I found riding fixed to be very pleasant - almost zenlike - on smooth,
undulating roads trails. I found it to be torture when the climb or
descent surpassed by level of fitness or gearing. I ride a single speed
mountain bike with some regularity and have it set up similar to what was
I'm not sure if it is my inherent sloth, but over the last couple years,
I've paused to flip to the flop side of my wheel less and less when I hit
the trailhead. IME, Fixed on the trails is pretty awesome. Definitely
forces a level of attention and detachment unlike most other types of
Fixed-gear is fun, but it has an added limitation over freewheeling
single-speeds in that you can't coast. Gear it low to climb hills, and
it'll spin your legs off going down the other side (use good brakes, two of
them). Gear it high enough that you can handle the spin downhill, and you
will
I'm not a fixed gear rider, but I have read many accounts of doing very
ambitious mountain climbs on a fixie. The 100% constant among those
accounts, which I think might be a non-starter for you, is that they all
used clipless pedals. Climbing a hill in a far-too-tall gear is made much
more
I have always ridden with cleated pedals on my fixes. With all due respect to
those who prefer to ride without cleats, I think there is considerable danger
in trying to keep one's feet on the pedals when descending at high speed … and
once you've lost contact with the pedal at 150rpm, you won't
Thanks, all! The danger of leg flailing descents combined with my mandate
to ride barefoot matches the conclusion I came to logically thinking about
this (and thus ruling it out for me). But part of me was hoping for a magic
answer. Grin.
The good news is, I can choose to ride in only one gear
I've done a fair amount of hilly fixed gear and SS riding around the SF Bay
Area, including climbing Mt. Tamalpais and Mt. Diablo numerous times as
well as regular riding in the Berkeley Hills and Marin Headlands (which
would be called Mountains back where I'm from in massachusetts). As
Hi Patrick,
I enjoy riding fixed, but I also like my geared bike.
To tickle your curiosity, you may want to consider getting a rear wheel
with the Whitehead Industries ENO hub. It's a fixed/free hub designed for
vertical dropouts (which I think Hunqapillar
has?).
Thanks, Shoji. I have a single speed now. 24 of them actually. Grin.
With abandon,
Patrick
On Monday, March 11, 2013 2:50:48 PM UTC-6, Shoji Takahashi wrote:
Hi Patrick,
I enjoy riding fixed, but I also like my geared bike.
To tickle your curiosity, you may want to consider getting a rear
I rode fixed gear on a commute bike for a couple of years in the Midwest
and really liked it. It was perfect for flat to rolling terrain. I even
rode a couple of centuries on it. Now living back in California, I've
rediscovered the thrill of long, fast descents. I still love the simplicity
and
On Sunday, the Quickbeam and I climbed 1000 feet on Pressley Rd in Sonoma,
and descended Sonoma Mt Rd. Flat pedals, no retention except grip tape.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/philipwilliamson/8547042814/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/philipwilliamson/8525218381/
Brakes, and the Surly Dingle cog
Wow. Nice. Someday I'd love to give that a try!
With abandon,
Patrick
On Monday, March 11, 2013 6:11:48 PM UTC-6, Philip Williamson wrote:
On Sunday, the Quickbeam and I climbed 1000 feet on Pressley Rd in Sonoma,
and descended Sonoma Mt Rd. Flat pedals, no retention except grip tape.
I hate to say it but back in the days of my youth I when I had ride my
fixie down steep descents I would just put my feet on the shoulders of the
fork crown and let the cranks spin menacingly below me. I always had
brakes, though and would slow down enough at the bottom to catch up with
the
Everybody who's curious should indulge themselves with a fixie or a single
speed, and it *can* make sense. On flat roads a fixed makes pedaling
easier, because the momentum of the bike turns the pedals for you. That's
why you can climb easier and faster on a fixed than on a coastable--as long
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