Fixie learning curve - bunny hops

[Michael Press]

I converted my old road bike to a fixie and absolutely love
it.

For the first half hour of my first ride I kept thinking,
"This is fun, but what's the big deal?." At around mile 8 I
experienced the magic. Now I grab this bike first,
especially for a quick srpint around the neighborhood that
I'd never bother with on one of my regular bikes.

I got past the initial learning curve - starting and
stopping. I got past the next learning curve - don't forget
to pedal (I never realized I coast when sliding my butt back
on the seat) I got past the learning curve after that -
modulating speed with only my legs, regardless of hill size.
And I got past the next learning curve - riding comfortably
in urban traffic on my commute.

So the next hurdle is handling bumps and potholes. On my
regular bikes I can bunny hop over stuff, but I stop
pedaling to pull the bike up.

So far I can raise the front wheel on the fixie to reduce
impact, but I don't think I'm ready to launch the bike
into the air yet. Any words of wisdom, especially from
fixed-MTBers?

Thanks, Michael

 

[Shayne Wissler]

"Michael Press" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I converted my old road bike to a fixie and absolutely
> love it.
>
> For the first half hour of my first ride I kept thinking,
> "This is fun, but what's the big deal?." At around mile 8
> I experienced the magic.

Are "fixies" one of those "If you understand, no
explanation is necessary; if you do not understand, none is
possible" things?

For the life of me I don't understand why anyone would want
to ride one. If I decide I don't want to stop pedaling I
can just decide not to; I don't care to have the decision
forced on me.

Shayne

 

[David Reuteler]

Shayne Wissler <[email protected]> wrote:
> Are "fixies" one of those "If you understand, no
> explanation is necessary; if you do not understand, none
> is possible" things?

apparently.

> For the life of me I don't understand why anyone would
> want to ride one. If I decide I don't want to stop
> pedaling I can just decide not to; I don't care to have
> the decision forced on me.

ok, definitely.
--
david reuteler [email protected]

 

[Tom Schulenburg]

"Shayne Wissler" <[email protected]> wrote in message
newsc2wc.50581$Ly.18814@attbi_s01...
>
> For the life of me I don't understand why anyone would
> want to ride one.
If
> I decide I don't want to stop pedaling I can just decide
> not to; I don't care to have the decision forced on me.
>

It's not quite as simple as that. Of the many realizations
one gains from riding a fixed gear, the first I experienced
was how uneven my power output was. With a freewheel, the
power seemed to max out at the top and bottom of the stroke.
With a fixed gear, you are forced to maintain a constant
power output throughout the cycle. Other tangible/intangible
benefits are:

- Develops smoother, more efficient cadence.
- More efficient with no freewheel / derailleur.
- It's quiet.
- Using resistance to slow down cross trains muscles in
legs.
- Trying to keep up on the downhills improves leg speed

In general, it's a different kind of ride. If you're looking
for a workout, you won't get cheated on a fixie.

-T

 

[Michael Press]

"Tom Schulenburg" <[email protected]> wrote:
>

>It's not quite as simple as that. Of the many realizations
>one gains from riding a fixed gear, the first I experienced
>was how uneven my power output was. With a freewheel, the
>power seemed to max out at the top and bottom of the
>stroke. With a fixed gear, you are forced to maintain a
>constant power output throughout the cycle. Other
>tangible/intangible benefits are:
>
>- Develops smoother, more efficient cadence.
>- More efficient with no freewheel / derailleur.
>- It's quiet.
>- Using resistance to slow down cross trains muscles
> in legs.
>- Trying to keep up on the downhills improves leg speed
>
>In general, it's a different kind of ride. If you're
>looking for a workout, you won't get cheated on a fixie.

It's a Zen thing, once you get good at it. You become one
with the bike. You become one with the road. You become one
with your surroundings. Without shifting or braking you
control the bike entirely through your legs, and that frees
your mind.

Plus it's a much more concentrated workout.

Michael

 

[Sheldon Brown]

Michael Press wrote:

>>I converted my old road bike to a fixie and absolutely
>>love it.
>>
>>For the first half hour of my first ride I kept thinking,
>>"This is fun, but what's the big deal?." At around mile 8
>>I experienced the magic.
>
Shayne Wissler asked:
>
> Are "fixies" one of those "If you understand, no
> explanation is necessary; if you do not understand, none
> is possible" things?

Exactly.

> For the life of me I don't understand why anyone would
> want to ride one. If I decide I don't want to stop
> pedaling I can just decide not to; I don't care to have
> the decision forced on me.

Yes, that's how it usually seems to those who haven't
experienced it.

Nobody is able to fully explain the charm of fixed-gear
riding in words, sounds all mystical and spiritual when
you try, viz:

http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed-testimonial.html

Most people need to spend a couple of weeks with it to get
past the unfamiliarity, before they start to experience the
joys of fixed gear.

