sorry. I didn't word that well.
It does very little for your race fitness in comparison to what you could have achieved in the same time training on an appropriate machine 🙂
PS - Did you not mean that you average 19-20mph on your commutes? And about 23-24 on your chaingangs?
😉
Generally I don't call mine a fixed road bike, or a fixie or anything other than "The sh*t heap"
And as for gearing, clearly you have to set it up with something massive for the willy waving contest that will ensue!
do you lift your little finger while supping though? is your cycling cap at a jaunty angle?
Of course! Offended that you might possibly think otherwise.
(No I don't, and no it's not actually. I don't really drink cofee and i've neverworn a cycling cap. Can I still be in your gang?)
next question about fixies. What 'gear' do you fix in at?
it will be expressed in inches (as in gear inches) ratios are for MTB/off road. different chainring combos can equate to the same in inches which just gets confusing
72 inches here, sometimes drop to 68 in the winter.
Oh but they do. They really, really do. Hence the need to denigrate other groups, in order to try to make themselves feel a little better about their own inadequacies.
OK. So what's going on in this post you seem to approve of?
brilliant aren't they. i wear rapha when riding mine just to really get up peoples noses. i also sometimes midweek park mine outside cafes (who roast their own beans) and order an off menu piccolo coffee and lift up my little finger as i drink it safe in the knowledge that people with normal jobs would be wound up just a little bit more if they could see me from their desk or take their eyes away from their spreadsheet.
What's the point of a Fixie?
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And with a nod/acknowledgement to mrsmiths post above i'm just about to head out for a wee spin on my new charge plug fixie sans brakes, i guess i'll wear my battered old sidi dragons, 5 yr old rapha fixed merino top, merino buff, merino beanie (chocolate fish), swrve winter softshell 3/4 shorts, merino socks and endura thermolite gloves with my endura cuttle persimmon lens glasses, I'll prob wear my patagonia primaloft pullover gillet as well coz the sun will be going down soon. i can just about guarantee i'll not see another car in my 10-15 mile route as i stay in darkest galloway and i'll stick to hilly singletrack roads so i'll have the entire run to myself with no drivetrain noise, no freewheel chatter, no worries bout what gear to be in just the whish...whish of my tyres on tarmac, i'll take my time and enjoy the late afternoon sun and the views from the hills whilst attempting to remember i'm riding a fixie and cannot freewheel.
I just bought it earlier this week and haven't rode fixed for years so it'll take a bit of getting used to again but i've rode over 30 miles so far on it this week already which fully justifies me having it - it's just a bike, nothing special about it, it makes me smile when i ride it, that's all the justification i need for riding.
you forgot to use the word 'zen-like'
The point of fixies
Regulation for track cyling
Tour boys / road racers use them on the road to train for cadence
Messengers use them so they dont have to buy brake pads / rims
Commuters use them because they dont need maintaining
Scenesters use them because the messengers do and they [messengers] are cool
not sure about offroad..
Did you not mean that you average 19-20mph
No, that's our average for the medium group over 25 miles.
I average about 16-18 on my commutes, depending on the above (i.e., how knackered I'm feeling!)
Gear is 42:16 (or 48:18) on a 700C bike. And I like spinning. It's a Kona Paddy Waggon with custom road wheels, mudguards and a rack that I remove for faster rides. Weight is 10 kilos dead.
Damn....I almost ticked all the fixed cliches in one post....gonna try and edit it
The real questions is why not try something different?
The real questions is why not try something different?
like a 29'er MTB?
What about a fixed 29'er?, with a 650b rear?, and drop bars?,....Ooooooh......can i be first...can i be first.....Oh go on....puleeease...let me break new ground for a stw clique?.
Another observation is that genuine fixe riders seem to be pretty fit in my experience. Many of them could probably rip the legs off most folk on here. It's the slow, ponderous MAMILs that get in your way. and you have to give them a much wder berth when overtaking, lest you be sucked into their gravity field.
OK. So what's going on in this post you seem to approve of?
It just sums up the snobbishness and parochialism with subtle ironic humour.
At least I think that's what it meant. I'm not terribly good on irony apparently.
The real questions is why not try something different?
