What's the point of a Fixie?

Most fixed folks’s riding is on road. It’ll help increase suppleness and cadence, especially if you can learn to relax your legs on the downhills to let the speed build whilst still pedaling – as it would on your SS when freewheeling.

Earliest bikes were fixed, look at Ordinary (Penny Farthing) as an example.

Anyway, rather than agonising about it on the interwebz with the rainbow of opinion that it attracts just give it a go then make an informed decision for yourself.

p.s. Top Tip, chant “Pedal, Pedal, Pedal” constantly for your first few rides.

p.s. Top Tip, chant “Pedal, Pedal, Pedal” constantly for your first few rides.

ha! no need. the epic fear of the first time you forget will mean you never forget again!!!

They make you look badass when you drop a bunch of geared riders.

Fixies make sense to me when all corners are banked (i.e. on a velodrome). Everywhere else they seem a bit of a liability!

Track bikes have high BB’s

p.s. Top Tip, chant “Pedal, Pedal, Pedal” constantly for your first few rides.

I found out the hard way, I used to freewheel over metal manhole covers on bends 😉

dont see the point in fixed offroad. i predict pedal strikes and crashes.

Yeah, you can expect that. If mountain biking was meant to be easy it would not involve mountains or bikes.

But look at downhill racing… I predict pedal strikes and crashes.

i have no idea what that post means.

i have no idea what that post means.

He means riding bikes offroad was never meant to be easy, or have a point to it. Therefore why not do it fixie? You’ll still ride round in a vague circle and end up back where you started and it might be even more fun.

Offroad I suspect they’re not suited but those that know their history will know derailleurs were only allowed in the Tour de France from the mid 1930’s
Fixed is what bikes used to be, gears are the new kids on the block…
I’ve ridden a fixie on quiet roads and it feels great. But London & SE traffic feels too unpredictable to want to ride fixed regularly

What’s the point of a Fixie?

What is the point of anything?

Firstly they are called fixed gear bikes or simply just fixed.

Secondly they are the most basic for of bicycle transportation and are something like 95% efficient at transferring human effort into forward motion

Thirdly they are very easy to maintain and a very good training tool

Fourthly good for inner city commuting – unless you live somewhere like Sheffield or Halifax etc.

Fifthly there does seem to be some very cute girls on them so why not get your leg over one (a fixed bike that is)?

Sixthly I want a fixed bike but can’t justify one just yet.

It’s a Zen thing.

Part of the appeal of the fixed-gear bicycle to young people is undoubtedly its minimalism. State-of-the-art carbon fiber road racing bicycles with complicated gear-changing systems can cost thousands of dollars, whereas fixed-gear bicycles with handmade frames, top-end parts and colorful wheels and tires cost just a few thousand dollars. “The fact is, you just don’t need all those gears,” explained _____, an advertising copywriter, woodworker, filmmaker, and fixed-gear enthusiast. “Eddy Merckx won the Tour de France in the 80s like six times on a fixed-gear. All that other stuff is just marketing.”

MidlandTrailquestsGraham – Member

“I wasn’t exactly passing judgement, I was just asking why I should try it.”

“I still can’t see any advantages and the novelty factor doesn’t outweigh the disadvantages.

maybe you should just give it a go, then you’ll know for sure. 🙂

Thisisnotaspoon. Yep, that’s it.

Fixed offroad won’t be the fastest or safest way over a mountain, but F me it will keep you focused. And you will remember it.

An adventure is something you look forward to and look back on with fondness, but during the actual adventure it can look and feel like dangerous suffering. If it does not feel like dangerous suffering, it’s probably not an adventure you are having.

I would love a fixie, I think the simple lines are beautiful, no cables, zero noise etc but I love banging into corners as fast as possible, I don’t want to hampen that by smacking my pedal into the ground, I’d be happy on a singlespeed instead.

Seriously, offroad, no thanks. Riding mountain bikes without a saddle is also challenging, or with just one foot on, I’m going to do it though…I bet it isn’t more fun but you might be different

Also fixed offroad brings drama to the mundane.

If you are bored of trails, get on them on a cross bike, a single speed, a fixie… Just any other bike.

So many bikes are so very capable, it’s truly challenging to ride on a basic machine. It’s then YOU who is making it happen, not the springs and pivoty stuff.

