Are fixies comfortable to cycle on?

[ChrisEyles]

Comfortable isn't the first word I'd use to describe riding fixed.

For me the gearing wasn't so much the issue as I love riding single speed. It was more the odd time you're negotiating a steep bendy gravelly, muddy back road and a land rover barrels up towards you - unless you're very used to riding fixed bike control in these sorts of situations is (for me at least) much less intuitive than with a freewheel.

Since most of my road riding is on these sorts of back roads, that's the main reason I sold my fixed gear bike. On good, rolling roads I enjoyed it a lot more. But I'm currently much preferring quiet back roads to A or larger B roads.

 

[Milkfloat]

Just get out of the saddle and let loose. With practice you can fart in time with your cadence.

I would sound like a motorbike.

 

[Juan Kog]

Number 1 ,it's not a fixie.its a fixed wheel, fixed gear , or just a fixed . Fixie is only appropriate if you have a huge beard armfull of tattoos and wear tight black jeans, and cycle around trying to look like a cycle courier. As to the question are they comfortable.yes if you choose the appropriate bike ,l used to commute on a bike based on a steel track frame( with front brake) brilliant for 17 mile round trip in traffic. Not my first choice for 100 miles out in the countryside.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Number 1 ,it's not a fixie.its a fixed wheel, fixed gear , or just a fixed . Fixie is only appropriate if you have a huge beard armfull of tattoos and wear tight black jeans, and cycle around trying to look like a cycle courier. As to the question are they comfortable.yes if you choose the appropriate bike ,l used to commute on a bike based on a steel track frame( with front brake) brilliant for 17 mile round trip in traffic. Not my first choice for 100 miles out in the countryside.

My longest fixed ride was a forum ride in 2014, 108 miles, my winter fixed rides are usually 50 - 60 miles.

 

[Juan Kog]

Oh hills,non fixed riders ( are they riding gearies ) seem obsessed with them . My view and I'm certain a lot of other fixed cyclists is there is always the 24 inch gear. That's two feet and pushing.

 

[Sharky]

My Dad was from the era before gears, so it was natural that for my 10th birthday he got me a road/fixed Hill Special. So I learned how to ride a fixed at a very young age. But I was keen to migrate to gears, so when my Hill Special was nicked, the next bike was a EG Bates with benelux gears. Then came along the Mercian track frame (on the left), which I rode with both gears and occasionally fixed. But then for years, I stuck with gears until about '94 when I renovated the track frame and started riding it for time trials. Never quite as fast as my gears days, but very consistent. Now I always ride fixed for TT's. I also have a training bike with a flip flop. Sometimes ridden as fixed and sometimes SS. Have ridden the Castle 100 ride on fixed, but now I keep to a SS freewheel on this bikes, as there are just too many descents in Kent.

 

[fossyant]

Fixed gear is great. Commuted on one for 7 years until I got splatted.

 

[Ian H]

Oh hills,non fixed riders ( are they riding gearies )...

The opposite of fixed-wheel is freewheel. The opposite of single-speed is multispeed.

 

[smokeysmoo]

As mentioned they're fine until you forget and try to freewheel, DAHIKT

Also you might have lived in your area all your life, but riding fixed means you'll discover hills you never even knew existed

 

[roley poley]

I like the ability on cornering to lift the inner pedal clear of the tarmac to stop it grounding a scary thing even on a freewheel

 

[Deleted member 26715]

I see quite a lot of them when cycling about, therefore I wondered how comfortable they are to ride as I can't imagine going up hill without changing gears.

No

 

[Juan Kog]

Hi Ian H ,just my irrational dislike of the term fixie and an attempt at humour. When I have been at a cyclists watering hole and approached by another cyclist “ I see you’re on a Fixie “ me “ I see you’re on a gearie. I know I have turned into that grumpy old club cyclist that I used to do my best to avoid.

The opposite of fixed-wheel is freewheel. The opposite of single-speed is multispeed.

 

[Ian H]

Hi Ian H ,just my irrational dislike of the term fixie and an attempt at humour. When I have been at a cyclists watering hole and approached by another cyclist “ I see you’re on a Fixie “ me “ I see you’re on a gearie. I know I have turned into that grumpy old club cyclist that I used to do my best to avoid.

It's not irrational at all. But, on the other hand, everyone has to start somewhere. I'm sure there was a time when I didn't know what a fixed-wheel was, though that was long before trendy 'fixies' existed.

 

[ColinJ]

Hi Ian H ,just my irrational dislike of the term fixie and an attempt at humour. When I have been at a cyclists watering hole and approached by another cyclist “ I see you’re on a Fixie “ me “ I see you’re on a gearie. I know I have turned into that grumpy old club cyclist that I used to do my best to avoid.

I got it, and I agree with you!

I like riding my singlespeed bike so in a perfect world I suspect that I would really like fixed wheel, but riding on busy roads with poor surfaces, I think not. As for 70-80 km/hr descents...!

 

[Ian H]

I was descending at speed on 63" fixed on Wednesday, clocked 56km/hr. An online calculator gives me something over 180rpm cadence. I'm quite pleased with that.