A fixed gear question from a "gear head"

[[email protected]]

On 5 May 2007 17:55:44 -0700, JeffWills <[email protected]> wrote:

>> Dear Gary,
>>
>> Egress?
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Carl Fogel-
>
>Carl:
>
>This way to the egrets:
>http://www.ridgefieldfriends.org/bf_index.htm

[snip]

>Jeff

Dear Jeff,

R-egret-tably, such birds are rare around here.

But we do have these:

http://i13.tinypic.com/4lglvgi.jpg

The four in the water are part of a flock of over a hundred of Ogden
Nash's favorite bird. The ones nesting in the trees killed by the
reservoir are inland cormorants.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

 

[41]

!Jones wrote:
> OK... what's this "fixed gear" nonsense, anyway?
>
> OTOH, there's a minimalist asthetic beauty therein and... well...
>
> Anyway, I have a nice, old lugged frame that fits me well where the
> old Dura-Ace components are worn out, and I'm starting to consider it.
>
> So, my hubs & wheels are in pretty decent shape... standard 120mm wide
> & threaded for the freewheel... do I just throw the freewheel away and
> screw on the fixed cog? I always thought you had to have a freewheel.
> Are single-speed freewheels available for those faint-hearted of us?

Here's a suggestion: just get a new 5-speed freewheel and chain,
derailleur too if need be (?), and use it as it was meant to be used.
Hard to beat.

 

[41]

Vee wrote:
> On May 5, 11:20 am, Chalo <[email protected]> wrote:

> > Fixed = bad idea. If you have a taste for playing practical jokes on
> > yourself, give it a go. Otherwise, use a freewheel.
>
> If you have a better suggestion for winter commuting than a fixed
> gear, I'll throw my old fixed Raleigh away and get one. I've tried
> just about everything else, and nothing has matched it.

You don't say what problems you've had that fixed has solved. For
myself, winter commuting several years with an ordinary derailleur
bicycle, 35mm semi-lugged tires, was fine. If I were doing it again, I
would change to studded tires.

Some people have talked about their derailleurs freezing up. I never
had that, no matter how cold or sloppy. But I suppose a Rohloff could
solve that if it were really a problem.

Why throw the Raleigh away? Just get a derailleur &c.
e

 

[Chalo]

John Thompson wrote:
>
> Chalo wrote:
> >
> > Fixed = bad idea. If you have a taste for playing practical jokes on
> > yourself, give it a go. Otherwise, use a freewheel.
>
> Why do you say that? I'll agree that riding fixed on the road without at
> least a front caliper brake is stupid on the rider's part, but there's
> nothing inherently bad about fixed gear bikes themselves.

OK, here goes:

1) The most pleasant thing you can do on a bike, without exception, is
coast downhill. Fixies inherently make downhill runs difficult,
harsh, and slow. They do not confer any corresponding advantage on
uphills, which are just as difficult as they would be on any single
speed bike.

2) Fixies respond to your every instance of letting up on the pedals
by trying to buck you off. Want to find out whether you naturally
stop pedaling when looking for street signs, scratching yourself,
responding to a screaming psychopath motorist, etc.? Ride a fixie and
discover (in a most disagreeable way) that the answer is yes-- all of
the above and more.

3) Fixies will bite your shoelaces and throw you down in the street.
Fixies will bite your pants and throw you down in the street. Fixies
will bite your fingers. Off.

4) Fixies give you lots of opportunities to pound your inside pedal on
the ground, lift the rear tire up, and throw yourself down in the
street. (As if they hadn't already done enough of that.)

5) Fixies make you look like a hipster tool. (This is a limited time
offer. Soon they will make you look like a clueless out-of-fashion
tool.)

6) Fixed sprockets cost a lot more than single freewheels. Fixed hubs
cost a lot more than freewheel hubs.

These reasons may not be the only reasons that fixed gear bikes are a
bad idea, but they are enough for me. My long experiment with fixed
gearing was good for quite a few laughs at my own expense, but like
all puerile humor, it became stale after a time.

