Tomorrow I go fixed

[Canrider]

Yeah, what dave r says. When I got ride on a track, then I'll worry about my trackstand. Skid stop means I've pulled too hard on the rear brake. Fixed since, um, er, ah, about 2004?

 

[Jezston]

So, wondering if I should be putting my 3-speed wheel back on before the commute tomorrow, or go fixed?

I am a little worried about the rattling now. It seems mostly fine now on the flat, but as soon as I start grinding up a hill the rear wheel does make a fair bit of a racket.

Is this something that at worst is just going to be a bit annoying and possibly detrimental to performance, or is it possibly I could find my rear sprocket flying off at some inopportune moment on the A52 and myself propelled onto the ground directly in front of an 18-wheeler?

 

[wheres_my_beard]

It may be annoying and fatal.

For your peace of mind I'd get it looked at your LBS at to make sure it runs smoothly and noise free before going on any big adventures in heavy traffic. You don't want anything untoward to happen if it is avoidable.

Hopefully you will be able to focus on the ride, not the bike noises once it's sorted.

EDIT: Has anyone mentioned the importance of a straight taught chain line? This may cause noises if the teeth are not going totally freely into the cog, particularly at speed and under load, or on bumpy roads.

 

[Jezston]

That's given me the impetus I needed to fit the hub wheel back on! Good to get practice doing this.

Interesting that after a weekend of riding fixed there are muscles hurting that I didn't know I had - starting to see the benefits

 

[tyred]

The ability to leg brake comes with practice I think. I couldn't do it at all to begin with but have gradual got the hang of it. I only do it in a controlled manner coming up to junctions or something. If I need to stop pdq, I use the brakes, that's why brakes were invented after all.

 

[biggs682]

keep thinking of having a go at a fixie but keep saying no , must try one day

 

[Ibbots]

I tend to leg brake to control my speed and stop, it took me a couple months to get the hang of it. It's fine and I like the challenge to try and avoid using brakes but have been getting knee pain in the last couple of weeks. Could be due to the spinning on descents which is relatively knew too or a change in my out of saddle technique, concentrating on driving the knee forward instead of the down stroke, but I think more likely due to leg braking.

 

[Jezston]

Did my first commute fixed today. I hurt.

Could someone remind me of the advantages of riding fixed again, other than it being are more complete workout?

Not getting that 'at one with the bike' thing yet. It just seems to feel the same, just I can't change gears or freewheel.

 

[adds21]

Did my first commute fixed today. I hurt.

Could someone remind me of the advantages of riding fixed again, other than it being are more complete workout?

Not getting that 'at one with the bike' thing yet. It just seems to feel the same, just I can't change gears or freewheel.

I did my first fixed commute last week. I'm getting the "at one with the bike" feeling, and even after cycling less than 50 miles fixed, I'm finding I have to mentally double check I'm not fixed when I'm on my normal (freewheel) commuter, and about to freewheel.

I think the advantage is that it's "more fun", but after 600 feet of climbing on my way home, I wasn't quite so sure . However, I'm going to try to commute fixed once a week, as long as the weather holds (no guards, or rack on my fixed). Maybe.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Did my first commute fixed today. I hurt.

Could someone remind me of the advantages of riding fixed again, other than it being are more complete workout?

Not getting that 'at one with the bike' thing yet. It just seems to feel the same, just I can't change gears or freewheel.

I did my first fixed commute last week. I'm getting the "at one with the bike" feeling, and even after cycling less than 50 miles fixed, I'm finding I have to mentally double check I'm not fixed when I'm on my normal (freewheel) commuter, and about to freewheel.

I think the advantage is that it's "more fun", but after 600 feet of climbing on my way home, I wasn't quite so sure . However, I'm going to try to commute fixed once a week, as long as the weather holds (no guards, or rack on my fixed). Maybe.

Well done lads, keep it going you'll soon not want to ride anything else.

 

[Bicycle]

Did my first commute fixed today. I hurt.

Could someone remind me of the advantages of riding fixed again, other than it being are more complete workout?

Not getting that 'at one with the bike' thing yet. It just seems to feel the same, just I can't change gears or freewheel.

Jez, it will come.

For my first several rides (14 months ago?) I was either in fits of giggles or on the point of losing control.

Stick with it.

The 'at one' thing seems to manifest itself differently in different people.

I recognise absolutely the new aches in seemingly new muscles. That will go.

For weeks I was twitching my thumbs and fingers, looking for shifters that weren't there. Once I 'got' it, I stopped doing that. I was surprised how long it took to adapt to what is a fairly barmy way of moving a bicycle.

I junked the rear brakes at first build, but found myself quite unable to brake with my legs. The rear brakes went back on and all was well again. I still can't brake with my legs from high cadences and I'm too tight to want to wear a tyre out by locking it.

Back to your original request for reassurance: I am not much of a rider, but I ride far better (or less badly) now than I did before I started riding fixed.

The pain will go. The fascination will grow.

 

[3narf]

Were you underwhelmed? I was.

 

[YahudaMoon]

Skid stops lol. how old are you lot ?

 

[skudupnorth]

Oh yeah ! Another one over to the dark side of fixed gear.I love my fixed gear Boardman and happily do big mileages on it...longest being the 210km Cotswold Classic Audax earlier this year which had some good old hills which were do'able.
Keep at it,you will enjoy it more and more

 

[Jezston]

I've not stopped riding fixed since my last post, but mostly because I've lost a screw for my coaster brake and builders have taken over the spare room will all my bike bits in it!

I think I'm going to build up a secondary hack for fixed riding ... although that Fuji Track that's been sitting in my local Evans for the last year unloved and untouched is seriously tempting. Currently at £620 ... I wonder if they could be convinced to take £400 for it