Fixed-Gear Bikes: Why?

Quoted message said:

From: [email hidden] (R15757)

Quoted message said:

On really bad days your road or mountain bike's derailleurs, cogs, and cables will all freeze up.
Haven't lived until your freehub stops freehubbing due to extreme ice and muck.

I guess I've lived a full life then.

Love the fixie, many miles covered when I lived in the GFN for those above reasons plus not ruining
nice Campy parts. Much fun to ride FG on hardpack/ice, it's harder to pucker at the sight of "glass"
while pedaling. But the messenger thing is still as previously stated. --TP

(Pete Cresswell) said:

What's the attraction of fixed-gear. I'm guessing it must be something practical if these guys are
doing it.

oldskooltrack.comskids.frame.htmlOpen ↗

messengers.orgdexter.htmlOpen ↗

(Pete Cresswell) said:

Went into the city today, and noticed at least a half-dozen bike messengers riding fixed-gear
bikes. Some with a brake, some without. Most with cages and straps instead of clipless.

What's the attraction of fixed-gear. I'm guessing it must be something practical if these guys are
doing it.

Bicycling machismo, mostly. Many people rhapsodize about how riding a brakeless fixed gear improves
their perceptions, yadda yadda yadda. It may even be true! I think the original impetus was for
bike messengers to have bikes that were (1) cheap and (2) unattractive to thieves. There is a large
cool factor.

I ride my track bike as my commuter bike nowadays, but with a Bendix coaster brake wheel rather than
a fixed gear. It's fun and feels marginally safer to me than no brakes. Bike messengers have done
double takes when they see me coasting on my obviously brakeless track bike.

See www.oldskooltrack.com, www.fixedgearfever.com, etc.

"(Pete Cresswell)" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Went into the city today, and noticed at least a half-dozen bike messengers riding fixed-gear
bikes. Some with a brake, some without. Most with cages and straps instead of clipless.

What's the attraction of fixed-gear. I'm guessing it must be something practical if these guys are
doing it.

They're light, low maintainence, and theft-resistant.

I work across the street from one of Portland's messenger hangouts. The fixed gear bikes are
distinctive- a thief would have to be pretty ballsy to steal one. He (she) probably couldn't fence
it easily- who wants a bike that won't coast?

Cages and straps make sense when you're running in and out of buildings, up and down stairs. Even
SPD shoes have problems with marble staircases.

Of the bikes I see regularly, I'd guess that 30% are fixed-gear track bikes, 30% are fixed-gear
converted road bikes, 30% are conventional derailleur bikes, and then there's the cargo bikes like
this: efn.orglonghaul.htmOpen ↗

Jeff

No one yet has mentioned the superior track stance capability - highly desirable for messengers and fun for everyone else.

Still, the "purist form of cycling" argument is my favorite.

[email hidden] (Tom Paterson) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

What's practical about not being able to coast around corners so you can go faster and make more
deliveries/$$$ in a day? What's practical about not having a range of gears to reduce fatigue and
increase speed? What's practical about having to ride slow because you don't have any brakes on
your bike? What's practical about increasing your "exposure" while paying for your own accident
injuries (minus workers' comp, ha ha).

It's mostly just an ego trip/peer pressure thing.

um,.. no?

is the previous bitter paragraph referring specifically to fixies in general, or fixies sans brakes?

first, raw speed is only one component of 'practical'. a person who is bored of cycling isn't going
to be time efficient.

second, ill put money down that in a reasonably terrained city i could put time on myself riding
fixed vs. free.

no clipping out and in at lights, no drivetrain tweaking, no pondering gear selections and slipping
gears, no sulking disenchanting freewheel boredom.

(and i can assure you that for a messenger, the limits on speed between drops is not going to be the
maximum lean angle around corners. and if you're feeling vulnerable and 'exposed' riding fixed, it
means you're not used to it yet.)

anthony

Okay, but what I want to know, is how do they gear these fix-gear bikes? Are they on the low side,
and do they spin like crazy? Or what?

- Stan Shankman

"(Pete Cresswell)" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Went into the city today, and noticed at least a half-dozen bike messengers riding fixed-gear
bikes. Some with a brake, some without. Most with cages and straps instead of clipless.