Chalo

 

[[email protected]]

On 5 May 2007 23:47:01 -0700, Chalo <[email protected]> wrote:

>John Thompson wrote:
>>
>> Chalo wrote:
>> >
>> > Fixed = bad idea. If you have a taste for playing practical jokes on
>> > yourself, give it a go. Otherwise, use a freewheel.
>>
>> Why do you say that? I'll agree that riding fixed on the road without at
>> least a front caliper brake is stupid on the rider's part, but there's
>> nothing inherently bad about fixed gear bikes themselves.
>
>OK, here goes:
>
>1) The most pleasant thing you can do on a bike, without exception, is
>coast downhill. Fixies inherently make downhill runs difficult,
>harsh, and slow. They do not confer any corresponding advantage on
>uphills, which are just as difficult as they would be on any single
>speed bike.
>
>2) Fixies respond to your every instance of letting up on the pedals
>by trying to buck you off. Want to find out whether you naturally
>stop pedaling when looking for street signs, scratching yourself,
>responding to a screaming psychopath motorist, etc.? Ride a fixie and
>discover (in a most disagreeable way) that the answer is yes-- all of
>the above and more.
>
>3) Fixies will bite your shoelaces and throw you down in the street.
>Fixies will bite your pants and throw you down in the street. Fixies
>will bite your fingers. Off.
>
>4) Fixies give you lots of opportunities to pound your inside pedal on
>the ground, lift the rear tire up, and throw yourself down in the
>street. (As if they hadn't already done enough of that.)
>
>5) Fixies make you look like a hipster tool. (This is a limited time
>offer. Soon they will make you look like a clueless out-of-fashion
>tool.)
>
>6) Fixed sprockets cost a lot more than single freewheels. Fixed hubs
>cost a lot more than freewheel hubs.
>
>These reasons may not be the only reasons that fixed gear bikes are a
>bad idea, but they are enough for me. My long experiment with fixed
>gearing was good for quite a few laughs at my own expense, but like
>all puerile humor, it became stale after a time.
>
>Chalo

Dear Chalo,

Best-written post I've seen in weeks.

Thanks,

Carl Fogel

 

[Chalo]

On May 5, 2:32 pm, [email protected] wrote:
>
> Freewheels are just over-complicated new-fangled solutions for the
> faint-hearted!
>
> You need no freewheel to coast comfortably on a fixie.
>
> http://i11.tinypic.com/5z6we2t.jpg
>
> On a dwarf safety, just rest your feet on the fork pegs.
>
> On a highwheeler, just hang your legs over the handlebar, but be
> careful not to pull on the spoon brake lever with your right leg.

There are other considerations. You might wish to compare the latent
tension on the semi-pneumatic tire against potential centrifugal
forces at speed:

http://one.revver.com/videos/watch/31941

Chalo

 

[Michael Press]

In article
<[email protected]>,
[email protected] wrote:

> On May 5, 7:49 am, !Jones <[email protected]> wrote:
> > OK... what's this "fixed gear" nonsense, anyway?
>
> [snip]
>
> > I always thought you had to have a freewheel.
> > Are single-speed freewheels available for those faint-hearted of us?
> >
> > Jones
>
> Dear Jones,
>
> Freewheels are just over-complicated new-fangled solutions for the
> faint-hearted!
>
> You need no freewheel to coast comfortably on a fixie.
>
> http://i11.tinypic.com/5z6we2t.jpg
>
> On a dwarf safety, just rest your feet on the fork pegs.
>
> On a highwheeler, just hang your legs over the handlebar, but be
> careful not to pull on the spoon brake lever with your right leg.
>
> Note the low-slung lamp on the highwheeler.
>
> Always wear your hat and tie when cycling!

That tandem quadracycle looks a bear on descents.

