Is riding fixed gear as hard as I imagine it to be? What about fast descents?

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Lonestar

Veteran
Outside of the velodrome, fixed wheel is nothing more than an anachronism. Sorry, but it is.

I don't agree. I've done almost 8 years commuting on fixed.No problem.Plus a period in the mid 90's.

I do remember asking about a fixed wheel bike in the 70's and the bloke in the bike shop said to me they were only for old men..

I do seem to remember fixed wheel bikes at the cycling club I was with at the time,though.
 
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Broadside

Guru
Location
Fleet, Hants
I enjoy riding fixed, I only do about 20-30 miles per week on it as my main ride is a geared bike. For me fixed reignited my interest by giving a completely different ride experience and I do enjoy it.

The big benefit is the fitness for me, there is no hiding place when riding fixed as your legs are always moving. It is the closest thing to having a personal trainer and it makes me ride quicker and harder as a result. You also realise how quick you are to reach for a lower gear when you have the option, but on fixed or single speed you just have to get on with whatever terrain you hit.

As I'm in the office all day having a hard burst on the fixed gear when I only have an hour spare is really good. It's just another bike in the shed that I use for certain rides where the machine suits it.

As for the OP, you get used to it pretty quickly, but there are some ingrained behaviours that you will need to overcome. My knees can't handle resistance braking so I use rim brakes on all descents. I only ride clipless, I wouldn't fancy it on flat pedals in case your feet were to come off.
 
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Location
Hampshire
I am a big fan of my fixed gear bike, it is simple, effective and low maintenance. The only limiting factor for me is that I have not managed to work out how to fart at 70 rpm or higher. I suggest that limitation is with me rather than the bike.
You have to do a number of small 'puffs' on the pedal rise rather than one long one, it does take a bit of practice.
 

biggs682

Touch it up and ride it
Location
Northamptonshire
I am a big fan of my fixed gear bike, it is simple, effective and low maintenance. The only limiting factor for me is that I have not managed to work out how to fart at 70 rpm or higher. I suggest that limitation is with me rather than the bike.

@Milkfloat its easy wait till you are on a downhill bit unclip and lift one bum cheek just enough to let the gas out then clip back in whilst pedals are spinning ..... oh and mind the hedge and watch out for your popping knees :laugh:
 
I am a big fan of my fixed gear bike, it is simple, effective and low maintenance.
I've had 4 complete bike failures that have left the bike unrideable to get home and 3 of these were on fixed. The problem is that it's so simple there's no redundancy. Plus you end up putting such a huge strain on the bike to get up hills it makes some sort of breakage more likely. Back in the day I was a 9 stone weakling, (now a somewhat heavier weakling), and yet on fixed I still snapped a Sedis chain, snapped a chainring, and stripped the thread on the hub. Plus the numerous occasions when the chain bounced off going downhill.
I rode fixed for about 10 years, commuting, time trials, I even rode a hilly 400 km Audax on one. But in the end I just got fed up with it.
 
D

Deleted member 1258

Guest
I've had 4 complete bike failures that have left the bike unrideable to get home and 3 of these were on fixed. The problem is that it's so simple there's no redundancy. Plus you end up putting such a huge strain on the bike to get up hills it makes some sort of breakage more likely. Back in the day I was a 9 stone weakling, (now a somewhat heavier weakling), and yet on fixed I still snapped a Sedis chain, snapped a chainring, and stripped the thread on the hub. Plus the numerous occasions when the chain bounced off going downhill.
I rode fixed for about 10 years, commuting, time trials, I even rode a hilly 400 km Audax on one. But in the end I just got fed up with it.

I've had very few failures on a fixed, around 1990 I broke a chain, about that time I had two or three hub failures where I pulled several drive side spokes through the hub whilst accelerating, and I think thats been it
 
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