Fixed gear?

Maybe because I'm 50, love technology, prefer to keep my intestines on this side of my abdominal wall OR all of the above, I just do not understand the love of "fixies". I mean what is so wrong with shifting gears. I just can't see myself enjoying my 25 mile RT commute without gears.

They certainly look cool but can someone please explain these brakeless beauties to me.

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Permalink Reply by WillG on May 14, 2013 at 9:31am

Couple initial misconceptions to clear up here:

  • 'Fixies' and having brakes are not mutually exclusive (plenty of people riding fixed have brakes)
  • A Single Speed freewheel is not a fixie. Not all bikes that you see without gears are being ridden fixed.

I moved here from Northern CA. There are mountains in Northern CA. There is nothing in Chicago worth having gears for (yes, I will conceded that maybe 2 or 3 gears would be nice for the wind, one for going against it, one for when there is none, and one for going with it, but they are not *necessary*). I commute 20 miles a days and rarely wish for another gear. I have ridden up to 50 miles on a single ride (here) and have not needed or wanted another gear.

They are also *highly* low maintenance. You know that extra crunchy noise your derailleur can make when it's dirty? Yeah, that isn't a problem on a SS/fixie. You know that annoying chain rubbing noise your derailleur can make when it isn't adjusted correctly/got knocked when you leaned your bike against the rack? Yeah, a SS/fixie doesn't have that problem. You know that extra $300-$700 you spent on a cassette, shifters, derailleurs, etc. when you bought the bike and the $50/year you'll spend maintaining them? Yeah a SS/fixie doesn't have that cost.

I ride SS because it is easy. I am lazy. I grease/oil/clean my chain once a week. I pump up my tires once a week. That is all I need to do, year round, to have a quiet, well functioning bicycle.

(Yes, this is a simplification, I was attempting to make a point.)

Permalink Reply by Adam Kitzmann on May 14, 2013 at 10:00am

Short answer: I ride a fixed-gear bicycle because it's fun. Same reason you ride your road bike. 

Long answer: There is nothing "wrong" with shifting gears, it's just a personal preference. It's way easier to maintain, it's fun riding in traffic as well as on paths, the customization factor is a plus. The distance really hasn't got to me yet,  I have a 15 mile commute RT and it's really not that bad at all, have gone 50+ miles and it's really not that tough. On a century+ I may go for a road bike, but then again, maybe not. 

Permalink Reply by Mr. Ray Joe Hall on May 14, 2013 at 10:04am

A free-wheel single-speed bike without a rear brake is a "fauxie."

Flipping over your handlebars when trying to stop suddenly is not nearly as Zen as a real fixie can be.

Permalink Reply by MK on May 14, 2013 at 10:07am

There is nothing wrong with gears. Though not as valuable without much hills.

There is something to be said for the zen of riding a fixed gear bicycle, though that is hard to explain without riding one. Before riding one, I scoffed at the idea of not being able to coast... then my dad got one and I actually tried it. All of sudden the idea didn't seem so silly. 

It's a different style of riding. I find it simple and fun. If you're interested in it give one a spin. 

See also: http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html

Permalink Reply by Duppie on May 14, 2013 at 10:27am

Sounds like your single speed requires a lot more maintenance than my geared bike...

Will G - 10mi said:

I ride SS because it is easy. I am lazy. I grease/oil/clean my chain once a week. I pump up my tires once a week. That is all I need to do, year round, to have a quiet, well functioning bicycle.

(Yes, this is a simplification, I was attempting to make a point.)

Permalink Reply by Apie (11) on May 14, 2013 at 10:28am

I commute 20+ miles a day and always stay in the same gear, on a 20 speed.   It's just the way I roll

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on May 14, 2013 at 10:29am

In addition to the wind you may need to factor carrying a load.  Probably not such an issue commuting around the city unless you're making deliveries, though.

Permalink Reply by Eli on May 14, 2013 at 10:33am

In New England where I grew up I would never ride without at least a couple gears.

In Chicago, there are no hills to speak of, and gears solve a problem I don't have. (I ride a single-speed, not fixed). I've never had a geared bike that stayed in one gear without constant coddling, nor one that didn't frequently require multiple attempts to successfully shift gears. If I spent enough money on better components and enough time keeping them in precise adjustment, maybe those problems would become fixable. But I'd rather spend that money and time on other things than extra gears I'd rarely or never use.

Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on May 14, 2013 at 10:36am

Brakeless fixies initially were only ridden in indoor velodromes (basically the Nascar of cycling) until people started riding them on the streets. Sheldon Brown has a whole page of info about fixed-gear bikes.

Permalink Reply by Vitaliy on May 14, 2013 at 1:52pm

Frankly, you should have just referred to google. This is a pointless thread

Permalink Reply by Juan Primo on May 14, 2013 at 2:10pm

I'm faster on a fixed gear.  I give the machine power and the machine gives me momentum... and motivation.  I can't get tired and coast.  I always keep going, the bike won't let me stop.

Of course I do stop when I need to because I have brakes front and rear.

Permalink Reply by Juan Primo on May 14, 2013 at 2:12pm

Oh, by the way, when I commute downtown, it's 30 mile round trip.  Sometimes on a fixie, sometimes on a single speed coaster (hipsterbike), sometimes with a 3 speed, sometimes with derailleurs.

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