Fixed gear and knees

3speednut
Posts: 73
Joined: 6 Apr 2015, 7:32pm

Re: Fixed gear and knees

Post by 3speednut »

Carlton green wrote: 9 Aug 2022, 7:36am
3speednut wrote: 6 Aug 2022, 4:48pm I also have built up a wheel with a 3speed hub for the bike so making it a bit more versatile so it can be either fixed, single speed or 3speed and quick and easy to swap between them.
In the ‘fullness of time’, when you have had a good chance to test out and ‘hone’ all three drives, it would be interesting to hear your thoughts on and experiences with them, please.
I've yet to put the 3speed wheel in it but I have a real fondness and appreciation for the fantastic 3speed hub, where I live there's a flat area (Fylde plane) and a very hilly area ( Bowland fells and beyond) so at some point I will want to hit the hills and try the 3speed hub and will be back to give my opinion on it , I've had a itch to build a quality lightweight bike but using a simple 3 speed gearing for a long time and didn't anticipate enjoying the fixed side of it so much which was only supposed to be a side issue something to try out and move on.
Carlton green
Posts: 3645
Joined: 22 Jun 2019, 12:27pm

Re: Fixed gear and knees

Post by Carlton green »

3speednut wrote: 10 Aug 2022, 1:59pm I've yet to put the 3speed wheel in it but I have a real fondness and appreciation for the fantastic 3speed hub, where I live there's a flat area (Fylde plane) and a very hilly area ( Bowland fells and beyond) so at some point I will want to hit the hills and try the 3speed hub and will be back to give my opinion on it , I've had a itch to build a quality lightweight bike but using a simple 3 speed gearing for a long time and didn't anticipate enjoying the fixed side of it so much which was only supposed to be a side issue something to try out and move on.
As a side topic I’m very fond of the AW too, IMHO they’re great and I wish that I’d been more open to them in the past. On the down side the overall gear range is relatively narrow and selecting what three equivalent diameter wheels you’ll end up with is the art of compromise - my choice is a 63” equivalent wheel in top. With regard to hilly places I’ve learnt to simply get off and walk up some hills and whilst I can’t make maximum possible speed in flat places it really isn’t particularly important to me any more, enjoy the journey(ies).
Last edited by Carlton green on 10 Aug 2022, 7:28pm, edited 1 time in total.
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
3speednut
Posts: 73
Joined: 6 Apr 2015, 7:32pm

Re: Fixed gear and knees

Post by 3speednut »

Ive always been happy to walk up hills when necessary and realise I will be doing quite a bit of it with the aw hub and hills but I seem to be irresistibly drawn towards the minimalist approach to my bikes .
Carlton green
Posts: 3645
Joined: 22 Jun 2019, 12:27pm

Re: Fixed gear and knees

Post by Carlton green »

3speednut wrote: 10 Aug 2022, 7:27pm Ive always been happy to walk up hills when necessary and realise I will be doing quite a bit of it with the aw hub and hills but I seem to be irresistibly drawn towards the minimalist approach to my bikes .
Having spent many hours fiddling with and cleaning derailleur transmissions and truing back wheels I can confirm that whilst they enabled me to ride quickly there is a separate time and expense cost for that. In contrast I spend next to zero money and maintenance time messing with the AW and hub gear wheels rarely need truing. I did dissemble, service and rebuild the hub before using it and I built the wheel myself. There’s compromise in all things, for me the AW is the sweet spot in minimalist cycling - won’t work for everyone but it works for me. Enjoy.

Anyway, all this was meant to be an aside :D . Perhaps we had better return to fixed gear stuff.
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
mig
Posts: 2702
Joined: 19 Oct 2011, 9:39pm

Re: Fixed gear and knees

Post by mig »

it's probably more critical to have your bike set up correctly if you're planning significant miles on a fixed gear, especially saddle height (which is usually a tad lower than on gears.)

a little bit of playing around with gear ratios usually results in something usable for your routes.

i have three.
a winter bike using 48 x 21 on 35c tyres
a commuter bike using 48 x 17 on 28c tyres
a track bike (with front brake) using 49 x 14 on 23c tyres (although that's just the gear i used on the boards rather than anything thought out for the road.)

i tend to match the route to the bike and the time of year.
3speednut
Posts: 73
Joined: 6 Apr 2015, 7:32pm

Re: Fixed gear and knees

Post by 3speednut »

I will have to play around with the seat height sounds interesting.
The AW hub I'm using is a 1979 the wheel rim was pure rust but the hub was just fine, pulled it apart it was like new inside the grease was dryed up but still clean and clear and no marks on the bearing surfaces or anything else internally.
Ugly
Posts: 523
Joined: 14 Jul 2009, 8:34am

Re: Fixed gear and knees

Post by Ugly »

I'm in my mid 70s and have always had at least one machine on fixed. The current score is: 1969 Holdsworth with a Higgins conversion axle on 48 x 20 on 27'' wheels, a 1962 Sun on 49 x 20 on 27s, a 1957 Holmes of Welling on 48 x18 fitted with an Sturmey Archer ASC 3 speed fixed giving gears of 72, 65 56 inches, and a fairly modern steel fixed machine on 50 x 20 summer and 50 x 21 winter. No trouble with my knees, I will only wear shorts when it is warm, I personally think that cold is more damaging to the joints than wear and tear.
Dingdong
Posts: 966
Joined: 22 Apr 2022, 4:59pm

Re: Fixed gear and knees

Post by Dingdong »

'Riding Fixed' was definitely a big thing when I was a lad, more a winter thing than anything as the extra control it offered in wet and snow and ice more than made up for the inconvenience of no gear changing. Don't think I ever came off on the fixed, I've come off plenty on a geared bike...

It certainly gave you quite a bit of fitness over the winter months, and I even remember youth hostelling on the fixed, fairly big distances with saddlebags full of tins!

Happy days :lol:
Post Reply