The Fixed is Back Out. Needs Must...

My bike is off the road for a week. The back wheel is being rebuilt with new spokes. So what to do? I will ride the tractor a bit I'm sure but then I remembered I had this unused for years.

Oh how I wish it had a back brake. It hasn't so I will have to get used to the idea of oil tanker stopping distances.

Check out the stem, 16cm! What was I thinking?!

If I survive, it will make me stronger. Now, I must dig out that helmet!

what a quality bike!
your leg muscles will burn if you haven't ridden fixed for a while.
long stems always look right but aren't very good for one's neck...

Iwasgoodonce":2muahxjm said:

My bike is off the road for a week. The back wheel is being rebuilt with new spokes. So what to do? I will ride the tractor a bit I'm sure but then I remembered I had this unused for years.

Oh how I wish it had a back brake. It hasn't so I will have to get used to the idea of oil tanker stopping distances.

Check out the stem, 16cm! What was I thinking?!

If I survive, it will make me stronger. Now, I must dig out that helmet!

Click to expand...

Have you considered one of those parachutes that dragster cars use to slow down ??!!

Hahaha, I think people forget how much effort it is to pull up a bike using only one of the brakes! I get looked at funny when I tell folks I have both brakes on my fixed gears, but it's the difference between finger pressure on both levers or a proper hard pull on one.

Looks like you've got fairly sensible gearing on it. You'll be reet. Just remember not to try and freewheel or you'll get an unexpected kick up the butt

Oh, yeah, come join the official Fixed Gear SS thread too -> http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=151190

Nice bike - it looks like a bike that just happens to be fixed wheel rather than a "statement" thing. The lack of rear brake isn't too bad when you consider the power of a decent front brake these days combined with awesome leg power.

To my mind it looks a lot better than the death trap Dawes on that other thread even with the brake and two brake levers - maybe even because of them!

Enjoy the ride,
Mark.

That Dawes... :roll:

Thanks all. It was built by the chap (Mike) for me and was never anything other than a fixed. No geared bikes were harmed in the making of this frame.

The geometry matches the road bike that he also built for me to allow for my stumpy legs and freakishly long arms and body.

Still wish I had gone for the rear brake option.

Right, now for my thoughts 55 miles later.

The first ride (20 miles) were a bit of a nightmare. the seat post kept sliding down the tube. I had to stop quite a bit to heave it back out. A drinks tin shim seems to have stopped it so today's ride was better.

Oh my, it hurts. I'm not sure what's worse the up hill bits or the downs. I think the steep bits of both score a dead heat! The stem id definitely too long. My shoulders are on fire probably from the downhill braking!

I managed to average over 15mph thus beating the little bloke on my Garmin.

I am sitting here in slack jawed awe having read about a rider called Ray Booty. He broke the magical 4 hour barrier for the 100 mile time trial in 1956. He rode the 100 miles in 3 hours, 58 minutes and 28 seconds.

The bike was a 25" framed Raleigh Record Ace and Ray spun a fixed gear of 84 inches.

My hat sir, is doffed.