GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
The mobile phone ringing sometimes used to catch me out. And the first speedhump on the drive at work. The former is now on silent when I ride and the latter gets a good talking to every time I ride over it.
Riding fixed is certainly more difficult. It demands 100% concentration and total respect, because if you’re hurtling along and forget – even for a moment – to keep your legs turning a fixed-wheel will dash you to the ground in the blink of an eye. Catch a pedal in a corner and you’ll be hurled in the air. Fixed knows no mercy.
Nicely written. ... Disagree completely ... .
Well, if you are talking about extreme situations and very high speeds (you do not distinguish in your article), you could dig up a load of horror stories for any kind of bike. Riding a bike at high speed requires the rider to have some degree of competence and be comfortable with riding the bike they are riding.
As for if I have ever see this happen, well honestly no I haven't, but I am not sure that this makes your point any more valid.
I am not quite sure of my top speed when stopping pedalling (probably high 20's), but it certainly isn't just a few mph and other than a swift kick it was nothing too dramatic and I certainly was not launched in the air or dashed to the ground (only only times I have ever went down on my fixed are when losing the front end on some leaves and when being knocked off by a car, although I concede that the spinning pedals during flight did do some damage that a geared bike may not have done). Furthermore, assuming you are in control of the gear then it is actually easier to lock your legs at higher speeds than it is at a slow speed.
As for clipping a pedal, I have seen people wipe out after clipping a pedal in a corner on a road bike, the only difference would be a bit more momentum in the pedal so a more violent kick!
Furthermore, on a well designed fixed wheel bike the BB will be higher, hence chance of smacking a pedal is fairly low and you would need to lean over a long way. If you lean so far as to do this then that is user error, the degree to which you can lean and pedal through a corner is critical for riding ANY bike, fixed or freewheel.
Not sure where you're going with this. I saw a guy sprint across the line at Herne Hill and get thrown in the air because he locked his leg. He slid along the ground on his arse leaving a scab two feet long down his leg which lasted for weeks. Hairy scab. Ew. And I've seen a couple of fixed wheel riders go down in corners after clipping pedals on the apex. Furthermore, I've nearly done it myself. It cannot be denied that fixed wheel riding is more dangerous than with a freewheel. How much more? Who knows. Have I over egged the pudding a bit to make the article more saucy? Possibly.
Does your mum ride fixed? If not why not?
My mum doesnt ride fixed, no. Why? Because she doesn't cycle at all, she uses public transport or drives. Imaginary scenario where she did cycle, would she ride fixed? No, she would probably ride a mountain bike or some sort of ladies step through from Halfords, much like many blissfully ignorant people who think Halfords and MTB when someone mentions bikes, she probably doesn't even know what fixed gear means.
TBH, you probably did write it in such a way to make the article more dramatic and had you not, I would disagree less. The reason I don't like dramatic content such as that is basically because it either puts people off trying thinking they just can't do it because it requires some sort of elevated cycling status. Or it gives those who do ride fixed and enjoy being nobbers fuel to peddle their false sense of superiority.
(Edited)
Riding fixed is certainly more difficult. It demands 100% concentration and total respect, because if you’re hurtling along and forget – even for a moment – to keep your legs turning a fixed-wheel will dash you to the ground in the blink of an eye. Catch a pedal in a corner and you’ll be hurled in the air. Fixed knows no mercy.
(Edited)
I think riding fixed is more difficult, it is the little things like stopping at traffic lights, you need the pedals in a particular position and you cant just spin them backards so you need to stop in the right place or lift the back wheel up to position them for starting. After a while it does become second nature. The main problem I find fixed is going downhill, you cant just stop pedalling to lift your butt from the saddle to make yourself comfier this seems to be an issue after a few miles of descending at which point I find myself yearning for the next climb!
Riding fixed is still the best though