What is the point in a fixie?

[PamNY]

I understand about the hipster cool part (spend a lot of free time in Brookyn). I just want to know why someone did that to a bike in the first place.

They do look sleek and lovely, like a sculpture.

[kmehrzad]

Fixies are great exercise as they build the muscles in your legs (no rest for the weary), without all the componentry the bike weighs less, and some say fixies help to hone your pedaling style.

Personally I have a single speed, so I can coast but still get a great workout with the one speed (42/16).

[moderncyclista]

The point of owning a fixie is accumulating "street cred" and "hipster points" that can be spent in many stores across the U.S.

In all seriousness, you feel a greater connection to the bicycle. You are part of it when riding a fixie. Me, I likes me gears here where hills abound. You can do bada$$ tricks on a fixie, part of the being connected thing. It is best to be fit-as-hell when riding a fixie too. Also, going down large hills on a fixed gear blows, hardcore. Your legs are spinning like a freaking outta-control wind turbine. I'm a big fan of multiple gears. I would never use one here. Just not practical. They are quite simple and elegant. Well, I'm sure everyone has different input.

[Grog]

I just want to know why someone did that to a bike in the first place.

I think it's actually about what one did not do to a bike, i.e. not add a freewheel.

I agree with the "feeling as one" explanation. I'm not ready to ride a fixie, but if I had more space for bikes in my home I'd sure consider it...

[crazycanuck]

After riding a track bike, I can sort of see the appeal of fixies & singlespeeds. Do I want a fixie now? Umm..no, i'll just use it at the track thanks. Singlespeed on the other hand..sure why not.

I'd like to go singlespeed on my mtb but I keep getting odd looks when I tell my other half...:rolleyes: Really..I'd love to try it...:o

[Jiffer]

Seems like the fixie thing is a culture all its own. There's a guy who rides a fixie in our club. I couldn't figure him out for a long time. Didn't even realize he rode a fixie, but he was the only one wearing cargo shorts instead of spandex! I kept thinking surely he'd show up with spandex at the next ride, because surely he would figure out that spandex was the superior option. ;)

It was my husband who eventually noted and then pointed out to me that this guy rode a fixie and what that even meant. Apparently he rides with a fixie club in L.A. Who knew there was a fixie CLUB even?!

I have to say, for a guy in cargo shorts on a fixie, he holds his own amazingly well amongst all us gear fixated spandexies!!! (Get it?! Fixie? Spandexie?! I crack myself up.)

In conclusion, on a humorous note, my husband informed me that fixie guy (who has a name, which I just can't remember right now) did finally show up to a ride with spandex. :D

[lph]

Jiffer, you crack me up :D

I've moved from considering fixies an absurd concept to being kind of tempted. A very light bike with few moving parts (and less MAINTENANCE!) with a direct and strong response sounds fun. But I think I'd freak out at the spinning downhill thing. Singlespeed maybe, sometime.

[MommyBird]

My hubbie is fixated on fixies right now. Belt drives too. I am sure the constant pedaling would get old fast and he would flip the hub.

We would like to get commuter/sightseeing bikes for our RV trips, and think a 3 or 8 speed would be good for me with a fixie as an equalizer for him.

[Catrin]

This is interesting, and I've confused single-speeds with fixies. For some reason I thought they were the same thing :o

[Cataboo]

Sheldon Brown has a great article on his site about fixed gear bikes, their advantages, etc.

I don't have a fixie, because I'm cheap and weak enough that I do need my gears. But I have been severely tempted by them.

Fixed gears strengthen/work on your bike handling skills - they also work on and imrpove your cadence. You can't coast - you can't put on your brakes and coast around a turn... (well, some of them do have brakes if they're smart) ... But it comes down to, you need to anticipate that a hill is coming or a turn is coming and use your feet to get yourself to the cadence or speed that you can handle that hill or that turn.

Everyone that I know who has gotten one has said that they're great fun.

[Catrin]

NO BRAKES :eek: :eek: :eek:

Ok...my heart rate has slowed, I just had this little image of what that would be like for me...obviously they are not for beginners like me!

[Biciclista]

both of my sons own fixies. My older son got one because he hates dealing with changing gears. his is geared low. My younger son is very strong and has HIS fixie geared high (so he can ride much faster, or slower with a lower cadence) I think he has his more for street cred, as he also has a road bike with multiple gears.

