Anyone use fixed gear bikes?

[KlokWyze]

I've got a pretty nice BMX bike, but I think I need something a little bigger so I can do longer distances. The fixed gear bikes seem pretty dope. Think I'm gonna pick up some old beat up road/track frame and do a custom build.

Anyone else here have pics, parts lists of their current fixie? What size frame and wheels should I go for if I'm 5'7" (short/medium legs)? :hmm:

 

[Azndude2190]

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/trackbikes.htm

http://bikeisland.com/cgi-bin/BKTK_STOR20.cgi?Action=List&SubCategory=Parts: Framesets-Road

I have the Mercier Kilo TT Chrome Edition in the first link, but you can find other similar frames in different colors in the second link. Mercier frames are pretty cheap compared to other frames but they are solid.Some of those bikes in the first link come with a flip-flop hub.

 

[Blackjack200]

I don't get fixed gear bikes. What do you do when you come to a hill.

Just seems like a triumph of form over function.

 

[TheUnk]

I don't get fixed gear bikes. What do you do when you come to a hill.

Just seems like a triumph of form over function.

It's one of those things you have just to be different from the rest. If you want a fixed gear, just find a setting you like and leave it =p

 

[Blackjack200]

It's one of those things you have just to be different from the rest. If you want a fixed gear, just find a setting you like and leave it =p

lol, I want a fixed gear car. I'll stall out at half the traffic lights and be at 6000 RPM on the highway. Then all the hipsters will probably copy me and it won't be cool anymore.

 

[zebano]

I was setting up to build one until I tried my brothers. I really don't care for the inability to freewheel down a hill. What I really wanted was a simple bike that needs little maintenance that I can commute on so I got a single-speed instead (huzzah for freewheels).

 

[alkemyst]

Single Speeds are becoming popular again.

 

[ElFenix]

gearboxes were considered cheating by many when they first showed up on racing bicycles

 

[PricklyPete]

It's one of those things you have just to be different from the rest. If you want a fixed gear, just find a setting you like and leave it =p

This is exactly what I feel. People who get all high and mighty on this stuff are just doing it to be different.

 

[Megatomic]

Fixies are only good for urban commutes. Try riding hills on a fixed gear bike, it's no fun.

 

[KlokWyze]

This is exactly what I feel. People who get all high and mighty on this stuff are just doing it to be different.

I am by no means going to build one to be different as they are already quite popular. I come from a bmx/dirt and skating backround and fixies are really dope from a trick perspective. ie Doing a wheelie on a fixed gear is considerably different than a free wheel. You can see plenty of videos of people pulling off insane brake/slide combos going pretty damn fast.

Fundamentally I just love to build custom stuff and want to have one. I've decided 1st that I'm going to fix up a beat up Specialized Hard Rock I have here before getting a fixie though. New paint job, grips, wheels, cassette, seat and breaks.

 

[cheesehead]

The main benefit of a fixie is increased durability - there's a whole lot that can go wrong with a deraillieur system if someone drops a heavy bike on it. However, modern freewheels are so spectacularly reliable that there's no real point in not using one, and a good 3-speed hub like a Sturmey Archer can last for years and years with nothing more than an oil change every few months.

 

[MetalMat]

I don't get fixed gear bikes. What do you do when you come to a hill.

Just seems like a triumph of form over function.

Just stand up and use your weight......

For an actual commute there is not way I would use a fixed gear bike, they are good just for getting from buddies places, around school and what not.

 

[PricklyPete]

I am by no means going to build one to be different as they are already quite popular. I come from a bmx/dirt and skating backround and fixies are really dope from a trick perspective. ie Doing a wheelie on a fixed gear is considerably different than a free wheel. You can see plenty of videos of people pulling off insane brake/slide combos going pretty damn fast.

Fundamentally I just love to build custom stuff and want to have one. I've decided 1st that I'm going to fix up a beat up Specialized Hard Rock I have here before getting a fixie though. New paint job, grips, wheels, cassette, seat and breaks.

Ok...I definitely agree that they have there point for trick bikes and whatnot...

 

[Koing]

The trick is to pick a gear that is doable on the biggest hills in your area...

I use to train on a fixed gear on the bike trainer for some fun fun action! Had a 13tooth gear at the back and a fat one for the front! It was fun to train on...I would not ride it on the dam roads though!