Because I can't see any advantage to it over a regular single speed.
Like I said before, slower up hill, down hill and over obstacles.
I'm not going to do it just for the challenge, I need a proper reason.
My pub/commuter/shopping bike is a fixie and I just get on and ride it. Have been riding them for over 40 years so it's not exactly a passing fad.
I found that when I put the grandson's kiddie seat on the back I wasn't too happy with the stopping & starting (esp with toe overlap) but fortunately Mrs BigJohn's pub/shopping bike has a freewheel and adjustable seatpost so I use that instead.
EDIT - And my daughter's boyfriend works for Rapha so I have a ton of their stuff (including Fixie jersey) but I don't make a point of wearing it to go shopping or to the pub.
I've off-roaded on fixed a few times - roadbike only - and didn't really see the advantage except as a bit of a slow novelty.
I'm not terribly good on irony apparently.
you seem to have a basic grasp of things.
^^^ proper reason?
You're overthinking this far too much. Either give it a go, or forget about it. It's the only way you'll ever decide.
It's the slow, ponderous MAMILs that get in your way. and you have to give them a much wder berth when overtaking, lest you be sucked into their gravity field.
I always enjoy it when someone much younger on a road bike or mtb passes me on my commute having written me off as a slow ponderous MAMIL. The nervous checks over the shoulder to be sure they've dropped me, which they haven't, the cranking up through the gears to escape, which they don't, the honking to make a break, which fails, the subtly relaxed body language on the downhill as they open up a bit of a gap when I hit max rpm, and the decidedly tense body language when I pass them on the next climb still doing max rpm.
I always enjoy it when someone much younger on a road bike or mtb passes me on my commute
Why are you going so slowly that they are able to pass you?
Personally, I just ride at my own pace and don't care if i'm overtaken/overtake anyone else.
I'd not bother overtaking you. i'd just tuck in and enjoy the considerable slipstream you produce, to save my energy. Which i'd then be able to expend on other activities, whilst yo're slumped on the floor exhausted, congratulating yourself for being the fastest rider on the roads.
Personally, I just ride at my own pace and don't care if i'm overtaken/overtake anyone else
Good god sir, have you taken leave of your senses.
Two cyclists = bike race. How can anyone fail to grasp such a simple concept.
I always enjoy it when someone much younger on a road bike or mtb passes me on my commute having written me off as a slow ponderous MAMIL. The nervous checks over the shoulder to be sure they've dropped me, which they haven't, the cranking up through the gears to escape, which they don't, the honking to make a break, which fails, the subtly relaxed body language on the downhill as they open up a bit of a gap when I hit max rpm, and the decidedly tense body language when I pass them on the next climb still doing max rpm.
swoon
Because I quite often pootle along well within myself and don't feel the need to ride everywhere flat out.Why are you going so slowly that they are able to pass you?
Personally, I just ride at my own pace and don't care if i'm overtaken/overtake anyone else.I'd not bother overtaking you. i'd just tuck in and enjoy the considerable slipstream you produce, to save my energy. Which i'd then be able to expend on other activities, whilst yo're slumped on the floor exhausted, congratulating yourself for being the fastest rider on the roads.
In your dreams...
Two cyclists = bike race. How can anyone fail to grasp such a simple concept.
Not always.... 😉
It is the silent "eyes fixed ahead" overtake that fails to acknowledge the presence of another human being on a bike followed by the looks over the shoulder to check they've dropped you that light the blue touchpaper.
It's a rural commute. There isn't that much else to do on it.
Because I quite often pootle along well within myself and don't feel the need to ride everywhere flat out.
So why then bother to accelerate and overtake them?
In your dreams...
It's a tactic I employ quite often, and one which is quite effective. Watch Mark Cavendish on YouTube for more information.
No, I use a set of dual pivot brakes.
Good for you. My only problem with fixies is urban riders without brakes.
What's the point of a Fixie?
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Are you sure that's a fixie and not just a singlespeed bike? Or in fact one with hub gears?
i'll have to study the picture a little longer, just to make sure.
So why then bother to accelerate and overtake them?
For the sheer heck of it.
