Why are fixies steel framed?

[Eric Olthwaite]

Why does the chain have to be on the right hand side of the bike?

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]

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.

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.

 

[Jenkins]

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

 

[Eric Olthwaite]

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

For 26,000 Euros you would think they could tension the chain properly

 

[raleighnut]

It is the wrong side?
or
Is it just not what everyone is used too and therefore isn't actually wrong, its just different?

Why does the chain have to be on the right hand side of the bike?

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]

Why does the chain have to be on the right hand side of the bike?

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]

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.

Pedals are easy enough to sort with some tandem parts.

 

[Beespoke]

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.

Ridden both on and off road including 24h races running LHD never had a pedal unscrew... utter myth!

 

[Moon bunny]

It is the wrong side?
or
Is it just not what everyone is used too and therefore isn't actually wrong, its just different?

Why does the chain have to be on the right hand side of the bike?

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]

Ridden both on and off road including 24h races running LHD never had a pedal unscrew... utter myth!

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

 

[Hover Fly]

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.

I’ve seen in museums very early bicycles from RH drive countries with the chain on the left, Opel, Peugeot.

 

[Beespoke]

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

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

 

[rogerzilla]

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.

 

[Ian H]

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.

Careful! I have stripped a fixed cog on the road.

 

[rogerzilla]

Careful! I have stripped a fixed cog on the road.

You animal!