--
Michael Press

 

[Bill Westphal]

[email protected] writes:

> On 5 May 2007 23:47:01 -0700, Chalo <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>John Thompson wrote:
>>>
>>> Chalo wrote:
>>> >
>>> > Fixed = bad idea. If you have a taste for playing practical jokes on
>>> > yourself, give it a go. Otherwise, use a freewheel.
>>>
>>> Why do you say that? I'll agree that riding fixed on the road without at
>>> least a front caliper brake is stupid on the rider's part, but there's
>>> nothing inherently bad about fixed gear bikes themselves.
>>
>>OK, here goes:
>>
>>1) The most pleasant thing you can do on a bike, without exception, is
>>coast downhill. Fixies inherently make downhill runs difficult,
>>harsh, and slow. They do not confer any corresponding advantage on
>>uphills, which are just as difficult as they would be on any single
>>speed bike.
>>
>>2) Fixies respond to your every instance of letting up on the pedals
>>by trying to buck you off. Want to find out whether you naturally
>>stop pedaling when looking for street signs, scratching yourself,
>>responding to a screaming psychopath motorist, etc.? Ride a fixie and
>>discover (in a most disagreeable way) that the answer is yes-- all of
>>the above and more.
>>
>>3) Fixies will bite your shoelaces and throw you down in the street.
>>Fixies will bite your pants and throw you down in the street. Fixies
>>will bite your fingers. Off.
>>
>>4) Fixies give you lots of opportunities to pound your inside pedal on
>>the ground, lift the rear tire up, and throw yourself down in the
>>street. (As if they hadn't already done enough of that.)
>>
>>5) Fixies make you look like a hipster tool. (This is a limited time
>>offer. Soon they will make you look like a clueless out-of-fashion
>>tool.)
>>
>>6) Fixed sprockets cost a lot more than single freewheels. Fixed hubs
>>cost a lot more than freewheel hubs.
>>
>>These reasons may not be the only reasons that fixed gear bikes are a
>>bad idea, but they are enough for me. My long experiment with fixed
>>gearing was good for quite a few laughs at my own expense, but like
>>all puerile humor, it became stale after a time.
>>
>>Chalo
>
> Dear Chalo,
>
> Best-written post I've seen in weeks.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Carl Fogel

Agreed. I was starting to get psyched about bring the old 6-speed
Oschner frame back to life, long relegated to a "chain cleaning
machine" with the Park schrubber. I'd read years ago of the useful
early season training to be had from fixed, never quite "getting it",
so I just read Sheldons (also) excellent (but all-encompassing)
fixed.html, and got to the photos of the chopped off fingers at the
end... Now I'm reevaluating, but will likely forge ahead, so now I'm
to the research phase. So far only single speed freewheeling
sprockets at Bikeman. I guess that's not what I want. I want the
setup that chops fingers off, and allows me to ride in heavy traffic
without brakes.

Bill Westphal

 

[Lou Holtman]

[email protected] wrote:
> On 5 May 2007 23:47:01 -0700, Chalo <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> John Thompson wrote:
>>> Chalo wrote:
>>>> Fixed = bad idea. If you have a taste for playing practical jokes on
>>>> yourself, give it a go. Otherwise, use a freewheel.
>>> Why do you say that? I'll agree that riding fixed on the road without at
>>> least a front caliper brake is stupid on the rider's part, but there's
>>> nothing inherently bad about fixed gear bikes themselves.
>> OK, here goes:
>>
>> 1) The most pleasant thing you can do on a bike, without exception, is
>> coast downhill. Fixies inherently make downhill runs difficult,
>> harsh, and slow. They do not confer any corresponding advantage on
>> uphills, which are just as difficult as they would be on any single
>> speed bike.
>>
>> 2) Fixies respond to your every instance of letting up on the pedals
>> by trying to buck you off. Want to find out whether you naturally
>> stop pedaling when looking for street signs, scratching yourself,
>> responding to a screaming psychopath motorist, etc.? Ride a fixie and
>> discover (in a most disagreeable way) that the answer is yes-- all of
>> the above and more.
>>
>> 3) Fixies will bite your shoelaces and throw you down in the street.
>> Fixies will bite your pants and throw you down in the street. Fixies
>> will bite your fingers. Off.
>>
>> 4) Fixies give you lots of opportunities to pound your inside pedal on
>> the ground, lift the rear tire up, and throw yourself down in the
>> street. (As if they hadn't already done enough of that.)
>>
>> 5) Fixies make you look like a hipster tool. (This is a limited time
>> offer. Soon they will make you look like a clueless out-of-fashion
>> tool.)
>>
>> 6) Fixed sprockets cost a lot more than single freewheels. Fixed hubs
>> cost a lot more than freewheel hubs.
>>
>> These reasons may not be the only reasons that fixed gear bikes are a
>> bad idea, but they are enough for me. My long experiment with fixed
>> gearing was good for quite a few laughs at my own expense, but like
>> all puerile humor, it became stale after a time.
>>
>> Chalo
>
> Dear Chalo,
>
> Best-written post I've seen in weeks.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Carl Fogel


