Why Fixed?

[DavidT]

Some time ago I posted a request to recumbent riders to explain how on earth they felt safe. The replies were very interesting, and whilst it was not a question of standing corrected (I was, and am, open minded), I was educated.

The question now goes out to riders of Fixed bikes, bikes which seem to be the talk of the town at the moment.

Why?

I don't really understand why these bikes are developing such a high/popular profile.

Be nice. Convince me that it is not just a marketing fad, or that it is a choice only for those built like Sir Chris Hoy! Is it indeed a fitness training thing? Do you only live in flat(ish) areas? Does anyone in North Yorkshire or on Dartmoor own a fixed? Is it your only bike? Hopefully you can sense my bewilderment.

I'm listening, and stand to be educated again (albeit personally very, very happy that I've got gears).

[Richard]

I think fixed has become a fad in recent times, but that aside, they are a different feel to a geared bike and their low maintenance is ideal for commuting in all conditions. In my view they're a bit like a recumbent - not better or worse, just different. The best bike is the bike you like riding the most, not what marketing, convention or peer pressure dictates.

I live in a hilly area and found fixed fine. I could climb better on a fixed than on a geared bike but I must admit I found descending worse. In the end it got swapped for a bike I could timetrial on more conveniently without having to change gearing for different courses/wind conditions. However, if I lived back in London and had to commute, it would be my first choice.

By the way, don't try and emulate a fixie by riding in a set gear on your geared bike - the lack of freewheel makes it a completely different feel.

[2Tubs]

I'm buying one because my commute has changed.

I used to have a 22 mile commute (round trip) but since I transfered to my new office, my commute has reduced to 14 miles.

I'm not getting the work out I used to.

I thought I'd give the fixed approach a go, see if that works up more of a sweat.

Gazza

[hubgearfreak]

Convince me that it is not just a marketing fad

I think fixed has become a fad in recent times

i understand that cycling has become more popular in recent years, does that make cycling a fad, marketing or otherwise? no. we're simply pleased that more people are (re)discovering the sensible way to get to work or school.
so why when more and more people are discovering the joys of fixed, do we hear claims of jumping on a bandwagon, marketing fad & etc.?
it's a mystery to me why people like it, i can see the attraction of low maintenance, clean looks & etc. with a freewheel single speed bike you'd get all that AND going down hill is a pleasure.

[gilesjuk]

It's the ultimate in low maintenance. No freehub to go wrong. It's been popular in London with cycle couriers and I guess it has spread from there.

I wanted to give it a go and found I liked it. It gives your legs more of a workout and you realise how often you coast. I used to coast a little when going from a standing up position to sitting down, something I just did without realising. I now pedal all the time which helps a little.

[gilesjuk]

with a freewheel single speed bike you'd get all that AND going down hill is a pleasure.

If you buy a really good freewheel. By coasting you're doing less work.

Can you imagine if when you were walking or jogging and you came to a downhill section and you were able to just roll along without any effort? it would defeat the purpose of it somewhat.

[kwackers]

i understand that cycling has become more popular in recent years, does that make cycling a fad, marketing or otherwise? no. we're simply pleased that more people are (re)discovering the sensible way to get to work or school.
so why when more and more people are discovering the joys of fixed, do we hear claims of jumping on a bandwagon, marketing fad & etc.?
it's a mystery to me why people like it, i can see the attraction of low maintenance, clean looks & etc. with a freewheel single speed bike you'd get all that AND going down hill is a pleasure.

You can only tell if it's a fad in retrospect - if in a few years it's all but disappeared then it'll have been a fad, if it persists its not...

Time will tell, personally I think it's a fad.

The examples give of coasting I think miss the mark slightly. I push myself hard along sections then I 'coast' along others, essentially this is a form of interval training, far more effective than constant effort. Similarly when I run, I run hard for a mile then jog for a hundred yards or so until my pulse drops then do it again.
I'd be tempted to say that using a fixie to give you a more 'constant' workout is actually counter productive and you might actually be better simply making sure you push yourself properly between 'rests'.

All imo of course.

[Si]

For me: I have a fixed (SATP) amount of time for a ride on many days so want to get the greatest benefit from it. Fixed offers that because it means pedalling for the whole ride and fighting up the hills*. It is also low maintenance so tinker time doesn't eat into ride time. Oh yeah, and "it's ethnic innit" .





*OK, yes, I could just take a touring bike and put concrete blocks in the panniers to make the ride hard, but the fixed option also offers more enjoyment. And on a freewheel, even when I've the best intention of pedalling all the time I never quite manage it.