I like the fact that some of the ‘typical’ riders of fixies seem to engender so much hatred from what are most probably podgy unremarkable middle-aged men on internet cycling forums who were never actually cool even when they were young, and have become bitter and resentful towards anyone who represents the sense of freedom and confidence they themselves never posessed.

it’s all bikes, it’s all good.

I still wouldn’t ride one of the stupid things though,

i ride one, as I couldn’t be bothered paying up for a new outer on my White industries Freewheel a few months back. Just passed the 1000 mile mark on it so feel suitably qualified as an expert in all things fixed 🙂

Personally for me – It’s a nice ride. And it’s cheap and simple. The end.

It does nothing for your fitness that riding singlespeed doesnt do. When going downhill your leg muscles are more often than not, REacting, not Acting. I’ve watched the heart rate monitor, I train with power on the geared bike. I know when effort is going in and when it isn’t.

It also ruins your pedalling if you were any way decent before. The pedal drags your leg around the top of the stroke rather than you bringing it yourself. You can feel it back on a geared bike soon after an extended period on the fixie.

It doesn’t do anything for your uphill fitness or climbing that you cannot do on a regular bike.
If you are inherently lazy (As i once was) then yes it is good to force you to grunt up a hill.
If you aren’t a racer, then yes its great for fitness in the general sense of the word.

I still ride it, I still love it.
I can’t see me going back to a freewheel any time soon as I mix up my riding and won’t be riding the fixie alone for months on end.

so when you’re going downhill your legs will be going ten to the dozen or do you just lift your legs off like a kid through a puddle?
Also, no gears? what about when you want to go stonkingly fast on a road hill? you’re limited without gears.

“Eddy Merckx won the Tour de France in the 80s like six times on a fixed-gear.

Alright then.

It does nothing for your fitness that riding singlespeed doesnt do. When going downhill your leg muscles are more often than not, REacting, not Acting. I’ve watched the heart rate monitor, I train with power on the geared bike. I know when effort is going in and when it isn’t.

i’ve heard some crap on here, but this is impressively nonsensical.

as was this…

“Eddy Merckx won the Tour de France in the 80s like six times on a fixed-gear.

…podgy unremarkable middle-aged men on internet cycling forums who were never actually cool even when they were young…

It does nothing for your fitness that riding singlespeed doesnt do. When going downhill your leg muscles are more often than not, REacting, not Acting. I’ve watched the heart rate monitor, I train with power on the geared bike I know when effort is going in and when it isn’t.

You are Lance Armstrong and I claim my £5

Also, no gears? what about when you want to go stonkingly fast on a road hill? you’re limited without gears.

I dunno, last evening ride I went on I did notice that five out of the first six to the top of the hills tened to be singlespeeders. The geared odd-one-out being the ‘leader’. I’d agree if you’d said:

Also, not gears? what about when you want to go really slow on a road hill? you’re limited without gears.

I’m with Charlie and Mike C on this, if you can’t see the point of a fixie then you’re taking cycling far too seriously and should probbaly relax a little (unless it really is life/death or a race).

Hi graham. the comment wasn’t aimed at you in particular, just that some on here seem to be very parochial when it comes to others who might differ slightly from themselves.

It’s the fat MAMILs that make me laugh. Put it away; no-one wants to see that. And you’re only doing 12mph max; you can’t be working hard enough for lycra to make any significant difference. You do know we’re laughing at you, not with you, right? Save your TdF fantasies for when you’re in the priivacy of your own homes please.

Most of the ‘fixies’ in town seem to actually have freewheels rather than fixed cogs, i’ve noticed. very few genuine fixed bikes out there.

yeah but even on single speed non fixies, not having gears means on big hills you can only go as fast as gravity makes you, what do you do with your time? compose a sonnet? plan your weekend? sing a song? whistle a tune? la la la.

yeah but even on single speed non fixies, not having gears means on big hills you can only go as fast as gravity makes you, what do you do with your time? compose a sonnet? plan your weekend? sing a song? whistle a tune? la la la.

Take it easy and enjoy the view, maybe? It’s not a race. Well, not for most of us it isn’t.

Singlespeed bikes are ideal for London urban cycling, as there are very few really steep bits save for Muswell Hill/Highgate/Hampstead. Swains Lane is a bit of a chore with only one gear, but there’s very little to cause any real issues.