Agree, and non political as a bonus. Thanks again.

Lou
--
Posted by news://news.nb.nu (http://www.nb.nu)

 

[Jasper Janssen]

On 5 May 2007 10:02:54 -0700, Vee <[email protected]> wrote:
>On May 5, 11:20 am, Chalo <[email protected]> wrote:
>> !Jones wrote:
>>
>> > OK... what's this "fixed gear" nonsense, anyway?
>>
>> Just ignore them; they'll go away soon enough.
>>
>> > OTOH, there's a minimalist asthetic beauty therein and... well...
>>
>> > Anyway, I have a nice, old lugged frame that fits me well where the
>> > old Dura-Ace components are worn out, and I'm starting to consider it.
>>
>> Fixed = bad idea. If you have a taste for playing practical jokes on
>> yourself, give it a go. Otherwise, use a freewheel.
>
>If you have a better suggestion for winter commuting than a fixed
>gear, I'll throw my old fixed Raleigh away and get one. I've tried
>just about everything else, and nothing has matched it.

What is unsatisfactory about single freewheels and coaster brake hubs?

Jasper

 

[A Muzi]

!Jones wrote:
> OK... what's this "fixed gear" nonsense, anyway?
>
> OTOH, there's a minimalist asthetic beauty therein and... well...
>
> Anyway, I have a nice, old lugged frame that fits me well where the
> old Dura-Ace components are worn out, and I'm starting to consider it.
>
> So, my hubs & wheels are in pretty decent shape... standard 120mm wide
> & threaded for the freewheel... do I just throw the freewheel away and
> screw on the fixed cog? I always thought you had to have a freewheel.
> Are single-speed freewheels available for those faint-hearted of us?

If your bike has horizontal ends with one inch of adjustment* you may:

Remove the derailleur system and cut the chain to use one combination.

Or add a single freewheel. Make sure you have a functional front brake.

Or build/buy a wheel with a fixed hub. Or fixed/free.

As all things cycling; many approaches, few 'wrong' answers.

* If not, a different frame will save time, money and anguish.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

 

[Scott]

On May 5, 4:03 pm, John Thompson <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> You can do that, but you will want a lockring as well or the cog will
> unscrew the first time you resist the motion of the pedals. An English
> thread BB lockring will thread onto an English thread freewheel hub and
> provide some protection against this, but a real fixed gear hub uses a
> separate, left-hand thread lockring to prevent the cog from unscrewing.
>
> John ([email protected])

I must be doing something wrong.

I've ridden a large part of my winter miles on fixed gears for the
better part of the last 15 years, to include hillclimb repeats in the
spring, and have never used a lockring. Not even on my track bike
during races. Never once have I spun a cog off regardless of how much
or how little I use backpressure to control my speed. (caveat: I use
a front brake ... not on the track, of course, but on my road fixie)

I've always believed that if you can spin it off with backpressure,
you just didn't spin it on tight enough to begin with.