I honestly had that same question in mind when i read the ride report of a friend of mine who just finished a 300 kilometer Randonneur ride on a fixie. He finished the ride with barely minutes to spare... 19 hours and 58 minutes. The cut off was 20 hours. Most people were in bed long long before that. I will share with you a part of his ride report:

"I drank some hot cocoa and ate some banana bread, then I was off! It was ~12:30 a.m. and I needed to cover 28 miles by 3:00 a.m. It was, indeed, a fairly decent tail wind. I realized I could still make the 20 hour time limit, if I stayed steady. But, after a while I was struggling to stay awake. This didn't help my speed.

I struggled on, occasionally dozing off, occasionally being awakened by having drifted onto the rumble strips. Then I'd try to pick up my speed ... until I became drowsy again.

Finally I saw the lights of Sedro Wooley. Now I smelled the barn and no longer struggled to fight off falling asleep."

[Triskeliongirl]

My understanding is that its also an easy way to recycle a vintage frame, you don't have to worry about finding out of date components since you simplify the drive train so much.

[martinkap]

Hi all, I am a member of SF Fixed gear as well as NYC Fixed gear forum. I am not sure about the SF, but the NYC Fixed gear forum is accessible only by invite and it is hidden from search engine, so not many people can find much about it unless introduced by someone else to it.
It seems that there is a confusion in some terms.

Here is what I understand.

Fixie - A name for any bike which does not have deraileur (or does not appear to have gears). Typically used by someone who does not own one.

Road Frame - A frame from a road bike which has dropouts (the place where is the rear wheel bolted in) either horizontal with an opening coming forward (older frames) or circular (newer frame). Road frame has attachments for shifting cables, has holes for derailleur etc.

Single speed bike - a bike which has only one cog in the back but can coast (ie, one can ride forward without rotating the peddals). Those bikes need to have brakes (at least one - typically front one). Some single speed bikes have a 'back' brake which means that they have to attempt to pedal backwards to brake.

Track bike bike - a bike which consists of 'track frame'. The sure way how to recognize a track frame is to look at the rear dropouts. The dropouts are horizontal and the opening is pointed backwards. That is to make sure that if one pushes (pedals) really hard, the tension of the chain cannot cause the rear wheel to slip out of the drop-outs (as it can happen if the wheel was in the older road frame with horizontal dropouts but facing forward). Track bikes do not have a brakes. The true track bikes have undrilled forks (there is no hole to put a front brake in) and undrilled rear brake bridge (if there is any). Also the width of the rear wheel stays is smaller. The only way to stop track bike is to resist the constant rotation of pedals. One can either resits gradually and stop slowly or stand up and lock knees and essentially stop the pedals with the rear wheel in rotation and skid to the stop.

Many guys will ride a track bike on the street without or with the front brakes. Among very young ones, more street cred have bikes without the front brakes but general fixed gear community encourages having a front brake. For that one has to either drill the fork to be able to attach it or to buy a special "Keirin' brake which can be attached differently.

Most common are so called Conversion bikes - bikes which utilize old road frames with horizontal dropouts. They can be find cheap, made from amazing steel and can look very classy. They are already driled to accommodate both, front and rear brakes. One problem is that the track wheel (wheel with just one cog) is slightly narrower in width than the space between dropouts and the dropouts are facing forward, so the bikes might be not as safe when hard pedalling or skidding to a stop. The rear wheel might actually slide forward out of the dropouts due to the chain pull.

Conversion can be also a 'single speed bikes' - that means that they have one cog but can coast. Many wheels accommodate the option by having fixed gear cog on one side and coasting cog on the other.

That said, I am riding conversion with BOTH brakes and 'fixed gear' cog. It is still my favorite ride. I rode many centuries on ratio 48/16. Yes, it is quite a workout. Because of the rear wheel issues (rear wheel slipping out), I recently bought a true 'track frame' which I am going to be using instead of the conversion frame I had. I will still use BOTH brakes (I am too old to skid), the frame is drilled already for them.

Anyway - sorry for the long post. I thought you might find it useful.

Martina

[Atlas]

Aesthetically they are very appealing, clean lines without any cables, and they can be fun to ride for short distance, but I get annoyed with them rather quickly. Mostly because I live in a college town and there are a lot of people who pick up bikes out of the trash and want to make them fixed. (Half of this sentiment comes from my boyfriend who is a bike mechanic and has to deal with these stuck up students frequently).

I've ridden one before and understand the 'one-ness'. It is neat to feel the immediate connection between the motions of your legs and the movement of the bicycle, especially when slowing down. That said, I'll stick with a single-speed for the clean lines. I like coasting down hills.

[kmehrzad]

My hubbie is fixated on fixies right now. Belt drives too. I am sure the constant pedaling would get old fast and he would flip the hub.

We would like to get commuter/sightseeing bikes for our RV trips, and think a 3 or 8 speed would be good for me with a fixie as an equalizer for him.