Sheldon "Effing The Ineffable?" Brown +---------------------------------------------------
+
| It is the province of knowledge to speak and | it is the
| privilege of wisdom to listen. | -- Oliver Wendell
| Holmes Sr. |
+---------------------------------------------------+ Harris
Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts Phone 617-244-9772 FAX
617-244-1041 http://harriscyclery.com Hard-to-find parts
shipped Worldwide http://captainbike.com
http://sheldonbrown.com

 

[Kinky Cowboy]

On Fri, 04 Jun 2004 17:21:39 GMT, "Shayne Wissler"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>"Michael Press" <[email protected]> wrote in
>message news:[email protected]...
>> I converted my old road bike to a fixie and absolutely
>> love it.

>Are "fixies" one of those "If you understand, no
>explanation is necessary; if you do not understand, none is
>possible" things?
>
>Shayne
>

lasts longer

Kinky Cowboy*

*Batteries not included May contain traces of nuts Your
milage may vary

 

[Tom Paterson]

>From: "Shayne Wissler"

>For the life of me I don't understand why >anyone would
>want to ride one
[fixed gear bicycle].

You can run old worn-out **** in the sloppy seasons, saving
money on chains and chainwheels/cogs. Cog clusters get
clogged with ice, so that even if the r. derailleur still
moves, you're stuck in one gear anyhow.

Track stands at wherever you want to pull a track stand
are easier.

Simplicity, which some people find so appealing that they
even leave all the brakes off.

"Status" among racerheads (esp. if used on group rides with
derailleur bikes).

Fun (subjective).

There's a few. "Try it, you might like it." --TP

 

[Mike Latondress]

Michael Press <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

>
> So the next hurdle is handling bumps and potholes. On my
> regular bikes I can bunny hop over stuff, but I stop
> pedaling to pull the bike up.
>
> So far I can raise the front wheel on the fixie to reduce
> impact, but I don't think I'm ready to launch the bike
> into the air yet. Any words of wisdom, especially from
> fixed-MTBers?
>
> Thanks, Michael

Bunny hop. I have only been riding my fixie 2 years now so
when I find out I will let you know.

 

[Bill Davidson]

Shayne Wissler wrote:
> For the life of me I don't understand why anyone would
> want to ride one. If I decide I don't want to stop
> pedaling I can just decide not to; I don't care to have
> the decision forced on me.

I'd be tempted to try it if I didn't have significant hills
on every ride.

Also, I live in California and we have this little law:

California Vehicle Code, Division 11, Chapter 1, Article 4,
section 21201, paragraph (a)

|No person shall operate a bicycle on a roadway unless it is
equipped with |a brake which will enable the operator to
make one braked wheel skid on dry, |level, clean pavement.

So I'd need at least one brake to be legal. Actually, I
think that'd make me feel a little safer anyway, at
least at first.

--Bill Davidson

 

[G.T.]

Bill Davidson wrote:
> Shayne Wissler wrote:
>
>> For the life of me I don't understand why anyone would
>> want to ride one. If I decide I don't want to stop
>> pedaling I can just decide not to; I don't care to have
>> the decision forced on me.
>
>
> I'd be tempted to try it if I didn't have significant
> hills on every ride.
>
> Also, I live in California and we have this little law:
>
> California Vehicle Code, Division 11, Chapter 1, Article
> 4, section 21201, paragraph (a)
>
> |No person shall operate a bicycle on a roadway unless it
> is equipped with |a brake which will enable the operator
> to make one braked wheel skid on dry, |level, clean
> pavement.
>
> So I'd need at least one brake to be legal. Actually, I
> think that'd make me feel a little safer anyway, at least
> at first.
>

Many fixies on the street have front brakes in case the
chain breaks. Harris Cyclery sells several built that way.

Greg

 

[Luke]

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

> So far I can raise the front wheel on the fixie to reduce
> impact, but I don't think I'm ready to launch the bike
> into the air yet. Any words of wisdom, especially from
> fixed-MTBers?
>
> Thanks, Michael

I'm not a MTB'er but during my messenger days I had often
resorted to bunny hopping my fixie - chiefly onto curbs.
I've seen others quite proficient at this. The most
difficult aspect of the maneuver is coordinating the hop
with the position of the cranks. Usually this would
necessitate approaching the curb obliquely to ensure that a)
the cranks would be in an optimal position (ie.9 and 3
o'clock) to aid in lifting and b) so that you don't
inadvertently smash the crank into curb before hopping onto
it. (And collapse in an embarrassing heap before amused
pedestrians).

The logistics may sound daunting but it's surprising how
unconsciously you begin to account for timing required to
make the hop. For instance: The curb is 3 or 4 meters away,
you know that your cranks will be in the wrong location for
the hop, so you kick up the rear wheel an inch and back
spin the cranks X amount of degrees to reposition the
cranks for the hop.

