I'm going to have to get my head around fixed

[3narf]

I want to do a track taster this year but I'm hopeless at riding fixed. I'm spoilt by years and thousands of miles riding freewheel singlespeed (vastly superior) and every time I ride fixed I stop pedalling at some point and almost get thrown down the road.

Should I persevere with SPDs or try platform pedals til I get over the mental block?

I think my least favourite thing about fixed is not being able to move around on the seat to get comfortable.

 

[biggs682]

I want to do a track taster this year but I'm hopeless at riding fixed. I'm spoilt by years and thousands of miles riding freewheel singlespeed (vastly superior) and every time I ride fixed I stop pedalling at some point and almost get thrown down the road.

Should I persevere with SPDs or try platform pedals til I get over the mental block?

I think my least favourite thing about fixed is not being able to move around on the seat to get comfortable.

i prefer it with flat pedals , it takes a while but it comes in the end

 

[Hugh Manatee]

I cannot imagine not using SPD/Time/Look on fixed. For me the first few times I went around RBT or sharp corner caught me out. I would try to freewheel and about a millisecond later my nose would be on or near the front tyre! Just take it easy and keep thinking!
One thing I would add is perhaps have a slightly more upright position and take advantage of any uphill to stand up and relieve pressure on, um, your um, you know; nadgers!

 

[Sharky]

Keep trying, after a while the urge to stop peddling disappears.

Some interesting stories from fixie riders:-

http://www.fixedwheel.co.uk/fixedwheel stories.htm

and your comments about sitting comfortably - read the comment by Mr Boardman
http://www.fixedwheel.co.uk/fixedwheel records.htm

Cheers Keith

 

[ChrisEyles]

How many miles have you put in on fixed? I got my first fixed gear last summer and love it Had to take it easy at first, but I'd say 100 miles was plenty to get familiar or confident with it.

The only thing is if you get suprised by eg high speed landrover out in the middle of the road on a blind bend, the instinct to freewheel and brake can still kick in, making an already hairy situation slightly worse! But I haven't had a moment like that for quite a while now on fixed. Oh, and steep downhills are horrendous. But neither of them will be a problem on the track!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

You don't need to practice for the track session. Just turn up and you will be fine.

 

[3narf]

You don't need to practice for the track session. Just turn up and you will be fine.

Thing is, I'm pretty fast on a singlespeed but I'm not sure how it translates to fixed! It seems to be indelibly burnt into my brain that I can sprint flat out till my muscles are burning, because I can eventually stop pedalling and let my circulation replenish the oxygen in my muscles. I need to educate myself to taper it off, to allow the bike to drive my legs while this is happening...

 

[mangid]

I want to do a track taster this year but I'm hopeless at riding fixed. I'm spoilt by years and thousands of miles riding freewheel singlespeed (vastly superior) and every time I ride fixed I stop pedalling at some point and almost get thrown down the road.

Should I persevere with SPDs or try platform pedals til I get over the mental block?

I think my least favourite thing about fixed is not being able to move around on the seat to get comfortable.

Persevere, it quickly becomes second nature.

Not sure why you can't move around in the saddle, that's an issue I've never come across.

With time n the saddle you'll stop thinking about things and your legs will do the talking. I find fixed riding way more relaxing that riding the road bike, little rises are just soaked up by the legs, they respond automatically. Bigger hills and you rise out of the saddle without thinking about it. Cruising seems to require less input than riding freewheel.

Mind, my legs do get a lot of practice, ~20,000 fixed miles last year.

 

[colly]

@3narf

I made up a fixed wheel a few years ago just to see what it was like. I did have one as a 14 year old so I had an idea anyway. I loved it right away. It did take a little getting used to but a couple of rides and I found it second nature, only once did I forget and try to freewheel. (just over the brow of a steep incline)
One thing that I found was that coming to lights or a give way I had to keep in mind where I would step down off the pedal. Again that became automatic after a just a couple of rides.
I used that fixed bike as pretty much my only bike for about 5 years.
Surprisingly I didn't find hills to be as much a problem as I imagined they would be. Obviously I avoided some really difficult hills but by and large if you only have one option...................well that's what you make do with.
Riding on a track is great, different again.
Only two things to remember. Keep pedaling and keep your speed up. No brakes of course so you have to be aware of what's going on.