A folder would be an ideal bike for your RV trips. Depending on how much $$ you'd want to spend, the Bike Fridays are top of the line folders, however, Dahons are not a bad choice either. In fact, I prefer the fold of a Dahon over the BF.

[kermit]

I have a single speed and love it. I wanted a steel bike for rougher roads in Georgia and found one on bikes direct. The thing is a blast. I can still coast but I love the ride of steel and am even considering a steel road bike. My husband calls it a trophy but it's just another steed in the barn!

[SadieKate]

This is interesting, and I've confused single-speeds with fixies. For some reason I thought they were the same thing :oThey can be.

A fixie has a single speed/rear cog but is called a fixie as there is no freewheel (no ability to coast). A bike commonly called a singlespeed has the one gear but also has a freewheel. A fixie is a singlespeed bicycle byt a singlespeed bike is not always a fixie.

As far as no brakes, some fixies have a single front brake added by the smart people who live in hilly terrain. You still use your feet to slow the bike sort of like a coaster brake.

[kmehrzad]

I have a single speed and love it. I wanted a steel bike for rougher roads in Georgia and found one on bikes direct. The thing is a blast. I can still coast but I love the ride of steel and am even considering a steel road bike.

I won't go back to aluminum ever again. The ride on a steel bike is significantly better.

[Blueberry]

A folder would be an ideal bike for your RV trips. Depending on how much $$ you'd want to spend, the Bike Fridays are top of the line folders, however, Dahons are not a bad choice either. In fact, I prefer the fold of a Dahon over the BF.

And Bike Friday actually will make you a fixed gear folder if you want:)

I have enough knee issues - so I've not been willing to take the plunge. I might try a singlespeed. Maybe.

[kmehrzad]

Hmmm, a fixed gear Bike Friday ... no, I think I'll stick to my geared NWT and PR.

Blueberry, depending upon where you live (hilly vs. not-so-hilly), why not give a singlespeed a try? It'll take a little getting used to wanting to shift the gears but then realizing there aren't any. :eek:

[PamNY]

Wow, fascinating discussion. Thanks for all the information. I see so many of these bikes in NYC that I have gotten really curious about them. Catrin, yes, there are people riding brakeless bikes, often without helmets, in NYC traffic. Go figure.

A question -- if there's just one brake, why a front one? I'm really curious about this for two reasons -- first, I want to understand bikes better. Second, I have gotten into a heated argument in my kick scooter group. I've been riding a Xootr for nine years and never once even thought about tossing myself over the handlebars when I use the front brake. The people in this group are aghast; they apparently are routinely sailing over their handlebars and are switching to scooters with only a rear foot brake.

Three of these cheap brakeless wonders have almost made me crash my bike in the past six weeks which cannot possibly be a coincidence. I personally think if you can't operate a hand brake safely you probably shouldn't be on a scooter, but I've kept that thought to myself (so far).

I'd love to add info from the bike world to my pro-front brake argument.

[kmehrzad]

PamNY,

I loved scooters as a kid and secretly still want one but haven't seen too many adults riding them. I tell my daughter one day she'll see me on a scooter and she shudders at the thought, but from what I see, the Xootr is actually for adults and then I read that you belong to a group? I'd like to know more ...

[Jenerator]

My fixed gear bike has been my bike of choice for the better part of the last 5 years. I got it to enhance my training, figuring that every minute I was on the bike, I was pedaling. It's also helped develop a smooth cadence, which has morphed into a smooth, high cadence. With cyclocross tires, it's an outstanding snow bike too. The direct drive translates to much better and more predictable traction. It's also nice not to have all the shifty-bits to maintain.

I have mine set with front and rear rim brakes, as my original hub had the option of flipping to a freewheel. I really didn't want to be freewheeling with only one brake. The reason many set up fixed bikes with only a front wheel is because braking on the front wheel helps slow you in general, but also shifts your weight forward, allowing the rear wheel to have less connection to the ground so you can slow your legs and stop the rear wheel more easily. The brakeless folks use the same concept by throwing their weight over the front wheel while simultaneously locking out their legs to lock up the rear wheel & skid. I like my tires too much to do that.

It's certainly got a lot of fad to it and it's not for all, but I'm still having fun with it

[MartianDestiny]

Catrin, yes, there are people riding brakeless bikes, often without helmets, in NYC traffic. Go figure.

A question -- if there's just one brake, why a front one? I'm really curious about this for two reasons -- first, I want to understand bikes better. .

Fixies are never without brakes, assuming that the definition of "brake" is a means in which one can control speed or stop.

