Too scared to ride fixed

[RedBike]

I've managed to have a bump. I hit the bonnet of a car, just at the very moment I was seeing just how quickly I could pedal.
(Great timing!)

To cut a long story short. Despite flying through the air like superman and completely trashing the bike I've somehow managed to walk away with just a few bruises.
(Write up here http://redbikes.blogspot.com/2009/09/ive-hit-car-again.html )

However, i'm now too scared to ride fixed wheel again. Espeshially down a big hill.
Should I just leave the bike as single speed indefinately.
Fit a geared hub or just flog the thing?

Or maybe I should start off doing a few FLAT fixed gear rides to get used to it again. Cycling is suppost to be enjoyable and I know i'm not going to enjoy riding it until I've got over this fear it's the bikes going to end up killing me.

 

[ColinJ]

Ouch!

It's a shame that your bike was damaged but at least you are okay...

I'm sure that somebody will tell you that they can stop a fixed wheel bike as fast as or faster than a conventional one, but I'd be surprised. I'd definitely want front and rear brakes if I was going to try fixed and I would want to be riding somewhere very quiet, no big hills and with good road surfaces - i.e. not round here!

 

[GrasB]

Sounds nasty but at least you walked away relativity unscathed & for that you should be going

As for getting back on the bike & do it soon, else you'll probably find you'll build up to much apprehension to get back on the bike. Find a nice quiet residential area & just do it. Wander around at 10mph or so & get used to riding it again then up the speeds etc. slowly. Braking wise I find that the length of the bike has far more effect on the ability to stop than the type of gears, the longer the frame the more torque can be applied to the front wheel before you lift the rear of the bike. To my mind the rear is irrelevant as when I'm braking oh-sh*t-I'm-gonna-die hard it's useless (& typically off the ground).

 

[very-near]

Can you not add a brake on the front end if you are taking it on the road ?. What is the weight penalty on this 1/2 - 1kg ?

I'd rather ride a m/cycle at 170mph than a fixed on the road @30mph without brakes

 

[GrasB]

Originally Posted by RedBike I've hit a car (again)!:
I've decided to test out just how quickly the fixie (with two brakes) stops compared to a normal bike. (I'm using a borrowed front wheel for the fixie having broke mine).

He has brakes.

 

[yello]

Can you not add a brake on the front end if you are taking it on the road ?.

From my reading, RedBike has brakes on the fixed. Brakes wouldn't have made much difference in this instance either by the sounds of it.

RedBike, it's your call but I reckon you've got to get back on fixed asap. Don't let the fear overcome you. I think you acknowledge that this accident could equally have happened on a free wheel bike. The car pulled across your path with little time for you to do anything. So it's not the fixies fault!

But perhaps you will have learnt that there's a time and a place to let the fixie go. Petrol station entrances are notoriously dangerous places, not just because people are entering and leaving but also because they've often switched off the road sense.

Give it another go before you decide (if you do) to pack it in. Weren't the fixies fault!

 

[Landslide]

Hmm, having read your blog on it, I feel it's rather unfair to take the actions of a pair of motons out on your mode of transport.

And Linf, fixed is not necessarily equal to brakeless.

 

[RedBike]

Right, i've decided.

I will do one more fixed gear ride. No hills though!

This will be it's make or break (no pun intended) ride. I liked riding fixed. I really liked riding fixed. I just wasn't very comfortable spinning at crazy RPMs and this accident hasn't exactly helped me over-come that fear.

It's a shame you can't get a rear hub that would allow you to freewheel for a bit then switch the bike back to fixed wheel for the flats / the climbs. Or even a geared fixed hub so I didn't have to spin like a nutter down the hills.

 

[yello]

Top man RedBike! That's the spirit!!

I liked riding fixed. I really liked riding fixed. I just wasn't very comfortable spinning at crazy RPMs

Me too. On all counts. I'm happy up to 150 but I'll be on the brakes to scrub off speed if it looks like getting more than that.

 

[GrasB]

Red, do you use any leg braking at all? I do what I call resistance spinning where I try and hold the peddle up on the down stroke but let the bike carry my leg around the upstroke. This in its self is hard work, good fun though

 

[Will1985]

Not good - will you be contacting BC/CTC? No mention whether details were exchanged etc. I suppose it depends on how much the bill is?

I always say that a driver wouldn't do it if there were a car coming, so why go ahead if it's a bike? It certainly sounds like he caused you to crash.

 

[RedBike]

GrasB:. Yes i've tried leg braking but There's just no way I can hold the bike like this. On a 10%-15% hill as soon as I let the brakes off no matter what I do the bike speeds up quickly.

Will:
The driver offered to pay for everything (details exchanged). No insurance companies involved at the moment. It was clearly completely this drivers fault. He just turned without looking infront of me AND the car passing me.

The car pasing me also hit him but had managed to scrub off enough speed before the impact so that we think no damage was done. I've no idea what sort of arrangement they've made between them.

 

[Will1985]

Good to hear - from experience, leg braking from high cadence and speed is very difficult.

 

[Young Un]

Good to hear - from experience, leg braking from high cadence and speed is very difficult.

I would agree with that - had to do it a couple of times on the track on friday 'cus of some tit who couldn't ride a bike in a straight line.

Sounds nasty Redbike, glad to hear that you escpaed lightly - hope you get the bike sorted, and return to fixed riding soon!

Ps Will, will you be coming tomorrow?

 

[fossyant]

Redbike, this is not your fault, and would have been as bad on a geared bike.

The fixed made no difference. I know what you say on hils over 10% - you need the brakes to hold it, although I'm comfortable at about 30-33 mph (160 rpm).

What's taken the 'knock' is your confidence - mine did after I was knocked off.