For the sheer heck of it.
manly and reckless
double swoon
it's single speed and a coaster brake (I think) but all you have to do is google image search women on fixed bike or a similar varient and you will find reems of legit fixed bikes with attractive women on there
She's just very pretty
My only problem with fixies is urban riders without brakes.
Why? I would consider a lot of the brakeless riders I know to be far better/safer urban riders than most cyclists. Taking one's brakes off somewhat focuses the mind to read the road.
For the sheer heck of it.
You sound a bit like some of the commuters I encounter, who can't bear to be overtaken and have to 'race' me. I'm just plodding along at the pace my gearing allows me to ride comfortable. I just laugh and let them bust a gut 'dropping' me.
What would you do if you were dropped by someone? Would you cry?
bosh. where was that pic taken al? too late to change flights?
I don't know; South America?
Why? I would consider a lot of the brakeless riders I know to be far better/safer urban riders than most cyclists. Taking one's brakes off somewhat focuses the mind to read the road.
It's simply based on what I see around Bristol, which is poor observation followed by a locked back wheel.
I would consider a lot of the brakeless riders I know to be far better/safer urban riders than most cyclists.
I wouldn't consider any of the idiots who think it's 'cool' to ride without brakes in heavy traffic 'better/safer' than anyone else on a bike. I would, especially based on witnessing such numpties come a cropper a fair few times (surprisingly because they didn\'t actually have the full control of their bikes they like to claim they do), think that they were quite stupid.
I would consider someone who has the intelligence to fit decent brakes to the bikes they use on public roads to be 'better' cyclists than those who don't.
She's just very pretty
She is. and she does seem to be suitably dressed for a cycle ride in warm conditions, which it appears tobe given the attire of others in the photo. Obviously an intelligent and sensible young woman. A fact borne out by the fact that her bicycle has brakes.
got to agree with alex222 on this subject.
fixfixfix anyone?
A fact borne out by the fact that her bicycle has brakes.
A coaster brake and a front brake no less
You sound a bit like some of the commuters I encounter, who can't bear to be overtaken and have to 'race' me. I'm just plodding along at the pace my gearing allows me to ride comfortable. I just laugh and let them bust a gut 'dropping' me.What would you do if you were dropped by someone? Would you cry?
Sorry to disappoint but the only time I bust a nut is on a club TT or a hill climb or some such. SCR is SCR.
Do I cry? Well, I might, depending on who was going the dropping. But if they had an attitude like yours, all joyful and friendly like? Probably not.
A coaster brake and a front brake no less
No less indeed. good to see such thoughtfulness and consideration for her own, as well as others', safety.
But if they had an attitude like yours, all joyful and friendly like? Probably not.
I'd leave you simling and filled with joy.
I'd leave you smiling and filled with joy.
That is indeed what she whispered in my ears when she sailed past me like a beautiful Godzilla.
who is winning?
Hard to say....
This reads like the SS Vs gears arguments of years ago. IME people are fast/fit because of their training regime regardless of the bike they're riding.
This reads like the SS Vs gears arguments of years ago. IME people are fast/fit because of they're riding bikes, not having pointless internet arguments
FTFY
I ride a fixed for commuting because it's way more fun than on a hybrid, quicker than a mountain bike and more relaxed/ less expensive than on a road bike.
It is basically a drop bar road bike with a front brake.
80" gearing according to Sheldon, and my commute regularly takes in high cadence loops of Regents Park and very slow grinds up the North London Alps of Highgate, Hampstead and Alexandra Park.
It has definitely improved my fitness and particularly my hill climbing ability on both road and mountain bikes.
It is really helpful for mountain bikes because it makes you pedal everywhere that you might normally be inclined to coast. It is detrimental to freewheel bikes because when you go back to them it makes you think that there is something wrong with your cranks - like they're sticking.
that fat guy wearing lycra on a bike is winning by the sounds of it. 😆
who is winning?
I hadn't realised a race was going on.
I love it when someone passes me, like red rag to a bull. I like to say something like 'oh you've got a race on now' - espicially love it when a roadie passes me and then when/if I get to pass them, feel like 'yeahhhhhhh in your face roadie'
Hey, who would have thought this thread would have turned out so shite? it's like watching rats trapped in a maze that they cannot get out from. Keep up the good work.