Many don't have separate brakes because with a fixed rear cog (hence the name "fixie") you can brake with your chain by slowing down your spin or adding backwards resistance to your pedaling.

I can see two reasons for a front only approach if you were only going to use one traditional brake. 1) Most stopping power comes from the front 2) you already have some braking control over the rear.

I have one on my list of cycling "wants" though I will have two traditional brakes on it as I'll probably end up running it as a freewheel single-speed rather than a fixie, and well, I'm paranoid.

[ny biker]

Call me a wuss, but when I read things like this, I really think I will never want a bike with no brakes.

"For example, yesterday, just as I was about to turn onto the Williamsburg Bridge, I heard shouting and a "scraping" sound. Seconds later, a rider on a brakeless fixed-gear appeared, his flat tire half off the rim.

Now, I don't know if he flatted while attempting to stop, or he flatted first and had to perform an emergency stop as a result, but judging from the shouting and the scraping he was not in control of his bicycle. People can debate how effectively you can stop a brakeless fixed-gear bicycle all they want, but the truth is that having your ability to slow your bike depend almost entirely on the integrity of your rear tire is ridiculous. Tires go flat all the time, and without warning. Riding your bike without being prepared for a flat (not to mention a clueless pedestrian or driver entering your path) is like going to a whorehouse without a condom."

(from http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2010/04/its-zen-thing-whats-sound-of-no-brakes.html)

And after a summer of long-distance inline skating back in 2001, I grew to really love having gears on my bike for going up hills. But that's just me.

[MommyBird]

A folder would be an ideal bike for your RV trips. Depending on how much $$ you'd want to spend, the Bike Fridays are top of the line folders, however, Dahons are not a bad choice either. In fact, I prefer the fold of a Dahon over the BF.

We pull a 28' Airstream with a GMC 2500. The truck is set up to haul four bikes right now. No need for space saving bikes.

[PamNY]

PamNY,I loved scooters as a kid and secretly still want one but haven't seen too many adults riding them. I tell my daughter one day she'll see me on a scooter and she shudders at the thought, but from what I see, the Xootr is actually for adults and then I read that you belong to a group? I'd like to know more ...

Scooters are as much fun (maybe more!) when you are a grown-up. Xootr (http://xootr.com/index.html) is the best. They are well-built, lightweight (9-11 pounds), and easy to fold so you can take them inside almost anywhere. Kick scooters are legal on the sidewalk, which is where I usually ride.

Because they are welcome on subways and buses, scooters are perfect for urban use. My scooter literally changed my life, as I can go more places in less time. It's more liberating than a bike because I don't have to worry about traffic or one-way streets. Heavy packages and backpacks hang on the handlebars with ease. My top speed is maybe 8-10 mph, but due to crowds, I rarely go that fast.

When they were new, adult scooters got a lot of attention. Derisive remarks were frequent, but most people wanted to know where to buy one. I totally enjoyed whizzing past astonished tourists. Nowadays scooters are fairly common in NYC; I see a lot of commuters, and parents out with their kids on a Razor.

If you want to scoot, I'd say do it!

[kmehrzad]

If you want to scoot, I'd say do it!

I've already located a dealer in my area, now comes the time to test ride a Xootr. I do want to scoot!

What are the best shoes to wear in your opinion?

Also, which model do you have? I'm thinking the MG would be the best one for me.

[PamNY]

What are the best shoes to wear in your opinion?

Also, which model do you have? I'm thinking the MG would be the best one for me.

I have the Roma; my SO has the MG. I like the narrower deck; it's easier to handle when folded. There is slightly greater kicking efficiency, too, since your foot is closer to the deck. The MG deck is slightly lower, which also increases kicking efficiency, but IMO not as much. Over the years, we've had every model, and it's really a matter of personal preference.

Any flat or low-heeled shoe is okay; I'd start out with running shoes or something with a non-skid sole. I avoid backless shoes, like clogs.

Hope you have fun!

[twin]

I had a fixie and after having it as a commuter I had a wreck when I hit a pothole and that resulted in my partial shoulder replacement so then I decided to move to a singlespeed and did long rides and the MS 150. Then went back to a geared bike and after a couple of years have become almost exclusive to my Bianchi San Jose singlespeed. It's fun and simple and I think cute in the washed up blue color. I can use it for light touring because it has eyelets for racks. Actually it's the Bianchi Volpe frame with the rear dropouts turned backwords. Simple and fun.

