What is the point in a fixie?

[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 ...

[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 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.

[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...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.