Scott

 

[jim beam]

Scott wrote:
> On May 5, 4:03 pm, John Thompson <[email protected]> wrote:
>> You can do that, but you will want a lockring as well or the cog will
>> unscrew the first time you resist the motion of the pedals. An English
>> thread BB lockring will thread onto an English thread freewheel hub and
>> provide some protection against this, but a real fixed gear hub uses a
>> separate, left-hand thread lockring to prevent the cog from unscrewing.
>>
>> John ([email protected])
>
> I must be doing something wrong.
>
> I've ridden a large part of my winter miles on fixed gears for the
> better part of the last 15 years, to include hillclimb repeats in the
> spring, and have never used a lockring. Not even on my track bike
> during races. Never once have I spun a cog off regardless of how much
> or how little I use backpressure to control my speed. (caveat: I use
> a front brake ... not on the track, of course, but on my road fixie)
>
> I've always believed that if you can spin it off with backpressure,
> you just didn't spin it on tight enough to begin with.
>
> Scott
>
>
i find this impossible to believe. a good hard rearward stamp will
loosen any unlocked fixed cog i've ever come across - mine or others.
always. and the "not tight enough" argument is similarly unbelievable -
the tread will strip before it gets tight enough to "not undo" without a
lock ring.

 

[41]

Chalo wrote:
> John Thompson wrote:
> >
> > Chalo wrote:
> > >
> > > Fixed = bad idea. If you have a taste for playing practical jokes on
> > > yourself, give it a go. Otherwise, use a freewheel.
> >
> > Why do you say that? I'll agree that riding fixed on the road without at
> > least a front caliper brake is stupid on the rider's part, but there's
> > nothing inherently bad about fixed gear bikes themselves.
>
> OK, here goes:
>
> 1) The most pleasant thing you can do on a bike, without exception, is
> coast downhill. Fixies inherently make downhill runs difficult,
> harsh, and slow. They do not confer any corresponding advantage on
> uphills, which are just as difficult as they would be on any single
> speed bike.
>
> 2) Fixies respond to your every instance of letting up on the pedals
> by trying to buck you off. Want to find out whether you naturally
> stop pedaling when looking for street signs, scratching yourself,
> responding to a screaming psychopath motorist, etc.? Ride a fixie and
> discover (in a most disagreeable way) that the answer is yes-- all of
> the above and more.
>
> 3) Fixies will bite your shoelaces and throw you down in the street.
> Fixies will bite your pants and throw you down in the street. Fixies
> will bite your fingers. Off.
>
> 4) Fixies give you lots of opportunities to pound your inside pedal on
> the ground, lift the rear tire up, and throw yourself down in the
> street. (As if they hadn't already done enough of that.)
>
> 5) Fixies make you look like a hipster tool. (This is a limited time
> offer. Soon they will make you look like a clueless out-of-fashion
> tool.)
>
> 6) Fixed sprockets cost a lot more than single freewheels. Fixed hubs
> cost a lot more than freewheel hubs.
>
> These reasons may not be the only reasons that fixed gear bikes are a
> bad idea, but they are enough for me. My long experiment with fixed
> gearing was good for quite a few laughs at my own expense, but like
> all puerile humor, it became stale after a time.

Very well put. Thanks.

Track bicycles make sense for the track. Road bicycles make sense for
the road. Strange but true. A

 

[Scott]

On May 6, 12:23 pm, jim beam <[email protected]> wrote:
> Scott wrote:
> > On May 5, 4:03 pm, John Thompson <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> You can do that, but you will want a lockring as well or the cog will
> >> unscrew the first time you resist the motion of the pedals. An English
> >> thread BB lockring will thread onto an English thread freewheel hub and
> >> provide some protection against this, but a real fixed gear hub uses a
> >> separate, left-hand thread lockring to prevent the cog from unscrewing.
>
> >> John ([email protected])
>
> > I must be doing something wrong.
>
> > I've ridden a large part of my winter miles on fixed gears for the
> > better part of the last 15 years, to include hillclimb repeats in the
> > spring, and have never used a lockring. Not even on my track bike
> > during races. Never once have I spun a cog off regardless of how much
> > or how little I use backpressure to control my speed. (caveat: I use
> > a front brake ... not on the track, of course, but on my road fixie)
>
> > I've always believed that if you can spin it off with backpressure,
> > you just didn't spin it on tight enough to begin with.
>
> > Scott
>
> i find this impossible to believe. a good hard rearward stamp will
> loosen any unlocked fixed cog i've ever come across - mine or others.
> always. and the "not tight enough" argument is similarly unbelievable -
> the tread will strip before it gets tight enough to "not undo" without a
> lock ring.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Jim,