The most awkward proposition is to hop when you're faced
with unforeseen hazard, like a big pothole dead ahead, and
you've no time to prepare. This was always a clumsy
exercise for me.

Like anything the more you do it the better ya get! If
you're intent on practicing this I'd start with the
constituent elements. Popping up onto a curb, or another
elevation, by first raising the front wheel and then the
back. Or pick a spot x meters in front of you and, by
hopping the rear wheel, position the cranks accordingly as
if you were going to hop. Stoplights and pedestrian crossing
are great for this: Preparatory to track standing a little
pedal positioning is usually required.

One caveat: If you plan on trying this with unpredictable
clipless pedals, be prepared for some intimate contact with
terra firma. Unexpectedly unclipping on a fixie is messy.

Last word: Michael, have fun first. All the above, I
absorbed without practice. The more you ride the more you'll
recognize and put into practice the nuances required.

luke

 

[Ted Bennett]

> California Vehicle Code, Division 11, Chapter 1, Article
> 4, section 21201, paragraph (a)
>
> |No person shall operate a bicycle on a roadway unless it
> is equipped with |a brake which will enable the operator
> to make one braked wheel skid on dry, |level, clean
> pavement.
>
> So I'd need at least one brake to be legal. Actually, I
> think that'd make me feel a little safer anyway, at least
> at first.
>
> --Bill Davidson

Hmm. My fixie has only a front brake. I can't make it skid
on dry, level, clean pavement unless I go backwards. So I
guess I'm illegal. Shrug.

I have never been able to skid a front wheel under those
circumstances. The bike endos first.

--
Ted Bennett Portland OR

 

[R15757]

Luke wrote:

<<I'm not a MTB'er but during my messenger days I had often
resorted to bunny hopping my fixie - chiefly onto curbs.
I've seen others quite proficient at this. The most
difficult aspect of the maneuver is coordinating the hop
with the position of the cranks. Usually this would
necessitate approaching the curb obliquely to ensure that a)
the cranks would be in an optimal position (ie.9 and 3
o'clock) to aid in lifting and b) so that you don't
inadvertently smash the crank into curb before hopping onto
it. (And collapse in an embarrassing heap before amused
pedestrians). >>

The OP should know that this applies to riding off/down
curbs as well as up. The pedals must be in a good position
or it's bad..

<< One caveat: If you plan on trying this with unpredictable
clipless pedals, be prepared for some intimate contact with
terra firma. Unexpectedly unclipping on a fixie is messy. >>

10-4 on that. Inadvertent unclipping during a bunny hop is
bad on a freewheel bike too. That's why we use Time pedals.

Robert

 

[Sheldon Brown]

Luke wrote:
>
> <<I'm not a MTB'er but during my messenger days I had
> often resorted to bunny hopping my fixie - chiefly onto
> curbs. I've seen others quite proficient at this. The most
> difficult aspect of the maneuver is coordinating the hop
> with the position of the cranks. Usually this would
> necessitate approaching the curb obliquely to ensure that
> a) the cranks would be in an optimal position (ie.9 and 3
> o'clock) to aid in lifting and b) so that you don't
> inadvertently smash the crank into curb before hopping
> onto it. (And collapse in an embarrassing heap before
> amused pedestrians). >>

R15757 wrote:

> The OP should know that this applies to riding off/down
> curbs as well as up. The pedals must be in a good position
> or it's bad..

That's only an issue if you're going slowly. Riding down
curbs is very different from riding up them.

When you're riding down, it's no harder nor more stressfull
on the bike at 25 mph than at 5, the wheels will fall the
height of the curb at the same vertical rate whatever the
horizontal velocity of the bike is.

Riding up a curb is quite different, partly because you need
to time your hops/unweighting of the two wheels separately
for each wheel, and partly because if you hit the curb's
corner, the impact will be proportional to the bike's speed.

Sheldon "Down Fast, Up Slow" Brown +-----------------------------------------
+
| The wind and waves are always on the | side of the ablest
| navigators. | --Edward Gibbon |
+-----------------------------------------+ Harris Cyclery,
West Newton, Massachusetts Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-
1041 http://harriscyclery.com Hard-to-find parts shipped
Worldwide http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

 

[G.T.]

"Luke" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:050620040259518070%[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> Michael Press <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > So far I can raise the front wheel on the fixie to
> > reduce impact, but I don't think I'm ready to launch the
> > bike into the air yet. Any words of wisdom, especially
> > from fixed-MTBers?
> >
> > Thanks, Michael
>
>
> I'm not a MTB'er but during my messenger days I had often
> resorted to bunny hopping my fixie - chiefly onto curbs.
> I've seen others quite proficient at this. The most
> difficult aspect of the maneuver is coordinating the hop
> with the position of the cranks. Usually this would
> necessitate approaching the curb obliquely to ensure that
> a) the cranks would be in an optimal position (ie.9 and 3
> o'clock) to aid in lifting and b) so that you don't
> inadvertently smash the crank into curb before hopping
> onto it. (And collapse in an embarrassing heap before
> amused pedestrians).
>

I've watched some messengers in SF making that stuff look so
easy that I'd be afraid when riding a fixie that I could do
the same thing right off the bat.