[KDNYC]

As someone who has been using a bicycle in two different ways for a very long time (Centuries and commuting) I'll provide my own pov:

Is it a hipster fad? Yes, and there's some ridiculous stuff out there: no brakes? Hugely expensive bike bling? But SS/fixed bikes are popular for other reasons. I own two vintage steel bikes. One an old panasonic I bought as a beat up ss/fixed frankenbyke and the other a stripped down Trek road frame I got on the cheap. I built the Trek to be better geared, but it's also a bit large and was bought rebuild/resale and to satisfy my bike mechanic geek side :) I rode the panasonic as a commuter. High-geared, flies on the flats and downhill, but hard on my knees uphill, and a little too large for me. I just found a cheap used Bianchi San Jose to replace it for commuting, and am finally getting a used geared bike for some long rides this Summer.

Con: A geared bike will always be better than a fixed gear for most riding. People usually discover this at some point, which is why single-speeds are now more popular than fixed gears, and why internal hubs are growing in popularity. If you can only have one bike, make that bike fit what you need it for. A geared bike might be the best choice.

The urban/hipster fad came from bike messengers, who are seen as outlaws, are (or rather, were) omnipresent in every city, and were very fast proficient riders with simple steel bikes that were ridden hard everyday and replaced with other simple bikes when trashed. It's easier to ride a high gear downhill so long as one is strapped into the pedals. Uphill? These bikes would have a gear that can be very damaging to a weaker rider. (And it's also been damaging to messengers as well.) Couriers learn how to get through hairy traffic without stopping. Not safe, but a fixed gear messenger bike meant one front brake that basically served as an emergency device. This is not a *good* fad to emulate. But riding fixed also demands proficiency, and there's a certain pride in being able to do so -- so long as the fixie isn't hallway or wall art.

Here's some pros:
Simplicity and environmentally conscious living: Bikes were all singlespeeds once, and we all rode one as a kid, too! 24 speeds is basically the result of marketing ridiculous "improvements" to us which don't add too much to our everyday lives, except an extra trip to the bike shop now and then. A steel bike can last a few lifetimes beyond original parts. I think there is something reactive in saying "I need a bicycle to be a bicycle, I need to lock it outside, and I'll ride a beat-up singlespeed, or an inexpensive, salvaged frame with a set of wheels." In NYC, lots of people still ride old vintage geared bikes. The downside is that those who can't do their own maintenance invariably have to spend money to have a shop maintain the bike. A "tuneup" costs $100, and that might be more than the rider paid for a used bike. (Hell, my locks cost more than my bikes!). That same bike can be a simpler and more cost-effective one with a reasonable single gear ratio.

Commuting: In 15 years in DC, and in NYC where I've lived for a decade, I have rarely made more than one gear change on a commute. The 1-2 gear changes might be nice, but it also adds more maintenance work to a hard-ridden bike. (The weight savings is silly and not an issue.) A simple bike = less maintenance, less parts to steal. Internal hubs will soon supplant single-speeds. (I can't imagine doing it in SF, but DC is relatively flat and NYC basically has one long-*** hill: uptown :)

City riding creates unique needs: road bikes are better city riders than mtbs, but hybrids offer bombproof tires and upright riding. Flat bars and 28c gatorskins on a singlespeed/fixed gear bike makes for a fast, competent bike if the rider is already experienced.

Winter riding: I loved the grip shift flat-bar Trek multitrack hybrid I had in the '90s because I could ride it in thick gloves, but I rarely made gear changes and the gear was always midrange. A 42x16 singlespeed with winter tires is the perfect winter bike. Less parts to clean and maintain, and without the shifting one can't easily use.

Bike joy: anyone who rides eventually experiences the sense of a bike which fits the body perfectly, and a body which is inseparable from the bike. The experience is sheer joy. Fixed gears are tricky because a high gear can damage knees, but a reasonably-geared bike enhances the sense of full integration. It's not necessary to enjoy riding, but it's something that many riders become attached to and really love.

[PamNY]

Interesting discussion -- thanks. I have thought about a single speed for NYC. Especially in winter. Which reminds me -- thanks for mentioning shifting in heavy gloves. I hadn't even thought of that as something to consider.

Speaking of locks costing more than bikes, I was browsing at Paragon and eavesdropping on a kid (I suspect college student) who was explaining to his parents that yes, he was going to pay more for locks than he paid for the bike. It is kind of a shock.

[moderncyclista]

Especially in winter. Which reminds me -- thanks for mentioning shifting in heavy gloves. I hadn't even thought of that as something to consider.

That's why I like my bikes to have bar-end shifters. You never have to worry about shifting with gloves on with those. :D

If you go fixed, in my opinion - Single speed is better, you can coast down-hill that way. Also, you can control your pedals better on a turn and don't run into as much of the danger of banking your bike into the pavement. Since, most streets don't bank their walls like a velodrome. :)