What's the attraction of fixed-gear. I'm guessing it must be something practical if these guys are
doing it.
--
PeteCresswell

Pete-<< What's the attraction of fixed-gear. I'm guessing it must be something practical if these
guys are doing it. >><BR><BR>

They are - -fun -practical in pisspoor weather(nothing to get crudded up) -good for short training
periods, as they make ya pedal all the time, pedal smoothly -cheap

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 vecchios.comvecchios.comOpen ↗ "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

Stan-<< Okay, but what I want to know, is how do they gear these fix-gear bikes? Are they on the low
side, and do they spin like crazy? Or what? >><BR><BR>

42 or 44 in front, about a 16t in the rear, what ever gear inches that works out to-

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 vecchios.comvecchios.comOpen ↗ "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

Stan Shankman <[email hidden]> wrote:
: Okay, but what I want to know, is how do they gear these fix-gear bikes? Are they on the low side,
: and do they spin like crazy? Or what?

usually in the 60 or 70 gear inch range. mine is 48/17 (76"😉 at the moment. which is about 90 rpms
at 20.5mph or 132 rpms at 30mph. the local terrain is relatively flat (boise, idaho) .. well, unless
you head into the hills where it sure isn't, but i don't do that on this bike. ;-) there are at
least 2 other fixed gears in town that i know of.
--
david reuteler [email hidden]

"(Pete Cresswell)" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

RE/

Quoted message said:

Short answer: Feels Good!

What's your perception of the danger factor?

Seems like the rider is in deep doo-doo if a foot comes off a pedal while underway.

Nah. The first time I rode a fixer I spun my feet off on a steep downhill. No problem, I just rode a
while holding my feet out to the side. Downhills are the only tricky part of fixed gear riding,
there's a sense of panic in the beginning when your feet start moving too fast. You get over it. You
don't want to drop a chain on a fixer though. In the beginning, you have "fixer moments", like
"clipless moments", when you forget you can't coast. These don't result in anything more than a
brief startle. It's still a good idea to take your first few rides solo with benign road conditions,
just until your reflexes adjust (much like learning clipless). After that, even switching bikes
doesn't seem to present any problems, everything becomes reflexive.

You know how good a bike feels with a brand new drivetrain? A fixer feels better than that with a
dirty and worn one. A well set up and maintained bike feels like an extension of your body. When you
return to a derailer bike, even a nice one, it feels hopelessly clumsy.

The advantages of derailers are overrated. Fixed gear bikes are not much slower even on courses
favoring derailer bikes. I've done rolling terrain time trials on both, and figure there's less than
a 10% speed disadvantage. For stop & go riding, or flattish roads, fixed gear bikes are at least as
fast as multi-speed bikes.

From a utilitarian POV, fixers are very economical. That is if you don't set one up with all the
chi-chi boutique parts that are becoming so common. Ideally, you make a fixer by taking a derailer
bike and throwing stuff away. A dumpster 10/12 speed bike becomes an svelte, elegant, machine once
liberated from all that [censored].

Messengers don't make a lot of money, and certainly would have to worry about an expensive bike
being stolen. Those issues make fixers, especially conversions, a no-brainer. For
commuting/recreational/fitness riders, fixers in the winter simplify maintenance, eliminate a bunch
of mechanical problems, and give a better workout during shorter riding hours.

The Fixedgear Gallery:= Web Site: fixedgeargallery.comfixedgeargallery.comOpen ↗

Some of the regulars of rec.bicycles.tech in the Gallery, I'm sure there are many more:

418 Suzy Jackson's Bitsa 413 Peter Chisholm's Calfe 313 Tom's Scorcher

-tom

"(Pete Cresswell)" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Went into the city today, and noticed at least a half-dozen bike

messengers

Quoted message said:

riding fixed-gear bikes. Some with a brake, some without. Most with

cages

Quoted message said:

and straps instead of clipless.

What's the attraction of fixed-gear. I'm guessing it must be something practical if these guys are
doing it.
--
PeteCresswell

(Pete Cresswell) said:

Went into the city today, and noticed at least a half-dozen bike messengers riding fixed-gear
bikes. Some with a brake, some without. Most with cages and straps instead of clipless.

What's the attraction of fixed-gear. I'm guessing it must be something practical if these guys are
doing it.

1) Kudos, because you can handle it
2) Easy trackstands at traffic lights, although true messengers would ignore them
3) Less to go wrong
4) Much lighter weight - no gears, less chain, one brake (or no brakes at all - some of the NYC
messengers really are that mad)
5) Not the easiest bike for a passerby to steal, because most people wouldn't be able to ride one
without practice.

"Video barbam et pallium; philosophum nondum video". - Gellius

Peter Chisholm said:

Pete-<< Seems like the rider is in deep doo-doo if a foot comes off a pedal while underway.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

<BR><BR>

Not really and like all things, this takes a little skill, technique and finese-

I think you do a real disservice by dismissing the potential for mischief if you pull a foot at
speed. At high cadences, the resulting imbalance can, and often has, caused even highly accomplished
track sprinters to crash. Occasionally you hear of someone riding one of these incidents out, but
that's hardly the norm.