Greg

 

[Roberth]

Sheldon Brown wrote in part:
>
> R15757 wrote:
>
> > The OP should know that this applies to riding off/down
> > curbs as well as up. The pedals must be in a good
> > position or it's bad..
>
> That's only an issue if you're going slowly. Riding down
> curbs is very different from riding up them.
>
> When you're riding down, it's no harder nor more
> stressfull on the bike at 25 mph than at 5, the wheels
> will fall the height of the curb at the same vertical rate
> whatever the horizontal velocity of the bike is.

It sounds as if you are advising cyclists to speed and
launch into the street.

If you're going down/off a curb, that usually means you're
going from a sidewalk into the street, and in the middle of
the block no less. If a cyclist is doing this at speed, he's
more than likely riding like an idiot.

At conservative city sidewalk speeds, pedal strikes are an
issue when descending curbs on a fixed.

Robert "easy does it"

 

[Sheldon Brown]

R15757 wrote:
>>
>>>The OP should know that this applies to riding off/down
>>>curbs as well as up. The pedals must be in a good
>>>position or it's bad..

I replied:

>>That's only an issue if you're going slowly. Riding down
>>curbs is very different from riding up them.
>>
>>When you're riding down, it's no harder nor more
>>stressfull on the bike at 25 mph than at 5, the wheels
>>will fall the height of the curb at the same vertical rate
>>whatever the horizontal velocity of the bike is.
>
RobertH wrote:
>
> It sounds as if you are advising cyclists to speed and
> launch into the street.
>
> If you're going down/off a curb, that usually means you're
> going from a sidewalk into the street, and in the middle
> of the block no less. If a cyclist is doing this at speed,
> he's more than likely riding like an idiot.
>
> At conservative city sidewalk speeds, pedal strikes are an
> issue when descending curbs on a fixed.

I was thinking more of perpendicular curb descents, however,
I did a bit of the math, and that could indeed be an issue
at intersections, if your area still has intersections that
don't have wheelchair ramps.

In my own case, the main time I have occasion to ride off
curbs is when merging into the street from a bike path, due
to the dangers created by bike paths at intersections.

When I do this, I find it preferable to be moving at a
pretty good clip, so I'm closer to matching the speed of the
parallel motor traffic.

For such shallow oblique curb descents, I do time it so that
my right pedal is at 12 o'clock for best clearance.

I rarely ride up curbs, and almost never ride on city
sidewalks.

Sheldon "Vehicular" Brown +----------------------------------------
+
| Cyclists fare best when they act and | are treated as
| drivers of vehicles. | -- John Forester |
| http://www.johnforester.com/ |
+----------------------------------------+ Harris Cyclery,
West Newton, Massachusetts Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-
1041 http://harriscyclery.com Hard-to-find parts shipped
Worldwide http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

 

[Luke]

In article <[email protected]>, David L. Johnson
<[email protected]> wrote:

> On Fri, 04 Jun 2004 19:26:55 -0700, Bill Davidson wrote:
>
> > |No person shall operate a bicycle on a roadway unless
> > it is equipped with |a brake which will enable the
> > operator to make one braked wheel skid on |dry, |level,
> > clean pavement.
> >
> > So I'd need at least one brake to be legal. Actually, I
> > think that'd make me feel a little safer anyway, at
> > least at first.
>
> IMNSHO you'd need at least one brake to not be stupid.

Yes, we'd often refer to our front brake as the "Stupid
Lever": Every time a pedestrian or motorist - but never a
cyclist of course - did something stupid, we'd pull the
'stupid lever.'

There were instances where I didn't resort to the lever for
over a week. And others when it saved body and soul several
times a day.

luke

 

[Dvt]

Ted Bennett wrote:
>>California Vehicle Code, Division 11, Chapter 1, Article
>>4, section 21201, paragraph (a)
>>
>>|No person shall operate a bicycle on a roadway unless it
>>is equipped with |a brake which will enable the operator
>>to make one braked wheel skid on dry, |level, clean
>>pavement.

> Hmm. My fixie has only a front brake. I can't make it skid
> on dry, level, clean pavement unless I go backwards. So I
> guess I'm illegal. Shrug.

I'll bet you can skid the rear wheel. Unweight the rear
wheel momentarily, stop the rear wheel with the pedals, let
the rear come back down. Voila -- skid city.

--
Dave dvt at psu dot edu