New to fixed wheel any tips?

[Ash28]

I have been single speeding for a while and have decided to try fixed wheel. I have got a bike and have rode it round the garden and up and down the road, mmm getting my feet in the toe clips was interesting. So time to go for a proper ride. Any tips ?

[Peter Bedingfield]

1. Don't stop pumping. Think fluid.
2. Take it easy on the turns.
3. Enjoy the silence.

[robgul]

... anticipate and attack the hills, using both momentum and effort to get up them! (Oh, and double-sided clipless pedals are easier to get into than toe-clips for a fixed)

Rob

[Si]

Stopping at junctions: roll up to the line, left foot to the floor, hold front brake on and release back as you stop, let the bike rock forward so the rear wheel just comes off the floor, rotate right foot until it's in ideal start position, back wheel back down onto the floor and await chance to move of. Sounds complicated but is really easy in reality. Of course, once you get used to it you may learn to track stand instead, but until then, this method is a good way of not having to shuffle around at the stops and avoiding trying to start off with the pedals in the wrong positions.

Don't be put off if your legs get really tired fairly quickly, especially if leg braking. You'll soon adjust. Likewise, don't worry if you get a fair bit of ache in the lower back on the hills - you'll adjust to this too.

Remember to carry a spanner so you can get the rear wheel off if you need to change the tube!

[Mick F]

I'm jealous.

I'd love to have a fixed, or even a SS, but round here would be purgatory without gears.

[gilesjuk]

Watch the pedals on the corners, you can't coast so there's the risk of the pedal hitting the ground if you lean over too much.

[Ugly]

Hi Ash28 welcome to the world of real bikes, my fixed machines are the ones I enjoy riding the most.

Stick with it, after a while it will become natural to keep pedeling and you will become more flexible

Steep hills, walk up them

Use the rear brake, if fitted gently , coupled with easing back on the pedels you will lock the rear wheel

but most of all enjoy

[jonbott]

I'm jealous.

I'd love to have a fixed, or even a SS, but round here would be purgatory without gears.

yea I tried recently on my old extrack bike,killed me riding down to work as too low a gear and too high coming back when I was a yoof I did a 200k randonee on a fixed,always used to do winter riding on one,scares the life out of me now
oh one thing to note to original poster make sure chain is in line and check tension and quality of chain they snap

[gilesjuk]

oh one thing to note to original poster make sure chain is in line and check tension and quality of chain they snap

Which reminds me, be careful when working on a fixed gear bike. If you spin the wheel it will carry on spinning for a while. If you get your finger in the spokes the wheel won't stop like a freehubbed wheel does. Some people have lost fingers that way.

[harpo]

Hi Ash28, congratulations on taking the decision to go fixed, you'll wonder why you persevered with ss so long! Make sure you've got the right gear for you, not too low that you can't keep up with the pedals the first time you hit a downgrade, and not too high you can't plug up most hills. Keep your legs spinning (the pedals will remind you by trying to kick you off the bike if you forget!), attack the hills, and if you keep it going as you crest them, you will get that sublime feeling of maintaining your momentum for the next one. Stay clear of traffic until you can stop quickly and confidently without falling off, and find a nice flat bit of grass to practice track stands and skid stops! Most important of all - enjoy!

[jonbott]

I have been single speeding for a while and have decided to try fixed wheel. I have got a bike and have rode it round the garden and up and down the road, mmm getting my feet in the toe clips was interesting. So time to go for a proper ride. Any tips ?

so how did it go???

[alanesq]

I can confirm the keep your fingers out of the chain - I took the tip off my thumb on one......
whilst the bike was hanging up a friend kindly wound the peddles up whilst I wasn't looking, I then went to clean the chain !

also, watch for getting too close to the kerb as you cant just stop peddling if your pedal is going to hit it

[Graham O]

The biggest problem with hills and fixed is going down them. I've got a high gear for the downhill route to work and I flip the wheel over to a lowergear for the route home. Experiment with different ratios to find what suits you.

[cyclingvirtual]

Fixies are great for training, makes you work harder and you have to push uphill and spin downhill rather than always picking the most suitable gear.
Great training tool.

[Snowflake]

I bought a cheap Halcyon raven from Rutland and love it to bits.....

My mantra's

On the road 'keep pedalling, keep pedalling'

On the work stand 'fingers, fingers'

Its quite a shock when you forget and try to rest and the bike disagrees! I would love to perfect a skid stop, but I think thats for young people!

S