Fixie or Single

[NickM]

If your commute is flat, you may grow to like fixed. Having given it a long-term (~2 years) trial, I came to the conclusion that fixed gears are only really at home in velodromes. Singlespeed has the significant advantage for a commuting bike of simplicity and low maintenance, always assuming that you get the gear right and don't cart around loads of clobber. That's what I use now.

 

[taxing]

I'm always disappointed when I see someone riding bike with the singlespeed instead of fixed. Go fixed, IMO. It's a little bit harder, but much more satisfying.

Sorry mum...


Before my bike arrived I was borrowing a BSO with gears, just for a bit of practice because I hadn't ridden a bike in a very long time. The gear changer didn't work so I was stuck grinding along all the time. Then when the bike was passed along to my brother (after he crashed his car) he asked me why I hadn't changed the gear. I was mortified, thinking I had been stuck in this one crappy gear the whole time when I could easily have changed it, so I asked how. "I was sick of it so when I was stopped at some traffic lights I just reached down and pulled the chain onto the ring I wanted." Oh.

 

[MacB]

Sorry mum...


Before my bike arrived I was borrowing a BSO with gears, just for a bit of practice because I hadn't ridden a bike in a very long time. The gear changer didn't work so I was stuck grinding along all the time. Then when the bike was passed along to my brother (after he crashed his car) he asked me why I hadn't changed the gear. I was mortified, thinking I had been stuck in this one crappy gear the whole time when I could easily have changed it, so I asked how. "I was sick of it so when I was stopped at some traffic lights I just reached down and pulled the chain onto the ring I wanted." Oh.

 

[hackbike 666]

I'm always disappointed when I see someone riding bike with the singlespeed instead of fixed. Go fixed, IMO. It's a little bit harder, but much more satisfying.

Im quite happy riding single speed.TIA

 

[crumpetman]

Fixed is more satisfying but not always practical. I had been riding fixed but now back to single speed and it is so much easier (for me on my commute) that I cannot bear to put it back to fixed. In fact I am going to get a bike with GEARS as I have found that being able to freewheel a bit gets me to my destination a little faster and not so tired and if I take the hilly route I end up with very achy legs.

 

[Jezston]

I'm thinking about buying a fixie or single for my commute and was just wondering if there was any benefits to any of these? My commute is 11 miles round trip and mainly flat roads.

Any info would be appreciated folks.

Thanks in advance.

Hangon ...

I think the answer everyone can agree with on this original question is - get a bike with a flip flop hub.

Then you can ride single speed or fixed.

 

[hackbike 666]

[QUOTE 1146056"]
Will people please stop confusing freewheel with single speed. Both fixed and free are single speed bacause they only have one gear. It is a matter of whether you want to ride fixed or free. And please no cyclists bullshit 'but you are free when riding fixed!'
[/quote]

I stand corrected...Single speed.

Dunno im happy with it....The wheel can't be fitted with a fixed cog (It was a spare wheel which has been hanging up in my bedroom for years so I forgot what it was) anyway and the rim I have on the wheel I had made up by Evans the greentyre doesn't fit...I should have asked for an A319 or A719 rim.

The original wheel was $h1t and had tobe replaced after 300 miles.

So to use the Greentyre I have to ride single speed...freewheel or whatever it is as it's the only wheel it fits apart from the 2006 Audax.

I may ride fixie again sometime but not at the moment.

 

[BentMikey]

LOL, Lee talks rubbish again. Fail of knowing the convention, whilst trying too hard to be right by using English "logic". It's a little like toeclips and clipless pedals. Fixed wheels aren't normally known as singlespeed, although they do tend to have a single gear ratio.

 

[Origamist]

As others have said get a fixed/free hub and experiment. Better to start with lower gears and get used to stop/starting in traffic when riding fixed. Practice trackstanding in car parks and very low speed handling. Know your limits when cornering - i.e watch out for pedal strike.

Riding fixed (60 - 80 gi) in a flattish city like London does not really put too much of a cap on your speed - that is more down to your fitness levels and ability to spin at high rpm (which you get used to).

Low maintenance is a blessing in winter too and it's nice to save your rims/blocks with gentle leg braking.

 

[hackbike 666]

LOL, Lee talks rubbish again. Fail of knowing the convention, whilst trying too hard to be right by using English "logic". It's a little like toeclips and clipless pedals. Fixed wheels aren't normally known as singlespeed, although they do tend to have a single gear ratio.

I must say im bloody confused now.

Low maintenance is a blessing in winter too and it's nice to save your rims/blocks with gentle leg braking.

But what you win on the saving of brakeblocks you lose on the wear and tear of Chain/Bottom Bracket/Pedals and cog.....

I should know I remember shearing a cog on the hackbike 6 on an early morning commute riding fixed in the late 90's.

 

[Defy78]

It does get confusing with the terminology, maybe it's a generation thing:

When I mentioned to my dad that I was rebuilding my old rigid mountain bike and attaching a single speed free-hub converstion kit therefore running it as a single speed he said;

"Oh, so it'd be a fixed-gear bike then" i.e. the bike is fixed in one gear, which started a conversation of what fixed, free-wheel and single speed meant...

Ah well, to answer the question I think I'd have to agree with the flip-flop hub suggestion - although I'd prefer a free-hub for single speed when commuting, mainly 'cos I am lazy and it's easier with the downhills. If you are fairly big you can free-wheel down hill at 20+mph carry the speed onto the flat

 

[BentMikey]

I'm slightly at odds with some, as I think if you're planning to use a particular bike fixed, then I'd not want to ride that bike ever as single speed. Muscle memory - sticking with one means you'll be a little bit less likely to try stopping pedalling on that bike.

At the moment my brain understands recumbent equals freewheel, and upright equals fixed. Haven't done any upright gears riding in a few years now, eeek!

 

[srw]

Neither. People will look at you and think "what a plonker", especially when you're trying to trackstand. You'll hold up people with gears off the lights and never be in the right gear for cruising. All the practical benefits cited above - low maintenance, chain not falling off - can be had with a hub gear.

 

[Origamist]

Neither. People will look at you and think "what a plonker", especially when you're trying to trackstand. You'll hold up people with gears off the lights and never be in the right gear for cruising. All the practical benefits cited above - low maintenance, chain not falling off - can be had with a hub gear.

True - but hub gears ain't cool. Get down with kidz, srw.

 

[Amanda P]

You'll hold up people with gears off the lights and never be in the right gear for cruising.

I thought that would be true. But it's not. All the people with gears at traffic lights usually seem to be in the wrong one for starting off. And it's more usual that all the gear-crunching and pedal-grinding cyclists hold me up than the other way around.

All I need to do is clip in and give a good haul up on the pedals as well as down for a couple of strokes, and I'm well away. And cruising.