Not only have I not ever spun a cog off, but there was a time when I
deliberately tried to spin 'em off and couldn't. Back when I first
started riding fixed gears, I didn't have a flip/flop hub but wanted
to be able to change my gearing mid-ride from time to time. So, when
the time came, I'd ride at just barely above falling over speed, hop
the rear wheel, and backpedal like mad when the tire landed to spin
the cog loose, so I could replace it with another cog I was carrying
with me. I'd slam my full body weight (much closer to 200# than I'd
like it to be) onto the rear pedal at about the 9 o'clock position.
This force was significantly greater than any back-pedal braking force
I could dream of mustering while riding, and many times it would take
5 or 6 tries to get the cog loose. I've even had cogs on before that
required a cheater bar on my chainwhip to get the cogs loosened.

If you're running a quality hub with a quality cog with compatible
threading, then you shouldn't be able to spin it off without serious
effort. I still say that if you're spinning 'em off while riding,
you're not doing something right. My sarcastic side says you're not
putting enough torque on it while riding, my serious side says you
haven't tightened it enough with your chainwhip.

Scott

 

[Scott]

On May 6, 12:34 pm, 41 <[email protected]> wrote:
> Chalo wrote:
> > John Thompson wrote:
>
> > > Chalo wrote:
>
> > > > Fixed = bad idea. If you have a taste for playing practical jokes on
> > > > yourself, give it a go. Otherwise, use a freewheel.
>
> > > Why do you say that? I'll agree that riding fixed on the road without at
> > > least a front caliper brake is stupid on the rider's part, but there's
> > > nothing inherently bad about fixed gear bikes themselves.
>
> > OK, here goes:
>
> > 1) The most pleasant thing you can do on a bike, without exception, is
> > coast downhill. Fixies inherently make downhill runs difficult,
> > harsh, and slow. They do not confer any corresponding advantage on
> > uphills, which are just as difficult as they would be on any single
> > speed bike.
>
> > 2) Fixies respond to your every instance of letting up on the pedals
> > by trying to buck you off. Want to find out whether you naturally
> > stop pedaling when looking for street signs, scratching yourself,
> > responding to a screaming psychopath motorist, etc.? Ride a fixie and
> > discover (in a most disagreeable way) that the answer is yes-- all of
> > the above and more.
>
> > 3) Fixies will bite your shoelaces and throw you down in the street.
> > Fixies will bite your pants and throw you down in the street. Fixies
> > will bite your fingers. Off.
>
> > 4) Fixies give you lots of opportunities to pound your inside pedal on
> > the ground, lift the rear tire up, and throw yourself down in the
> > street. (As if they hadn't already done enough of that.)
>
> > 5) Fixies make you look like a hipster tool. (This is a limited time
> > offer. Soon they will make you look like a clueless out-of-fashion
> > tool.)
>
> > 6) Fixed sprockets cost a lot more than single freewheels. Fixed hubs
> > cost a lot more than freewheel hubs.
>
> > These reasons may not be the only reasons that fixed gear bikes are a
> > bad idea, but they are enough for me. My long experiment with fixed
> > gearing was good for quite a few laughs at my own expense, but like
> > all puerile humor, it became stale after a time.
>
> Very well put. Thanks.
>
> Track bicycles make sense for the track. Road bicycles make sense for
> the road. Strange but true. A- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Fixed gear bikes WERE road bikes waaaay before there were freewheels.

