Fixies: what is the appeal?

[fossyant]

It's great not having to maintain mechs, gears etc. - I'm a 'clean bike' freak anyway, but the fixed is a piece of cake to look after. Just dead handy for a commuter bike......and it's hilly where I live......

Good for building fitness and leg flexibility.

PS mine isn't trendy - looks like a road bike with guards, until you notice no gears.... I just like having a 'work bike'...the other road bikes won't take guards..

 

[fossyant]

That said, the student's are back in Manchester and there are 'fixies' everywhere. I call mine a fixed road bike as it looks nothing like a 'fixie' - and I'd get laughed at for having guards, brakes, and wearing lycra.

 

[Joe24]

It's great not having to maintain mechs, gears etc. - I'm a 'clean bike' freak anyway, but the fixed is a piece of cake to look after. Just dead handy for a commuter bike......and it's hilly where I live......

Good for building fitness and leg flexibility.

PS mine isn't trendy - looks like a road bike with guards, until you notice no gears.... I just like having a 'work bike'...the other road bikes won't take guards..

Exactly,
me not being a clean bike freak, means less wears out, meaning its cheaper.
Mine isnt trendy, it is like a roadbike, but without gears.
I also like the feel and challenge of it, ive got one gear and try to take it everywhere i can.
It will have full guards soon when it gets to winter

 

[totallyfixed]

I started riding fixed over 2 years ago for a couple of reasons, my dad used to race fixed so that was always in the back of my mind, and some of the seriously quick guys in my last club always rode fixed in winter.
I needed a winter bike with guards and I wanted to get stronger without doing longer rides. I bought a Pearson after trying one out at the cycle show and I can honestly say it is now my favourite bike and I am lucky enough to own some nice geared ones.
I love the fact that after a wet ride I can clean it in less than half the time of my other bikes. I can now spin at cadences that I first thought impossible ergo I am now more efficient and a LOT stronger. My better half has now also been converted, she has only done a few rides so far but loves it. I ride a 50 x 18, [75"] and can just get up a 17% hill and going down have just topped 40mph [188rpm], reckon I might go a bit quicker yet but near my limit with 175 cranks and 6'4".
Somebody is going to tell me I need to work on my leg speed.

 

[D4VOW]

Isn't it murder going up hill on a fixie, and even worse when going down?

I find going uphill much easier and faster because you have to attack the hill instead of just dropping down through the gears. Long steep hills can be a struggle but I have yet to find one where my speed has dropped below 9/10mph and I'm running 75.7".

Going downhill has a learning curve but it doesn't take long before you can get you're legs spinning at crazy speeds or controlling the speed with you're legs.

Are there any advantages to them over free-wheel bike (other than you can cycle backwards)

Very low maintenance, increased low speed control, the momentum helps to pull you along, teaches you to spin at rates you never thought you could manage, works your muscles in a different way when braking.

What possible advantages can a single-speed bring?

I can't see any, other than less maintenance.

Why should they cost more than a decent geared bike?

They don't have to, you can build one for less than £100 by converting an old bike. Cheap new ones come at under £200. However, when buying new you get what you pay for, assuming you avoid the fashion bikes that sell for silly inflated prices due to the current 'fixie' craze.


I love the Fixed and ride it all the time, it just feels a much better ride being part of the bike, being in more control and not having to worry about maintenance regardless of the mileage I rack up. If something does need to be replaced I can replace it myself in minutes and be ready for the next ride. I've only been out on my MTB a couple of times since I've had the Fixed.

 

[palinurus]

I wasn't sure what the appeal was when I started commuting on one a month ago. I'm starting to get the idea now. It does feel good, and increasingly I'm selecting the fixed for longer weekend rides now. Hardly used my geared road bike recently.

 

[Joe24]

I find going uphill much easier and faster because you have to attack the hill instead of just dropping down through the gears. Long steep hills can be a struggle but I have yet to find one where my speed has dropped below 9/10mph and I'm running 75.7".

If your up for it, your welcome to come out into Derbyshire with me and mate, im on 72" fixed, hes on a carbon geared bike, im sure there will be a few hills where your speed will drop below that, or you will get off and walk

 

[D4VOW]

If your up for it, your welcome to come out into Derbyshire with me and mate, im on 72" fixed, hes on a carbon geared bike, im sure there will be a few hills where your speed will drop below that, or you will get off and walk

I know there's plenty that will be hard work over there Joe but it's suitable for my surroundings (short steep hills or long not so steep hills)

 

[4F]

I wasn't sure what the appeal was when I started commuting on one a month ago. I'm starting to get the idea now. It does feel good, and increasingly I'm selecting the fixed for longer weekend rides now. Hardly used my geared road bike recently.

And do you notice how strange the geared bike feels when you get back on it and free wheel. You keep looking down to see whats wrong as it does not feel right

 

[palinurus]

It does feel strange. I do ride a geared bike a couple times a week, for a bit of cyclocross practice in the park (I haven't tried do a rolling dismount on the fixed yet, but I will one day..)

 

[irontam]

And do you notice how strange the geared bike feels when you get back on it and free wheel. You keep looking down to see whats wrong as it does not feel right

Agreed

However I've spent most of this year on a geared bike whilst building a new fixed. I'm worried that I've gone soft.

 

[ed_o_brain]

An entire half decent drive train for a fixed is ~£50
The whole lot lasts longer too.

I occasionally wipe the chain and relube it. Other than stripping and re-greasing the headset, I've not touched the bike in twelve months of ownership. It's filthy. The way I like it.

It works for the most part like a geared bike, only now it's me that's flexible not the bike. I still have a couple of geared bikes, one I hardly every ride because it's always raining (fair weather bike) and another for dragging the trailer about.

 

[fossyant]

It's filthy.

Mine..........

I'm a clean bike freak, but this is dead easy to keep sorted..... the bike is now 4 month's old, used daily, all weathers.... aero rims help as well.....

Some will say it don't look any different from my 18 year old bikes.....

 

[Theseus]

Mine..........

Sure you have enough lights on that?

• Easier to maintain, lighter and less prone to wear and tear. The only thing I have replaced on my old Langster was the freewheel and this was £15 and that was after a year and a half of riding in all weathers.

Freewheel on a fixie? how does that work?

 

[Joe24]

Flip flop hub.

Oh, not man enough to just be fixed then