Fixies for day to day use - What's the point?

BarneyRubble

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OK, might be letting myself in for some abuse here, but what is the point in riding a fixed wheel bike for day to day use? :? I see them everywhere these days, normally ridden by skinny jeans wearing student types who I suspect are riding them for "effect" rather than any particular enjoyment or love of cycling. I thought they were for track use and perhaps hill climbs?

I understand the argument about simplicity, by why not have a singlespeed with a freewheel if it is so important to have 1 gear?

Isn't it a bit like riding a 9" travel DH rig to work and back every day?

Am I wrong? Have I missed something? Perhaps I'm just old and don't understand fashion. :( *zips up brown cardigan and tartan slippers*
 
Couriers like them as they are simple and keep you warm in all conditions. For the rest of use mere mortals it helps build leg speed, a smooth pedalling action and fitness.

Riding in jeans you are just a fashionable berk.

I'm too old to be fashionable. I built myself a singlespeed and found myself strangely hooked. :shock:
 
One with no freewheel. The cranks turn the rear wheel forwards or backwards. It's the kind of bike usually ridden on velodromes.
 
From Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed_gear

A fixed-gear bicycle (fixed wheel bicycle) cannot coast — the pedals are always in motion when the bicycle is moving. The sprocket is screwed directly on to the hub and there is no freewheel mechanism. When the rear wheel turns, the pedals turn in the same direction,[1] this allows a cyclist to stop without using a brake, by resisting the rotation of the cranks, and also to ride in reverse.
Track cycling in a velodrome has always used fixed-gear track bikes, but fixed-gear bicycles are now used on the road.[2] - a trend generally seen as being led by bicycle messengers[3].
Most fixed gear bicycles have just one gear ratio.
 
@ cyfa, fixed means the bike does not freewheel, meaning, you can't stop pedalling.

i agree though, the fixie thing is for very experienced courier types who have amazing bike skills or they are for the fashion cyclists who want to look like a courier.

i am thinking of getting a singlespeed for the road though, maybe the condor pista, basically a normal road bike but with a singlespeed freewheel, just for the lack of maintenance over the winter, no other resaon.
 
BarneyRubble said:
Isn't it a bit like riding a 9" travel DH rig to work and back every day?

quote]

only 9''s of travel? you havent seen the size of the pot holes round here then! plus the longer the travel the better it is to soak up small children and pedestrians as they get mowed down :twisted:
 
fixed wheel has less to go wrong thus less to maintain and will maximise your time on the bike. I feel its a harder workout on my commute than it would be on a geared bike*. I've had a fixed wheel as a commuter for about 4 years now and it was singlespeeded about 2 years previous to that. I reckon I've only serviced it twice in that time.



I realise I could pedal harder and faster on the geared bike bit I don't :roll:
 
I agree whole heartedly about asymetric haircutted, skinny jeans wearing Nathan Barleys :twisted: death to them all!

I ride a fixie for several reasons:

They are good fun.
They train you to keep spinning your legs.
Bugger all to go wrong with the things.
I would dearly love to watch someone steal it not realising it was fixed. They'd hurtle off, go to freewheel and throw themselves over the bars hopefully causing serious injury alowing me to walk over, pick my bike up and kick them in hte nuts for good measure.
 
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