Koing

 

[LongTimePCUser]

If you are coming from a bmx bike and are thinking about building your own fixed gear bike you should consider starting with a Swift Folder frame. It is something of a cult choice route to get a very high quality fixed bike for relatively cheap.

The Swift Folder uses 20" wheels, folds up and has essentially the same geometry and wheelbase as a typical "hybrid" bicycle. Rides just like a regular bike. Uses a "BMX" size (406mm) wheel.

There is a long thread on bikeforums that is devoted to the swift folder. About half the threads are from people who built fixed bikes this way. You will find detailed parts lists and solutions to technical problems. These folks do long distance rides on their Swifts.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?83711-swift-folders

You can order a Swift bike, either built up or frame only from:
http://www.xootr.com/folding-bicycle.html

I've got a pretty nice BMX bike, but I think I need something a little bigger so I can do longer distances. The fixed gear bikes seem pretty dope. Think I'm gonna pick up some old beat up road/track frame and do a custom build.

Anyone else here have pics, parts lists of their current fixie? What size frame and wheels should I go for if I'm 5'7" (short/medium legs)? :hmm:

 

[bobsmith1492]

My brother has a fixie. It's a pain to ride; it's the kind with no brakes and a direct link to the wheel, so you can't just stop pedaling.

It has its benefits, though. He and his room mates had all their bikes stolen out of their garage one day. But, he found his fixie less than a block away, abandoned on the side of the road! I'm envisioning some kiddie thief riding the thing thinking "What the heck is wrong with this bike? AHH I CAN'T STOP! BAIL OUT!!"

 

[KlokWyze]

My brother has a fixie. It's a pain to ride; it's the kind with no brakes and a direct link to the wheel, so you can't just stop pedaling.

It has its benefits, though. He and his room mates had all their bikes stolen out of their garage one day. But, he found his fixie less than a block away, abandoned on the side of the road! I'm envisioning some kiddie thief riding the thing thinking "What the heck is wrong with this bike? AHH I CAN'T STOP! BAIL OUT!!"

This made me lol.

 

[Tiamat]

Just stand up and use your weight......

For an actual commute there is not way I would use a fixed gear bike, they are good just for getting from buddies places, around school and what not.

That doesn't work well when riding down the hills ;p

The pedals spin so fast and if your legs cant keep up, your back wheel skids and you can fall easily.

 

[Krynj]

Are there any benefits whatsoever to a fixed gear bike? Seems like nothing but a giant pain in the ass.

 

[alkemyst]

fixed gear bikes are excellent at rock climbing.

 

[LongTimePCUser]

That doesn't work well when riding down the hills ;p

The pedals spin so fast and if your legs cant keep up, your back wheel skids and you can fall easily.

Add a free wheel to your rear wheel and you can coast without pedaling.
But, if you do this, you also have to add a brake.
.
Some fixie rear wheels have gears on both sides of the wheel but a free wheel on one side so you can flip the wheel when you want to be able to coast.

 

[Danube]

Some of the best bikers I run across on the road used single gears but they are pretty thin. I live in the hudson highlands and weigh 225. Hills are everywhere and I doubt I could survive with a single gear. I also use a mountain bike on the roads.

One interesting story..

Once day I was on a 40 mile ride in a hilly area, and a dude with a road bike fully jacked up with panniers, luggage racks etc. blows past me going up a hill. Then his friend goes past me but a bit slower.

A few minutes latter the friend is off his bike messing with his chain and I blow past him. I eventually catch up to the fist guy who has stopped and looking for his freind (who is way back). I told him his friend had troubles and is off his bike. I notice the guy is German and that he only has one gear on his bike (and he weighs about 160). The guy who broke down had multiple gears lol.

The next day I go to my LBS and tell the guys there my story and it turns out they had the German guys come to the shop. They said they really knew what they were doing and were serious riders. They told me most single gear riders are top riders who are very knowledgeable. I agree with that but add that after 175 lbs or so that single gear thing is suicidal to a riding habit.

 

[alkemyst]

single speeds <> fixed gear.

 

[StageLeft]

They have a few PRACTICAL uses from a performance/training standpoing but dare I say the vast majority of people with fixies are just doing it to be trendy assholes. It's in almost all cases an inferior design which is why technology overtook it over a century ago. Not only are they going to be slower in all cases for a person actually trying to navigate around real roads but they don't let you stop as fast, either.