S/S back to Fixed... do I, don't I...?

[markmywords]

I love riding fixed but have been 'kicked' off so many times so many times that I now stick to a freewheel cog. Each time has been when I'm totally fatigued and the bike has taken no prisoners. But would highly recommend trying fixed just to understand how to ride a bike.

 

[Seamab]

I've not been on my bike with the flip flop hub since coming off when the chain came off after standing up to stomp up a hill. My fault, the chain needed replaced but it was a sore one which took months to get better so i'm lacking in confidence on it now.
I started off fixed some years back but hated going down steep hills so eventually went s/s which i much prefer. TBH i think the flywheel effect is minimal (probably not much more than placebo) and the many vaunted claims about fixed riding being some kind of nirvana are just tosh. I like(d) to do it because it was (is) a nice change once in a while and sets a different challenge. Ease of maintainance is the other big plus (but remember to change the chain when worn OUCH!) I'll get back to it soon...

 

[edindave]

Ouch that doesn't sound good @Seamab I'm sure you'll get back into it if the notion takes you.
I'll be keeping an eye on my chain for sure.

For me the flywheel feels like a real benefit on the flat or into the wind, and maybe a little on the climbs (although very hard work).
Sometimes I think I'm over geared, running 48x16 or appx 79" in old money, but I've not been beaten by any local hills yet. Caveat: there are some I know not to even attempt though - eg. Redstone Rig!

Downhills are the least fun I would say, especially as I don't have a lot of weight/power to use my legs as brakes - I only weigh about 60kg. That certainly puts me off lowering the gear. But I'm getting more confident as time goes on so will stick with what I've got for now. Saying that, I might change to an 18T cog in the winter just to have a bit more control over my speed when I'll be commuting in dark/wet conditions.

 

[Seamab]

I found that 48/18 is my best option to tackle the variable terrain round here. 48/16 and the hills are too hard. I always avoid mega steep hills of any great length on the s/s but i've been amazed at some of the hills i can get up. I'm pretty much the same weight as you (though i've not weighed myself for years!). I prefer s/s for urban conditions (i feel more confident i can negotiate the hazards than on fixed).
My accident was simply taking the "ease of maintenance" thing too far and just jumping on the bike without any prior checks apart from tyre pressure. Won't make that mistake again for sure!
i had a long break from s/s last year then started using it again in the autumn and noticed how reduced my ability to stomp up the hills had become. Using the geared bike i'd developed a more sit & spin style on the hills. I guess the muscles just adapt to how you ride.
Take care and enjoy your fixie. I've always found s/s or fixed a pleasant change from geared but since my accident at the start of the year i've become a bit of a "gearie" again...

 

[HLaB]

I found that 48/18 is my best option to tackle the variable terrain round here. 48/16 and the hills are too hard. I always avoid mega steep hills of any great length on the s/s but i've been amazed at some of the hills i can get up. I'm pretty much the same weight as you (though i've not weighed myself for years!). I prefer s/s for urban conditions (i feel more confident i can negotiate the hazards than on fixed).
My accident was simply taking the "ease of maintenance" thing too far and just jumping on the bike without any prior checks apart from tyre pressure. Won't make that mistake again for sure!
i had a long break from s/s last year then started using it again in the autumn and noticed how reduced my ability to stomp up the hills had become. Using the geared bike i'd developed a more sit & spin style on the hills. I guess the muscles just adapt to how you ride.
Take care and enjoy your fixie. I've always found s/s or fixed a pleasant change from geared but since my accident at the start of the year i've become a bit of a "gearie" again...

Sorry to read about your accident. Prior to my Freewheel coming apart and being forced to go fixed I had the same nervous worries about it in traffic but now I'm use to it I think I prefer the fixed although I'm on 99% flat terrain and dry roads at the moment weather that was to change if terrain/elements changed. The only daft accident I've had touch wood was back in Cowdenbeath when the bike was still a free wheel and I sprinted up hill with a strong tailwind and my cleat came loose

 

[Seamab]

The only daft accident I've had touch wood was back in Cowdenbeath when the bike was still a free wheel and I sprinted up hill with a strong tailwind and my cleat came loose

Strange things happen in Beath!

 

[imageica]

I made the switch to fixed wheel about two years ago and now I don't think I could make the switch back to a bike with a freewheel, I had a spin on my brothers mtb a couple of weeks ago and the handling just felt "mushy" < (that's probably not a real word TBH) but it seems like a good description of how a geared bike felt.

 

[edindave]

I made the switch to fixed wheel about two years ago and now I don't think I could make the switch back to a bike with a freewheel, I had a spin on my brothers mtb a couple of weeks ago and the handling just felt "mushy" < (that's probably not a real word TBH) but it seems like a good description of how a geared bike felt.

I expect after two years of fixed it would feel a bit strange using gears.
Was it an MTB with suspension? Would that explain the mushiness?

Most of my rides this past week have been on the fixed due to rain showers, but prior to that I spent about three weeks (of the heatwave) on the geared bike. For me the geared bike's handling is much better, especially when cornering or descending.

 

[imageica]

My brothers mtb is a hard tail so that could explain the mushy feeling, but I think what i'm trying to convey the feeling of here is how a fixed wheel feels when you ride it, the feel I get through the pedals is completely different to a bike with a freewheel.
Have to admit descending on the fixie can get a bit frantic at times

 

[edindave]

My brothers mtb is a hard tail so that could explain the mushy feeling, but I think what i'm trying to convey the feeling of here is how a fixed wheel feels when you ride it, the feel I get through the pedals is completely different to a bike with a freewheel.

Ah I think I get you... that 'connected' feeling. If I've done a lot of mileage on the fixed and then switch to gears I still find myself pedalling as I'm braking, and when the freewheel kicks in it feels like the drive train has disappeared. It's quite a strange feeling, and then I remember oh yeah, I've got a freewheel.

Have to admit descending on the fixie can get a bit frantic at times

... yep there are times when it feels a bit too connected!