I love it how people who’ve never ridden one have such an issue with them. Going up hill is never really a problem but man alive does it kill you on the way down. Bloke in my office who I sometimes ride home with rides fixed through the winter – 35 miles each way. Watching him go down hills is an art form, 160rpm plus is something to behold….I couldn’t walk properly for days.

I’ve just put pink bar tape on my lime green pain machine just to upset all the purist idiots in my cycling club. It seems to be working…

No offence taken, Mike, I was only playing up. I think it’s funny the way this thread is almost going the same way as all those “29ers are better/No they’re not/Yes they are” threads.
I never saw the point of SS until I tried it.
If it was simply a matter of trying fixed, I’d give it a go. it’s the perceived high risk of injury and embarrassment that puts me off.

I love it how people who’ve never ridden one have such an issue with them. Going up hill is never really a problem but man alive does it kill you on the way down. Bloke in my office who I sometimes ride home with rides fixed through the winter – 35 miles each way. Watching him go down hills is an art form, 160rpm plus is something to behold….I couldn’t walk properly for days.

this. to say fixed is no harder than ss makes me think folks haven’t ridden fixed.

going down/lack of coasting just tears you to shreds!

How is it so hard to get your head around the fact that your legs are reacting to the motion on the crank generated by the back wheel at high speed?

Some extra thought on the matter:
http://surfabike.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/riding-a-fixie-gives-you-strong-legs-and-other-myths/%5B/url%5D

I still stand by my opinion that it doesn’t do anything for your race fitness.
How many Pro cyclists do you see or read about riding fixed gears to train all winter?

I ride fixed, did you miss that bit?
I enjoy it. Its fun and it is just nice to cruise along without any mechanical worries.
I don’t feel the need to justify my choice of ride with common myths and misconceptions.

I suppose I was never a serial coaster anyway, so no, it doesn’t feel any harder for me. Except in traffic when judging how many crank turns I have until I reach the bumper of the stationary car in front etc

It’s the fat MAMILs that make me laugh. Put it away; no-one wants to see that. And you’re only doing 12mph max; you can’t be working hard enough for lycra to make any significant difference. You do know we’re laughing at you, not with you, right? Save your TdF fantasies for when you’re in the priivacy of your own homes please.

The great thing about the MA part of MAMIL is that you no longer care what people think, and can just choose the best clothing for the job.

For the record I’d quite like a fixie, although I couldn’t see myself commuting on it – it’s too hilly round here.

I love it how people who’ve never ridden one have such an issue with them

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. 🙄

it’s the perceived high risk of
injury and embarrassment that puts me off.

Ah, good old Perception.

120 – 200km per week of fixed commuting on rural roads per week. Keeps the weight off, gives you really ripped legs, and teaches you to spin like a dervish.

Oh yeah, and I’m middle-aged (52) and wear lycra on road.

it doesn’t do anything for your race fitness

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!

1 – so when you’re going downhill your legs will be going ten to the dozen or do you just lift your legs off like a kid through a puddle?
2 – Also, no gears? what about when you want to go stonkingly fast on a road hill? you’re limited without gears.

Answer to question no 1 is to pedal really really fast.
Answer to question no 2 – see above….

DrP

so you can reverse or stop your cranking to brake?
does that work.

No, I use a set of dual pivot brakes. I also brake downhill when it looks like I’m going to exceed 30mph for long periods to reduce lactic acid.

But yes, riding fixed makes your spin much smoother and your cadence faster. It also helps with acceleration without changing gear, as all tempo changes are achieved by just pedaling faster and slower.

For general traffic duties, I find 68″ a great gear. Cadence is 5x speed, and this is geared for 90rpm at 18mph. Hence riding in a group at 20-23 is fine. Riding in a group at 25-30 is torture.

The great thing about the MA part of MAMIL is that you no longer care what people think

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.

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.

Ha ha! If you’ve got it, flaunt it!

It either works or you get punted over the bars and use the friction coefficient of your face against tarmac to slow you down, not very effective but rather spectacular to watch.

Watch this, especially at 40 seconds in where he skids 180, drops backward down steps then rides off and tell me truthfully, would you not want to have the skill to do that?, damn sure i would.

If that link doesn’t work then search on youtube for “macaframa sf track bike promo” , you’ll be astounded at what folk can do on a fixie and it’s an incredibly well made video with a good chilled soundtrack