Try it yourself: spin 'em up to 140 rpm or more, then disengage one pedal. Get back to me (once
you're able to again) with the result.
-------------------------------
John Dacey Business Cycles, Miami, Florida Now in our twenty-first year. Our catalog of track
equipment: eighth year online. businesscycles.combusinesscycles.comOpen ↗

"Stan Shankman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Okay, but what I want to know, is how do they gear these fix-gear bikes? Are they on the low side,
and do they spin like crazy? Or what?

- Stan Shankman

They're geared however the rider likes.

"Stan Shankman" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Okay, but what I want to know, is how do they gear these fix-gear bikes? Are they on the low side,
and do they spin like crazy? Or what?

It varies, of course. I'd say that most choose gears around 75 to 80 inches. I commute in hilly
Seattle, and out of curiosity, bought a fixed-gear cheap on eBay. It was geared at 81 inches. On
level terrain, that would be OK, but it was a struggle on uphills. If I changed it to a decent
climbing gear, say 60 inches, I'd have to ride the brakes on the downhills to keep from spinning
out, and what fun is it to brake on downhills?

So I converted it to a single-speed with gearing of 68 inches. I sought 64, but the rear cog to give
me 64 was not in stock, and the 68 is pretty good. I chose my ratio by spending a couple of days
with my multi-speed bikes on my typical rides, just putting them into my best estimate of the most
versatile single gear, and then not shifting all day.

In general, I prefer my multi-speed bikes, but the SS makes a nice change of pace. I have to 'rush'
the uphills, and it is more of a leg strength sort of a ride. I also like the simpler appearance of
these bikes. I've also added fenders and a rear rack, and I'm trying it out in the role of foul
weather winter commuter, which I expect will be it's permanent niche.

Erik Brooks, Seattle

In article <[email hidden]>, "Stan Shankman"

Quoted message said:

Okay, but what I want to know, is how do they gear these fix-gear bikes? Are they on the low side,
and do they spin like crazy? Or what?

Many folks are a bit high of "medium" whatever that is for them. When I commuted on a geared bike, I
used the 42x17 almost exclusively, so much so that if I tried to shift it often wouldn't. Part of my
decision to switch to fixed for commuting was from only using that one gear, the other part is when
my BB shell cracked, so I needed to replace the bike and decided to try fixed, knowing I could
switch to singel speed if that didn't work. I set it up with a 42x15 thinking I might want to move
to a 40 in front, but it's been 5 years and I'm still happy with that gear for my fairly flat 3.25
mile each way commute. 42x16 is a bit more common, I tend to like slightly higher gears. I went with
a front brake too but do see folks around here who go brakeless, especially so the messengers in San
Francisco.

This: <http://www.stanford.edu/~dru/fixie.html> doesn't show that I've switched to a Brooks Champion
Flyer, but is otherwise accurate, especially the pics showing how filthy my bike generally is.

Drew

--
Drew W. Saunders

dru (at) stanford (dot) eee dee you

"Stan Shankman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Okay, but what I want to know, is how do they gear these fix-gear bikes? Are they on the low side,
and do they spin like crazy? Or what?

- Stan Shankman

I don't know how "they" gear theirs, but mine is geared to suit me at
48/18, equating to about 73 inches. Low enough for small hills, but comfortable on the
flat at 20mph.

But, don't worry about what others do, try it and then do what suits you. You can get a fair idea of
what you need by simply riding round in one gear without freewheeling on a geared bike - what you
need to know is what will just get you up the steepest hill you are likely to encounter, then go
from there.

Andrew Webster

[email hidden] (Qui si parla Campagnolo) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Pete-<< What's the attraction of fixed-gear. I'm guessing it must be something practical if these
guys are doing it. >><BR><BR>

They are - -fun -practical in pisspoor weather(nothing to get crudded up) -good for short training
periods, as they make ya pedal all the time, pedal smoothly

Ah, there is one more reason that may have been overlooked....(Apart from the benefits that Mr.
Vecchio pointed out)

Thieves are less interested in ripping off a fixie. Harder to ride, no resale value, etc.

Just my thought.....

Jay

DiabloScott <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

No one yet has mentioned the superior track stance capability - highly desirable for messengers
and fun for everyone else.

I commute into downtown Seattle, wait for multiple lights every day, and have developed the ability
to do a good trackstand. When I got my fixie, I expected that it would be better in this way, but
that was not my experience - I found it harder. On a bike that freewheels, I have far more control
over the PLACE where I 'make my stand', and that's important to trackstands, at least to me. I need
to get my left crank pointed forwards and close to horizontal, and the wheel turned into a little
uphill if possible, as it usually is. On the fixie, I'm really limited in this regard. The gearing
was also too high to make rocking back and forth easy.

I see lots of messengers here with fixies, and they've clearly overcome the difficulties I
encountered, but IMHO trackstands are harder on fixed. YMMV. BTW, I converted my fixie to
single-speed, and trackstands are easy again.