Riding Fixed

[Big John]

I must be better at it than I thought!!! I don't feel any different standing up on the pedals to sitting down. After a while everything just clicks and it all feels natural - even plummeting downhill! And if I knew what Zen was I'd probably agree with that too

 

[Tel]

Yeah I'm okay standing up when I'm going along it was the starting off that was throwing me out and last night I realised why. Normally I put the right pedal at the 2 o'clock position then push but scoot with the left before eventually putting it onto the pedal. Obviously when I try to scoot on a fixed the bike tells me its not a good method.

What took me a couple of rides to master is to keep pedaling but after a few occasions where the bike reminded me I got the message.

lol I can certainly relate to that!

 

[colinr]

I give myself a challenge, just for fun, to never use the brakes on my urban commutes (15 miles each way).

I try that and sometimes it works, sometimes I nearly hit things. Does it get easier to slow down quickly on the pedals (without any skidding tricks)? Darned if I can get the hang of trackstands too, feel like I'm missing out there.

 

[MacB]

I give myself a challenge, just for fun, to never use the brakes on my urban commutes (15 miles each way). Always end up using front brake once, maybe twice.

This morning didn't use brake once!

some might class the impact with the back of the bus as a form of braking

 

[Brahan]

I've been riding fixed from Edenbridge to Crawley for years

**STALKER ALERT**

Do you enjoy that nice flat road that leads to Lingfield - then accross A22 - then past the Mooman Temple and turn right at Snowhill? I ride those roads all the time. Love 'em!

 

[Joe24]

To slow down using the pedals, you can resisant them on the way up, and when they go down you resisant them more here. You pull up more to brake harder.
To skid, you just lock your legs, so pull up with your leading leg and push down with the other one. At first its easier to do it standing up and leaning forward(especialy if you have a bigger gear) and when you get used to it you can just do it sitting down.
Is it a pull on the knees though until you get used to it.

 

[MacB]

To slow down using the pedals, you can resisant them on the way up, and when they go down you resisant them more here. You pull up more to brake harder.
To skid, you just lock your legs, so pull up with your leading leg and push down with the other one. At first its easier to do it standing up and leaning forward(especialy if you have a bigger gear) and when you get used to it you can just do it sitting down.
Is it a pull on the knees though until you get used to it.

he could have just said, to skid try to pedal backwards, hard

 

[Joe24]

he could have just said, to skid try to pedal backwards, hard

You dont really try to pedal backwards, you just lock your legs. It isnt that hard to do really, i normally just pull up with my right leg then put some preassure on with my left leg when the wheel has stopped. You arent pedling backwards(might do a slight turn back with the pedals, but you have the leading crank between the 2 and 3 oclock position i find)
Some people dont like it though because they get abit worried about stopping pedling, and if you dont put force into it you normaly just end up back peddling again.

 

[Joe24]

Had to use the brake 4 times this afternoon. But one was to make sure I stopped in time to let the babe cross the zebra crossing. Nice smile she gave me - wasn't expecting a cyclist to stop for her at a zebra, especially with no traffic around.

Even when I stopped she looked a bit confused and didn't move, until I motioned.

Worth the loss of brake rubber, that stop.

Should of skidded to a trackstand, that would of got you more of an impressed look.

 

[yorkshiregoth]

Wish I could trackstand though

 

[Oddjob62]

Wish I could trackstand though

Yeah that's next on my list of things to learn. Might start working at it this weekend if the weather's as nice as they say it will be.

 

[Greenbank]

Trackstanding is for people with the latest mobile phones.

I'm over 30 and have a Nokia 6230i. I have no reason to bother even trying as I'll just look uncool anyway.

 

[colinr]

I'm over 30 and have a Nokia 6230i.

I have one of them, I think it's cool and I'm a spritely 28. Better than these new fangled things made of spiders webs with two hour battery lives.

Still wish I could trackstand. Instead I go forwards very very slowly, with moments of stillness.

 

[4F]

I have one of them,.

LOL me too and I cannot trackstand either.

 

[Joe24]

Trackstanding is for people with the latest mobile phones.

I'm over 30 and have a Nokia 6230i. I have no reason to bother even trying as I'll just look uncool anyway.

Rubbish.
I trackstand, its just convineint. Its like when you have normal flat pedals and you move off, no fiddling around clipping in you just move off. When you trackstand you dont have to mess around and lose time clipping in, you just apply power and go.
And moving off is faster when you dont have to unclip, when we race for signs and get to a road we need to get over with a sign on the other side, everyone unclips(but me, i trackstand) and as soon as theres a safe gap go and leave everyone else who cant catch me because they are messing about clipping in
The way to trackstand is to not use the brakes while trackstanding, just use the pedals to move you forward and back.
Find your leading foot, with me its my right foot. This is the foot i put at the front, and you have to turn the wheel to the right aswell so you dont hit your foot onto it.
You then add a little forward preassure and a little back. Play with it, get some flat ground and just use trainers so you dont clip in.
You will find that when you start to lean one way you will automaticly put pressure on to one of the pedals so your up straight.
You might end up moving forwards and back until you get used to it, when you can just hold a trackstand dead steady without the bike moving.
Be confident with it, stand up and put some weight forward, relax your hands.
Then when you can do that, do it sitting down(harder at first) then sitting down one handed, then sitting down no handed(not as hard as what you think aslong as your on flat ground)