Learning to ride fixed

[Deleted member 1258]

I'm not against clipless though, have looks on the road-bike, single-sided SPDs on the hackbike and never got to change the fixie. If I did I would go for Looks probably, but for now toe-clips and straps suit my needs for occasional use.

My fixed is my commuter, general runabout and my winter Sunday ride bike, I use the geared bike for summer Sunday rides and the occasional leisure ride. I brought my pearson three years ago and have put between 8,000 and 10,000 miles on it since then. Like you I'm not against clipless, but sometimes the way I see people promoting them is irritating, both systems have their part to play, its up to people to decide which one they want to use.

 

[MacB]

There are other options:-

Powergrips - a band that fits across the pedal diagonally and is tightened/released by the angle of your foot. I wasn't that impressed and didn't like the style of pedal required to fit them to, also the fittings themselves were made of cheese, straps were tough enough though

Velcro straps - quite a few around now, I tried the Holdfast ones but there's a lot more variety, and more reasonable prices now. These are designed to work with BMX style pedals and foot retention is just by sliding your foot in. The better ones are heavier duty as they stand up easier. The velcro adjustment means they can be used with a wide variety of footwear. A lot of info on these on LFGSS forums, seem popular with the folks there.

Flat pedals - a BMX style pedal with pins and a good grippy soled shoe, preferably with stealth rubber, will work fine. This is what I intend to use and I know BigSteve on here rides his fixed just in a pair of Vans.

Probably more options that I'm not aware of but nothing wrong with any of the above.

 

[4F]

Flat pedals - a BMX style pedal with pins and a good grippy soled shoe, preferably with stealth rubber, will work fine. This is what I intend to use and I know BigSteve on here rides his fixed just in a pair of Vans.

I would suggest that this is the worst option as the last thing you want to do is for your foot to come off the pedal just as you are hitting 170 rpm downhill .....

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I would suggest that this is the worst option as the last thing you want to do is for your foot to come off the pedal just as you are hitting 170 rpm downhill .....

I agree with that, its best to have some form of foot retention, the last thing we need is loosing our footing at high revs, fortunately the only time I've pulled my foot out of the clip I was climbing hard, and that was bad enough, grateful that the young lass in the small hatchback who was about to overtake me when it happened had the sense to hang back while I sorted myself out.

 

[MacB]

I would suggest that this is the worst option as the last thing you want to do is for your foot to come off the pedal just as you are hitting 170 rpm downhill .....

That's why I'll keep my front and rear v-brakes

Seriously, not having a dig, but I read a lot about the perils of riding fixed without foot retention, yet I don't find many that have actually tried it. The ones I have found that ride this way don't seem to consider it an issue.

 

[4F]

That's why I'll keep my front and rear v-brakes

Seriously, not having a dig, but I read a lot about the perils of riding fixed without foot retention, yet I don't find many that have actually tried it. The ones I have found that ride this way don't seem to consider it an issue.

Al, let us know how you get on when you have you fixed finished with flats

 

[MacB]

Al, let us know how you get on when you have you fixed finished with flats

Now you know I don't need an invite to babble on about what I've tried and will generally give an honest assessment, tinged by my own personal bias and lack of skills of course.

 

[BigSteev]

I would suggest that this is the worst option as the last thing you want to do is for your foot to come off the pedal just as you are hitting 170 rpm downhill .....

Then don't let your bike get to 170 rpm downhill. (or learn to spin quicker). Seriously, I've been riding my fixed bikes with flats for 2 years now and I've yet to have an issue.

 

[4F]

Then don't let your bike get to 170 rpm downhill. (or learn to spin quicker). Seriously, I've been riding my fixed bikes with flats for 2 years now and I've yet to have an issue.

The issue is not with the rpm or the speed, if so I would use both of my brakes to slow myself down. Before I discovered fixed / spd's I experienced a couple of ocassions on my mtb where my foot slipped off flat pedals, this is certainly not something I would wish to experience riding fixed as I would hate to think what the back of my legs would look like.

 

[RedBike]

The issue is not with the rpm or the speed, if so I would use both of my brakes to slow myself down. Before I discovered fixed / spd's I experienced a couple of ocassions on my mtb where my foot slipped off flat pedals, this is certainly not something I would wish to experience riding fixed as I would hate to think what the back of my legs would look like.

I've ridden a fixed road bike with trainers / flats without too much of a problem. Although it's not as easy to 'brake' via the pedals I never had any trouble keeping my feet on the pedals.

However...

The first time I rode my MTB after converting it to fixed wheel I put flat pedals on. My thinking was that flats would make it easier to just lift my feet off the pedals on the downhills and get off the bike in a hurry if I needed to. On the first dip in the track I came to the pedals just vanished from under me and then promptly hit me VERY hard on the back of the legs.
That was the last time I ever rode the MTB fixed wheel without clipless pedals.

 

[RedBike]

The mega low (32x18) gearing of the MTB (it was a 29er) certainly made controlling the bkes speed via the pedals a lot easier. I could skid the MTB to a hault, whereas skidding on the road bike was near impossible.

 

[Craggy]

And me, been on Toe-Clips and straps for about 25 years, its clipless that I struggle with. I tried SPD's about three years ago and couldn't get on with them, didn't like them and went back to Toe-Clips after using them for a summer. I've just got a new geared bike and have Time Freerides on it, I'm finding them better than the SPD's but I'm still not happy and struggling with the clippy in/out thing at the moment.

i,m still learning to get away smoothly on my fixed,ive had power grip straps,now gone over to eggbeaters,i think this is for good.i,m sure it,s just practice,irrespective of the type of pedals i use.

 

[mangid]

I'm not against clipless though, have looks on the road-bike, single-sided SPDs on the hackbike and never got to change the fixie. If I did I would go for Looks probably, but for now toe-clips and straps suit my needs for occasional use.

Been riding SPD's on my fixed for years, single sided Ultegra (from before the days of SPD-R). Never pulled out climbing up hill, or detached going down. PD-A600's look like they would be the current day equivalent (the Ultegra's have been maintenance free for 30K+ miles).

Flipping into single sided is easy, and if you practise your track stand you'll only have to do it a couple of times a day anyway ;-)

--
Dan

 

[robin IX]

I'm using clips and straps, it just takes time to get used to how you flick the pedal round then jam your foot in.

Was thinking about going clipless as the general consensus on here is that its better, and my sister and her boyfriend both said clipless was much nicer feeling in general. The only drawback that I can see is that currently I can wear whatever I like on my feet which is quite nice.

When funds allow I'm definitely going to give it (clipless) a go.

 

[Craggy]

what about eggbeaters?