Daft Question?

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Phyllosc

Active Member
Location
Coastal Suffolk
I've never ridden a fixed wheel but I am curious about them. A silly question perhaps but how easy is it to stop one? Or rather, how does breaking compare to a freewheeled machine?

I'd be interested to hear your views

Dave
 

derrick

The Glue that binds us together.
I have normal brakes on mine, so the same as any other bike, apart from you don't stop pedaling until the bike stops.:thumbsup:
 
Location
Loch side.
I've never ridden a fixed wheel but I am curious about them. A silly question perhaps but how easy is it to stop one? Or rather, how does breaking compare to a freewheeled machine?

I'd be interested to hear your views

Dave
They all break when the load exceeds their strength. Wheels can't "see" whether it is on a freewheel or fixed sprocket.
 
D

Deleted member 1258

Guest
I've never ridden a fixed wheel but I am curious about them. A silly question perhaps but how easy is it to stop one? Or rather, how does breaking compare to a freewheeled machine?

I'd be interested to hear your views

Dave

Its the same as a freewheeled machine, you just don't stop pedaling till you stop.
 

Sharky

Guru
Location
Kent
As said above, braking is by using your normal brakes. It is a legal requirement in the UK to have two methods of stopping, in case a brake cable snaps etc. The front brake is one and for fixed wheel bikes (with a lock ring) the fixed wheel counts as the second method. But stopping by means of a fixed wheel alone is difficult and if going at speed would take me a long long time to stop and if going down hill, probably could not stop at all.

However there are some who think it cool to ride without brakes and they have developed some ingenious ways of stopping. I have never tried any of these methods and would never suggest that anybody should try them, but it is an eye opener:-


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQu1rNs0an0


Keith
 
Location
Loch side.
As said above, braking is by using your normal brakes. It is a legal requirement in the UK to have two methods of stopping, in case a brake cable snaps etc. The front brake is one and for fixed wheel bikes (with a lock ring) the fixed wheel counts as the second method. But stopping by means of a fixed wheel alone is difficult and if going at speed would take me a long long time to stop and if going down hill, probably could not stop at all.

However there are some who think it cool to ride without brakes and they have developed some ingenious ways of stopping. I have never tried any of these methods and would never suggest that anybody should try them, but it is an eye opener:-


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQu1rNs0an0


Keith

Some guys are really skilled at doing these skids. I used to participate in a once-a-month evening critical mass ride and lots of fixies without brakes used to show off like that. Some do a sideways skid, others use the white line in the road to induce the skid and control it by moving off or onto the line. I estimate it consumed one tyre per ride and I hated to see them show off like that, especially when I can't do it nor have the cahunas to try.
 

Profpointy

Legendary Member
and don't try and stop by using your legs on the back wheel unless and until you've become a proper trick cyclist, like some mentioned above, you will likely end up in the hedge / under a bus.

Also don't forget it's fixed and inadvertently ease off / try and freewheel either. I tried this on delivery day of mine coming up to the traffic lights in the Strand. First time for 30 years on a fixie (and only once then), new bike, never cycled in London before - what could possibly go wrong ? Got away with that, and never made the mistake again. Got sufficiently confident on that first ride to try a track-stand later - but that was indeed a hubris & nemesis moment - oh well.

Still got it and love it, despite being middle aged, not that fit, and living in a hilly city (Bristol) - highly recommended
 
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