Ditto. I see NO reason why riding fixed on the road is 'more dangerous' than riding a bike with a different drive train. If anything, riding fixed gives you more control in the nasties - sand, washout, snow, and ice (with studs). And while I don't skid or skip or keep up with the fixter hipsters I do use my legs to help modulate speed... and trackstanding in traffic is much easier on the FG.
And, to be honest - I see no reason to ride SS on the road. What a bore, and you give up the control and the momentum of the fixed wheel. If I want to freewheel on the road I take the geared machine. My cheap(er) beater FG gets about as much mileage as my Ti carbon Campy wonder machine - but the FG gets used for more trips, of shorter duration. (although I've ridden a century on it and plenty of 30-40 mile rides) I don't advocate riding brake-less. If you are worried about pedal strike - kneel behind your bike and have a friend tip the bike until it touches the downward pedal. Do you ever lean that far over in a turn? If yes or you are uncomfortable with the idea of hitting a pedal - mount shorter cranks - they do help you spin just a bit easier. And you can also use lower profile pedals. And disregard any 'safety' issues of riding fixed. Get a brake, learn what you and your machine are capable of, and ride smart. You'll be able to stop in the same (maybe less if you use your legs) time as on a geared bike - and after a short time in the saddle - the sensation of always moving your feet in little circles will become second nature... so much that it will feel odd when you jump on your geared machine. -Mike On Oct 27, 8:34 am, Spencer Klaassen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Oct 26, 2008, at 11:35 PM, Horace wrote: > > > > > When people ask me, I don't recommend it because (1) I don't see any > > reason why riding fixed (in the street) would be better than riding > > with a freewheel; and (2) I think a fixed gear is slightly less safe > > than a bike with a freewheel because there is a higher likelihood of a > > pedal strike. > > It may be true that there is a higher incidence of pedal strike, but > as long as you are not racing, the incidence would appear to be pretty > low. I run shorter crank arms (usually 165s) on my many fixed gears > because it allows me to spin faster (at least in my mind). It > probably also decreases the chance of pedal strike. If a cyclist > wants to ride fixed and is concerned about pedal strike, I would > suggest they go that direction instead of discouraging them from > riding one. > > Disclaimer: I ride > 10,000 miles per year on fixed geared bikes (but > still mix it up with some single speed and multi-geared riding). > > Regards, > Spencer > St Joseph, MO --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Bicycle Lifestyle" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/bicyclelifestyle?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
