Here goes..

[Joe24]

Then ride the club rides on your fixed then
Luckily, its been a while since ive had a mistake where i have stopped pedaling. Ive done just over a year of riding fixed seriously(with some breaks when the fixed broke) but since the new one was built there been no major problems.
Its when i go on a freewheel bike that it all starts to feel strange

 

[RedBike]

Am I the only one who forgets they can freewheel when they change back over to geared bike?

 

[MajorMantra]

Am I the only one who forgets they can freewheel when they change back over to geared bike?

I think everyone does that. I've found that after you've been switching back and forth regularly though you stop noticing and you can just enjoy the qualities of each. This afternoon for example I went shopping on the fixed Pompino and then had a quick blast on the geared Ribble in the evening without thinking about it or feeling anything strange.

Matthew

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Then ride the club rides on your fixed then
Luckily, its been a while since ive had a mistake where i have stopped pedaling. Ive done just over a year of riding fixed seriously(with some breaks when the fixed broke) but since the new one was built there been no major problems.
Its when i go on a freewheel bike that it all starts to feel strange

I do the club runs on fixed in winter, club runs on gears in the summer, the traditional way of doing things.

 

[Joe24]

I do the club runs on fixed in winter, club runs on gears in the summer, the traditional way of doing things.

Ahh, i just use fixed all year round.

 

[palinurus]

Feels easier today. On Monday even stopping was a challenge. Approaching a white line gave me the same feeling I got when I was a kid and I had to use an escalator and there's that bit at the top where the stairs disappear and it's like you'll get dragged in and torn to bits.

I'd unclip one foot to put it down and then it'd be F***! WHAT'S GOING ON! SOMETHING'S GOT MY FOOT!

I'm starting to get used to that now. I can even stop with my starting foot in the right place (a skill that I've apparently unlearned since riding with toe clips and clipless pedals)

Plus I scooted through the pedestrian gate just fine today.

I thought it would be a bit more energetic but I've noticed that it tends to encourage in me a fairly relaxed pace, and a more anticipatory riding style (which seems to encourage bizzare overtakes at junctions). Easy to just keep up a low-ish cadence on the flat, feeling the momentum of the bike through the pedals. That, and climbing, feels good (haven't tried any serious hills yet, lumps only). I'm not used to the downhill bits yet. Just sit on and keep up, I got it up to 30 today. Christ knows what 45 is going to feel like.

I thought, while going downhill, I'd try to just let the legs go relaxed and just let the pedals pull them around. That seemed like it ought to feel natural. It didn't.

I'll save trackstanding for another time, first I'll learn to wheel it out of the shed without whacking my ankles.

 

[MajorMantra]

I'm starting to get used to that now. I can even stop with my starting foot in the right place (a skill that I've apparently unlearned since riding with toe clips and clipless pedals)

You don't really need to worry about where your clipped in foot ends up. Just pull the front brake and lean on the bars to lift the rear wheel a little - then rotate to the desired position.

Matthew

 

[Joe24]

Nah, dont worry about where your feet are, do what MM says. I do this with the TT bike(too afraid to trackstand it, i did it one and when i went to move off felt the bike flex, didnt put too much power in either)
Trackstanding is very useful, and an easy thing to learn. You move off from traffic lights like when you would have flat pedals and would just pedal and be able to keep going. Much faster to move off then people that need to clip in
Not sure what size gear you have, never done 45 downhil on a fixed. Got up to 200rpm in my 72" fixed and on a 65" fixed.
Was 38mph on the 65" and 42mph(might be higher, cant remember now, knew at the time though) on the 72" fixed.
You should find your cadence goes up on the flat aswell when you get used to it. I used to just cruise on my first fixed, then got used to it and would just ride on spinning.
First club ride on fixed i came back from the cafe and the group was doing 27mph for ages. Legs spinning like crazy Soon learnt i wasnt as fit as what i thought!
Keep having fun

 

[RedBike]

Lol, I haven't dared ride a club run fixed yet. I'm not quick enough down the hills. I'm still to nervous to pedal really quickly and tend to max out at just shy of 30mph (48/18)

I've done a few club runs single speed. I was alright until they went up this killer climb. I got to the top (eventually) and my poor legs were wobbling all over the place.

 

[Joe24]

Redbike, you just need to go out and do them!
You will soon get alot faster, and be at the top of most hills before people on gears. A mate that i go into Derbyshire with(he has gears) i beat up hills, so to get me back hes got a route which has some 1 in 4 climbs in to try and get me off and walking
Downhill you just need to go for it. relax and let your legs spin. Take it easy, find a faster hill thats clear and just let your legs spin! Your legs will soon get used to it and then you can just fly down them, faster then people with gears sometimes(done that alot!)
You will get your confidence on it
You may also find better ways to decend aswell, for example letting the peddles push your feet around, trying to push the pedals around or another way. Only way i can describe this way is lifting up your legs abit, which just means your legs spin Cant think of another way to describe it though But it does work!

 

[RedBike]

I've got a very slow commute home on mine tonight having 'lost' one of the wheel nuts and my spanner off the frame.

I parked the bike outside a post-office come off license this morning with the backwheel locked to a lamp-post (through the frame). like this...
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html

As I set off from the post-office I noticed the back wheel was rubbing on the frame, then when I stopped to look what was wrong I noticed one of the nuts was gone. I went to get my spanner to make sure the other side was tight but that was missing too.

Maybe the nut and the spanner both came loose and fell off. I did use both just the other night to fix a punture so maybe I didn't put them back on right.
Then again maybe some like light fingered **** tried to nick the bike by removing the wheel!

Either way i'm about to find out how well chain tugs hold the wheel on!

 

[RedBike]

Tried two bike shops and Halfords on my way home to try and buy this nut. The two bikes shops couldn't help me and Halfords tried to sell me one the wrong size.

Looks like i've got to order a track nut (or a set of) online. No more fixed wheel riding for me for a few days.

 

[Joe24]

Well thats naff!!!
I would of thought a good LBS would have one to sell you.

 

[palinurus]

I was relaxed during the commute today. last week a lot of my concentration was taken up by trying to remember to keep pedaling. Today was the first commute where I didn't get a little wake-up call from the bike.

The downhill parts are easier now, I've learned how to control my speed better- it's a feel thing, just concentrate on maintaining a cadence and keeping the pedals spinning at the rate I want, keeping up a steady, gentle resistance. Using the brakes less now.

This morning I tried spinning my legs as fast as I could on a couple of the downhill bits (they aren't used to going very fast yet. I hit 31 today, I make that about 150 rpm). Swear my heart rate was higher than when going uphill. Last week it felt like the bike was in charge downhill and I'd have to spin ever faster to keep up, I'm now starting to feel more in control. Having said that I've been avoiding the local killer hills.

Nice ride in today, pleasant weather, and I followed a hot air balloon for about 6 miles, taking a small detour to watch it land in a field.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Nice ride in today, pleasant weather, and I followed a hot air balloon for about 6 miles, taking a small detour to watch it land in a field.

It flies too!!!