^^^ proper reason?You're overthinking this far too much. Either give it a go, or forget about it. It's the only way you'll ever decide.
Sounds like there isn't one. There's either a reason, or it's just more fun.
I think what's really being asked is:
"Is riding fixed like riding with gears or suspension in the way that it has demonstrable physical advantages, or is like riding a unicycle, which is only worth it if the fun outweighs the physical disadvantages?"
smell_it - MemberHey, who would have thought this thread would have turned out so shite? it's like watching rats trapped in a maze that they cannot get out from. Keep up the good work.
agreed - yet another topic to add to the list of people arguing to the death to try to convince themselves that their judgment is correct, justifiable and well thought out. and that they matter.
to be filed next to apple/android, ford/holden, cars/bikes etc. it's quite pathetic when you take a step back and observe.
agreed - yet another topic to add to the list of people arguing to the death to try to convince themselves that their judgment is correct, justifiable and well thought out. and that they matter.
remind me again what one should expect on a STW thread about something that a majority of the protagonists know very little about?
What should one expect on any online discussion board regarding anything at all?
expect - people doing the above.
hope - people discussing topics they are inevitably not experts on with an open mind.
i realise the odds are vastly stacked in favour of the former, but the reduction to insults and willy waving is still pathetic.
It's because it's a very wooly question about questionable and subjective advantages.
If the question was "I'm going racing, will I be faster with suspension/29er/slick tyres or not?", there'd be a good slice of decent, objective advice regarding equipment vs conditions. Along with a liberal sprinkling of bullshit, obviously.
But here, it seems there's no concencus on where there are any demonstrable advantages, so the argument just somes down to whether people like it or not. Hardly surprising it's all got a bit silly.
and the fact that there's no concencus vindicates the OP for having asked the question "Is there a point, other than it just being nicer if you like it?" because it's a decent question, and the answer, based on this thread, seems to be resoundingly "No, not really.".
Thanks everyone, you've opened my eyes quite a bit to fixed wheel bikes. Looks fun doing those type of skids but I'm not sure I could ride brake-less!
Thanks for posting a vid!
Guess you've all seen Chris Akrig on a fixie?
Can I achieve the same effect (just to try it out) by just constantly pedaling and not letting up? Minus the cool skids of course. 😉
Right, picture break..............
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Somafunk, is your charge plug a 2013? Been waiting since mid sept for mine, gettin fed up!. Where'd you get it?
I want that Surly. Here's mine, if we're posting pictures...
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Eeeeh, that's not the most beautiful bike I've ever seen...
I love those Cinellis
not cheap though
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this is my commuter, I have ridden a fixed gear since I was a teenager (the 80s), because my dad had one.
Fixed gear for commuting is super cheap. I have a 48/16 gear on it and it gets up and down most sensible hills
If I lived somewhere with nasty steep hills I would use a geared bike.
I've only ever struck a pedal really badly once and that was a long time ago on an unsuitable frame with long cranks and was caught out with the change in camber on a roundabout - I was flicked right into the air but held onto the bars and landed back on the bike and managed to not hurt myself too badly... with a SS or fixed specific frame you'd have to lean a really long way over to get pedal to tarmac
Ooooh picture time... Here's mine. A road bike, with mudguards, normal brakes, look keos and nice Harry Rowland Miche/Mavic Open Pro wheels. Oh and it happens to be fixed. Not that you would notice when I ride it.
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And here's my other one, that mildly shouts fixie. I'll be hill climbing on this on Sunday, but not in this gear.
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Jim fixed it for me......coat fetched 😳
This was fixed for the first few weeks, whilst I was waiting for a hub. And that was fun on the techie trails at puddletown. My normal fixie is a surly steamroller with surly open bars and a pdw takeout basket, sprung saddle... It's a gents ale hunter.
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Double post
Hurrah for pictures!
Touring / commuting:
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Roading:
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Mountain biking:
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Riding:
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Had a couple of hours free this morning, went over to Ashton Court, rode the fixed KM, spent the rest of the day smiling like a loon....for me that's the point............
no idea but this is way too clever:
How come all the mtb fixies don't have suspension?