The Chainlink

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 Mike Zumwalt on May 16, 2013 at 9:55pm

Riding "fixed" also came out of neccesity. 

You're making $200 a week, need to pay rent and buy food and can't afford a derailer, or new pads, or new cables...personally I ride free wheel with 2 brakes but in the summer on the bike trail (LFP) or in heavy traffic I prefer to ride fixed instead of riding the brakes at 3 mph and I still have the brakes availaible.

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on May 16, 2013 at 11:15pm

Even department store bikes can be made to shift properly.  I have tuned up department store bikes from the 70's and gotten them shifting properly.

I think maybe the issue here is not the bike or the parts...

S said:



Eli Naeher said:

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.

What were you using?  Even low-end groups like apex or sora will stay in a single gear without attention and will shift pretty much within a second of shifting.   Sounds like you haven't tried a recent geared bike, give it a shot.  They work pretty well even if you neglect maintenance for a while.

Permalink Reply by Zoetrope on May 17, 2013 at 10:40am

In case anyone forgot

Permalink Reply by Haddon on May 18, 2013 at 11:15am

I'm totally fine with hipsters like this, they are a thousand times cooler than just another scrub buying stuff from A+F, the gap, Hollister and the rest of that.  I have to say it these guys are practically punks but instead of crazy hair on their head it's crazy hair on their face. More power to them, they only stick out because most everyone else dresses pretty much the same.  h

Evan said:

hilarious!

Zoetrope said:

In case anyone forgot

Permalink Reply by Jason on May 18, 2013 at 1:49pm

Has anyone said "I ride fixed because I feel at one with the bike mannn"?  

I used to love hearing that.

Permalink Reply by Vitaliy on May 18, 2013 at 11:39pm

I feel more connected to the bike, but especially when I hop to slow down from a fast rotation.

Permalink Reply by MagMileMarauder on May 19, 2013 at 2:33am

I like disconnecting my a$$ from the seat to relax it, coasting while using my legs for support. I also like riding close to the curb when traffic is heavy/fast, sometimes coasting with the drive side crank hovering over it (no pedaling). With a fixed gear, these things can't be done. If I didn't like gears, which I do, I'd go with a non-fixed single speed.

Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on May 19, 2013 at 9:14am
I've heard this before from people.

Vitaliy said:

I feel more connected to the bike, but especially when I hop to slow down from a fast rotation.

Permalink Reply by Blatherskate on May 19, 2013 at 1:04pm
I started riding fixed gear as a winter bike project, and now I love it for all times of year. You have amazing control of your speed, with minimal braking. I took an 80's beat up road frame, run full fenders and larger tires (big shwalbe marathons) fixed cog. Basically, the thing is a tank. It has saved me numerous times, where I know if I had been using a free wheel, I would have went down hard. (snowy december night on the kinzie bridge, pre kathy plates, that was a good one!)

So yeah, fixed gear is great. I'm curious how many of the naysayers have actually tried it?
Permalink Reply by Juan Primo on May 19, 2013 at 1:10pm

Yeah, I don't know what it is about fixed gear but I feel like I have better traction on turns.  I can't imagine why unless I'm just imagining it.

Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on May 20, 2013 at 12:07pm

I was a naysayer until I tried it a few years ago. Now my primary commuter is fixed*. I love it.

*for those keeping track, this is the '88 Le Tour three speed conversion. Its three speed hub is dead so I've swapped in a single speed wheel we had in the parts bin.


Blatherskate said:

...
So yeah, fixed gear is great. I'm curious how many of the naysayers have actually tried it?
Permalink Reply by Zoetrope on May 20, 2013 at 2:29pm

I'd love get a ss or fixie one day for all the reasons people have given for them and against multi gear bikes. Hope to see more info pop up about them around here, as cl seems pretty roadie/hybrid centric.

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