Fixed wheel: Why? Why not? Vote now please!

For discussions about bikes and equipment.

Fixie: Why? Why not?

Fixed is my first choice
9
23%
Love fixed, love freewheel
10
25%
Used to ride fixed, no more
3
8%
Not tried fixed. Yet
6
15%
Fixed where suitable
1
3%
Fixed in winter
0
No votes
Fixed when I was young and free
1
3%
Freewheel only, lots of gears
5
13%
Prefer single freewheel
4
10%
Love to try fixed with gears
1
3%
 
Total votes: 40

nirakaro
Posts: 1575
Joined: 22 Dec 2007, 2:01am

Re: Fixie: Why?

Post by nirakaro »

slowster wrote:On a fixed gear bike you are always in the right gear.

That's strange - the season I spent riding a fixie, I found I was always in the wrong gear - wonder what I was getting wrong?
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RickH
Posts: 5832
Joined: 5 Mar 2012, 6:39pm
Location: Horwich, Lancs.

Re: Fixie: Why?

Post by RickH »

nirakaro wrote:
slowster wrote:On a fixed gear bike you are always in the right gear.

That's strange - the season I spent riding a fixie, I found I was always in the wrong gear - wonder what I was getting wrong?

You weren't in the wrong gear. You were riding at the wrong speed in the right gear! :twisted:
Former member of the Cult of the Polystyrene Head Carbuncle.
nirakaro
Posts: 1575
Joined: 22 Dec 2007, 2:01am

Re: Fixie: Why?

Post by nirakaro »

RickH wrote:
nirakaro wrote:
slowster wrote:On a fixed gear bike you are always in the right gear.

That's strange - the season I spent riding a fixie, I found I was always in the wrong gear - wonder what I was getting wrong?

You weren't in the wrong gear. You were riding at the wrong speed in the right gear! :twisted:

Of course. I think that was because I also had the wrong legs.
mig
Posts: 2695
Joined: 19 Oct 2011, 9:39pm

Re: Fixie: Why?

Post by mig »

nirakaro wrote:
slowster wrote:On a fixed gear bike you are always in the right gear.

That's strange - the season I spent riding a fixie, I found I was always in the wrong gear - wonder what I was getting wrong?


what gear was it out of interest?

many many years ago i used to commute on gears. at that time i raced a few TTs and was a bit of a flat track type rider. 55 x something on a solo, 61 x something as a tandem stoker. one day my front mech cable broke (rusted through IIRC :roll: ) and i was obliged to ride a fair few miles with only 42 something on offer. i was surprised to find i really wasn't efficient at pedalling any gear for very long at all. that winter i made a cheapo fixed bike starting on 42 x 16 with 700c wheels and off i went. i have never changed back although my summer gear is bigger than that. now my range of cadence is so much better.
Cyril Haearn
Posts: 15215
Joined: 30 Nov 2013, 11:26am

Re: Fixie: Why? Why not?

Post by Cyril Haearn »

What, you ride fixed only?
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mig
Posts: 2695
Joined: 19 Oct 2011, 9:39pm

Re: Fixie: Why? Why not?

Post by mig »

Cyril Haearn wrote:What, you ride fixed only?


hmmm...pretty much. use a geared bike maybe may-july for a change but the rest of the time yes.
Cyril Haearn
Posts: 15215
Joined: 30 Nov 2013, 11:26am

Re: Fixie: Why? Why not?

Post by Cyril Haearn »

mig wrote:
Cyril Haearn wrote:What, you ride fixed only?


hmmm...pretty much. use a geared bike maybe may-july for a change but the rest of the time yes.

I rode fixed exclusively for the last three months, just used a geared bike a few times, what I like about that is being able to use really low gears
Fixie is my first choice now
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
mattheus
Posts: 5030
Joined: 29 Dec 2008, 12:57pm
Location: Western Europe

Re: Fixie: Why? Why not?

Post by mattheus »

Cyril Haearn wrote:
mig wrote:
Cyril Haearn wrote:What, you ride fixed only?


hmmm...pretty much. use a geared bike maybe may-july for a change but the rest of the time yes.

I rode fixed exclusively for the last three months, just used a geared bike a few times, what I like about that is being able to use really low gears
Fixie is my first choice now


I reckon that the majority of fixers I know ride either ONLY fixed or 80% fixed. (the latter group will often do some niche thing where freewheels are really nice to have e.g. cyclocross).
Admittedly most of the fixies I see are on audaxes, so "normal" riders may be different ;-)
mig
Posts: 2695
Joined: 19 Oct 2011, 9:39pm

Re: Fixie: Why? Why not?

Post by mig »

http://www.royceuk.co.uk/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=121

how daft, on a scale of 1-10, is titanium as a material for a fixed sprocket?

is it hard wearing in this use? or a way to charge $ for a simple item? in my ignorance i thought that (some) titanium alloys were that hard to work that making such a thing would be very difficult. seems not.
fastpedaller
Posts: 3433
Joined: 10 Jul 2014, 1:12pm
Location: Norfolk

Re: Fixie: Why? Why not?

Post by fastpedaller »

mig wrote:http://www.royceuk.co.uk/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=121

how daft, on a scale of 1-10, is titanium as a material for a fixed sprocket?

is it hard wearing in this use? or a way to charge $ for a simple item? in my ignorance i thought that (some) titanium alloys were that hard to work that making such a thing would be very difficult. seems not.


May as well use a steel one - no real advantage in the lighter weight on a fixed sprocket. I'll sell you a steel one for £25 :lol:
thatsnotmyname
Posts: 595
Joined: 23 Jan 2020, 10:23am

Re: Fixie: Why? Why not?

Post by thatsnotmyname »

mig wrote:http://www.royceuk.co.uk/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=121

how daft, on a scale of 1-10, is titanium as a material for a fixed sprocket?

is it hard wearing in this use? or a way to charge $ for a simple item? in my ignorance i thought that (some) titanium alloys were that hard to work that making such a thing would be very difficult. seems not.


Hopefully, some of that price tag gets you a piece of high precision engineering, regardless of the material..
Brucey
Posts: 44454
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Fixie: Why? Why not?

Post by Brucey »

mig wrote:http://www.royceuk.co.uk/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=121

how daft, on a scale of 1-10, is titanium as a material for a fixed sprocket?

is it hard wearing in this use? or a way to charge $ for a simple item? in my ignorance i thought that (some) titanium alloys were that hard to work that making such a thing would be very difficult. seems not.


it is pretty daft, but it could be an option for an 'event only' component. If you are chasing every last gramme for (say) a hill-climb championship. Folk have made and used titanium chains too; just as mad.

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cyril Haearn
Posts: 15215
Joined: 30 Nov 2013, 11:26am

Re: Fixie: Why? Why not?

Post by Cyril Haearn »

I love fixie and I like gears, low gears
Planning to ride fixed and free on alternate rides
If I could only have one I think I should choose fixed :wink:
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
Cyril Haearn
Posts: 15215
Joined: 30 Nov 2013, 11:26am

Re: Fixie: Why? Why not?

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Wrong again Cyril, I am riding fixed only
There are a couple of slightly undulating places where I ride, go up to 100 rpm maybe and down to 40, forces me to struggle and work a bit
Always in the right gear, as someone noted earlier :wink:
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
reohn2
Posts: 45143
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Fixie: Why? Why not?

Post by reohn2 »

Anyone riding fixed is only in the right gear because they haven't got a choice!
Gears are great and a close second is freewheeling :D
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
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