Eric Olthwaite
Guest
Because most people are right handed and their right legs are a bit stronger than their left legs, so this places less stress on the crankset.
Why are fixies steel framed?
- Thread starter Chris S
- Start date
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Because most people are right handed and their right legs are a bit stronger than their left legs, so this places less stress on the crankset.
Beespoke
23yrs of tying hubs & rims together
- Location
- Macclesfield
The theory is there, but in practice even your average cyclist very rarely has a power output imbalance of more than 55/45% right to left.
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Jenkins
Legendary Member
- Location
- Felixstowe
Felt manufactured one for the USA track cycling team, but it's a bit more expensive than the normal fixie
https://eu-en.feltbicycles.com/products/ta-frd-trackbike
https://eu-en.feltbicycles.com/products/ta-frd-trackbike
Eric Olthwaite
Guest
For 26,000 Euros you would think they could tension the chain properly
raleighnut
Legendary Member
- Location
- One of the 'Elite'
The big snag is the pedals, being threaded 'differently' on each side they will try to unscrew.The sprocket will be fine if it has a lockring though.
SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
For a similar reason that cars built to be driven in countries with British historical connections are right hand drive.
We were the most dominant influence in bicycle design during the very early days of the industry, and that's why they are the way they are! Millions of imported hi-tensile steel frames are still made today with 25.4 mm seat posts. That's exactly an inch, and it's not a coincidence!
Ian H
Ancient randonneur
Pedals are easy enough to sort with some tandem parts.
Beespoke
23yrs of tying hubs & rims together
- Location
- Macclesfield
Ridden both on and off road including 24h races running LHD never had a pedal unscrew... utter myth! 🤷♂️
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Moon bunny
Judging your grammar
- Location
- Basking in my own brilliance.
Because (safety) bikes were invented in Britain, where we ride on the left, so a rider mounting a horse would do so from the left, when bikes came along there was no reason to change, so the chain went on the right, away from the riders’ clothes.
Hover Fly
He, him, his
- Location
- Besides the lake, beneath the trees
Not an utter myth. The likes of BSA, Chater-Lea wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of setting up for LH threads for no reason, no engineer uses LH unless he has too. Perhaps your example of 1 has been lucky, but try again with a loose fitting pedal thread and dodgy rough bearings.
https://www.purecycles.com/blogs/bi...se-threading-precession-and-what-it-all-means
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Hover Fly
He, him, his
- Location
- Besides the lake, beneath the trees
I’ve seen in museums very early bicycles from RH drive countries with the chain on the left, Opel, Peugeot.
Beespoke
23yrs of tying hubs & rims together
- Location
- Macclesfield
From and engineering point of view, of course its a big no no... however from a real world perspective, on multiple bikes, using different pedal & crank arm combinations, I've not had a loose pedal.
As for trying it with dodgy rough bearing and a loose pedal fitting... God no, that just goes against the engineer in me 🤣
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rogerzilla
Legendary Member
Left hand drive isn't uncommon in BMX, where left-threaded freewheels and hubs are made. This is because some riders like to grind using the pegs on the RH side. The pedals aren't a big problem if you use strong Loctite.
I'm not sure I'd like a LH fixie. It works but it asks a lot of the lockring. I suppose putting the cog on with a big chainwhip (vastly more torque than you can ever apply through the pedals) should mean the lockring never comes into play.
I'm not sure I'd like a LH fixie. It works but it asks a lot of the lockring. I suppose putting the cog on with a big chainwhip (vastly more torque than you can ever apply through the pedals) should mean the lockring never comes into play.
Ian H
Ancient randonneur
Careful! I have stripped a fixed cog on the road.
rogerzilla
Legendary Member
You animal!