 

[Helmut Springer]

Bill Westphal <[email protected]> wrote:
> I want the setup that chops fingers off, and allows me to ride in
> heavy traffic without brakes.

Every bicycles allows that once, and on a fixed this is only
slightly more reasonable than on any other. It's on the one side
your own risk, but on the other side someone else won't feel good
for running you over.


--
MfG/Best regards
helmut springer

 

[jim beam]

Scott wrote:
> On May 6, 12:23 pm, jim beam <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Scott wrote:
>>> On May 5, 4:03 pm, John Thompson <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>> You can do that, but you will want a lockring as well or the cog will
>>>> unscrew the first time you resist the motion of the pedals. An English
>>>> thread BB lockring will thread onto an English thread freewheel hub and
>>>> provide some protection against this, but a real fixed gear hub uses a
>>>> separate, left-hand thread lockring to prevent the cog from unscrewing.
>>>> John ([email protected])
>>> I must be doing something wrong.
>>> I've ridden a large part of my winter miles on fixed gears for the
>>> better part of the last 15 years, to include hillclimb repeats in the
>>> spring, and have never used a lockring. Not even on my track bike
>>> during races. Never once have I spun a cog off regardless of how much
>>> or how little I use backpressure to control my speed. (caveat: I use
>>> a front brake ... not on the track, of course, but on my road fixie)
>>> I've always believed that if you can spin it off with backpressure,
>>> you just didn't spin it on tight enough to begin with.
>>> Scott
>> i find this impossible to believe. a good hard rearward stamp will
>> loosen any unlocked fixed cog i've ever come across - mine or others.
>> always. and the "not tight enough" argument is similarly unbelievable -
>> the tread will strip before it gets tight enough to "not undo" without a
>> lock ring.- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
> Jim,
>
> Not only have I not ever spun a cog off, but there was a time when I
> deliberately tried to spin 'em off and couldn't. Back when I first
> started riding fixed gears, I didn't have a flip/flop hub but wanted
> to be able to change my gearing mid-ride from time to time. So, when
> the time came, I'd ride at just barely above falling over speed, hop
> the rear wheel, and backpedal like mad when the tire landed to spin
> the cog loose, so I could replace it with another cog I was carrying
> with me. I'd slam my full body weight (much closer to 200# than I'd
> like it to be) onto the rear pedal at about the 9 o'clock position.
> This force was significantly greater than any back-pedal braking force
> I could dream of mustering while riding, and many times it would take
> 5 or 6 tries to get the cog loose. I've even had cogs on before that
> required a cheater bar on my chainwhip to get the cogs loosened.
>
> If you're running a quality hub with a quality cog with compatible
> threading, then you shouldn't be able to spin it off without serious
> effort. I still say that if you're spinning 'em off while riding,
> you're not doing something right. My sarcastic side says you're not
> putting enough torque on it while riding, my serious side says you
> haven't tightened it enough with your chainwhip.
>
> Scott
>
bring your bike on over to my house - i'll spin your cog off for you.
bottom line, that's why track hubs have lock rings.

 

[41]

Scott wrote:
> On May 6, 12:34 pm, 41 <[email protected]> wrote:

> > Track bicycles make sense for the track. Road bicycles make sense for
> > the road. Strange but true. A- Hide quoted text -

> Fixed gear bikes WERE road bikes waaaay before there were freewheels.


Like another poster here, my first ride was fixed too: a tricycle.
Before there were fixed gear road bicycles, there was the draisene. I
don't think the draisene makes sense today, for road or track. The
road bicycle as we know it evolved precisely because the fixed gear
bicycle was not as well adapted to the roads.

Now we are in a degenerate stage. This too shall pass.

 

[Paul Cassel]

Chalo wrote:

>
> These reasons may not be the only reasons that fixed gear bikes are a
> bad idea, but they are enough for me. My long experiment with fixed
> gearing was good for quite a few laughs at my own expense, but like
> all puerile humor, it became stale after a time.
>
I was noodling with the idea until reading your post. Thanks.

-paul