[grw]

My commute is next to the beach for the first 16 km. I was ending up with lots of sand on my bike. I got a fixed and my maintenance has been simplified, just give the chain a good rinse once a week and lubricate it. As my ride is largely flat apart from one big bridge, I don't really need the gears anyway.
Since I switched for my commute, i like riding fixed. It feels 'different'. Maybe its a fad. But I like it

[hubgearfreak]

You can only tell if it's a fad in retrospect - if in a few years it's all but disappeared then it'll have been a fad, if it persists its not..

we've all seen this film. perhaps cycling was a fad, it having all but died out?

[hubgearfreak]

It gives your legs more of a workout

For me: I have a fixed (SATP) amount of time for a ride on many days so want to get the greatest benefit from it.

so there's the difference between us, you two cycle to train for increased fitness (amongst other reasons), i cycle because i enjoy it & i want to get somewhere. if the main benefit of riding fixed is that it gives you more exercise for a given amount of time riding, then i don't doubt it.

Can you imagine if when you were walking or jogging and you came to a downhill section and you were able to just roll along without any effort? it would defeat the purpose of it somewhat.

it would only defeat the object, if the object was only to walk or run. if you're walking because you want to get to your destination, then rolling downhills would be quite useful

so david, do you primarily ride to maximise your fitness, or primarily for leisure utility?

[kwackers]

You can only tell if it's a fad in retrospect - if in a few years it's all but disappeared then it'll have been a fad, if it persists its not..

we've all seen this film. perhaps cycling was a fad, it having all but died out?

I actually think cycling is a fad for some people. Why do I do it? The only reason I can come up with is I enjoy the ride - more so when conditions are anti-cycling! I have a car and motorbike, my commute is 27 miles (round trip) it'd be far easier to sit in the car and listen to the radio, it's not a money thing, I maintain my fitness by running around 50 miles a week so it's not that either...

It's difficult to say exactly what constitutes a fad, but I think if people do something and convince themselves it infers a benefit that doesn't really exist then it probably is a fad. The reason time will tell is because if the benefits are genuine they'll show themselves given time, if not and the people riding fixies start getting thrashed by geared riders then a large percentage of the fixie riders will revert and it'll be obvious it was a fad.
I think riding a fixie is more difficult than geared, and this is part of it's attraction - anyone can ride a geared bike - but only the 'hardcore' ride fixed! As more people move to fixed in order to become part of the 'hardcore' the original guys/gals will look for something else.

Up to now I've never been beaten by someone riding fixed - not even close. They either run out of rpm on the straights or are nearly bending the frame on the hills. But given a bit of distance I find they're a fairly easy target.

[gilesjuk]

it would only defeat the object, if the object was only to walk or run. if you're walking because you want to get to your destination, then rolling downhills would be quite useful

Or if your purpose is to get somewhere with the least amount of effort expenditure, much like gears are utilised to get somewhere with the least amount of effort.

Why run when walking is less effort?

Why climb stairs when there's a lift?

A car will get you somewhere with almost no effort at all.

[Si]

Si wrote:
For me: I have a fixed (SATP) amount of time for a ride on many days so want to get the greatest benefit from it.

HugBearFreak wrote:
so there's the difference between us, you two cycle to train for increased fitness (amongst other reasons), i cycle because i enjoy it & i want to get somewhere. if the main benefit of riding fixed is that it gives you more exercise for a given amount of time riding, then i don't doubt it.

I'd not reduce my cycling to so basic terms. I cycle mainly for a feeling of well being and for transport. I do use fixed to improve my cycling and thus get more fun and more practicality out of it but when I say "benefit" I don't necessarily mean just improving fitness (although that is a nice side effect), but rather that riding fixed makes the experience of the ride more (mmm, what's the phrase I want?), well, for want of a better one, "felt". Riding one gear (and a gear that is probably slightly too big for me to boot) without being able to stop pedalling means I get a bit more of a 'buzz' from the ride: more endorphins, notice my breathing more, notice the contours more, have to become more involved with the bike's handling to prevent pedal strike, have to be even more involved with what other traffic is doing because I don't want to be having to clip in and unclip all the time, the feeling of more speed as the bike tries to run away from my pedal speed, more of a tingle in the legs after the ride, more of a feeling of achievement for the time I had available.

Some people talk about the zen of fixed riding and being as-one with the bike. I don't think that I've really ever got this, but I do find that over coming the limitations that fixed can put upon you does help you to feel more as-one with yourself for the rest of the day.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying that there is some magical property about fixed that no other type of bike has. You can, no doubt get the same elements of experience what ever you ride, I just find that in my case, it's better on fixed. (although sometimes it's better on SS which allows me to carve the corners a lot better - not that is a feeling of oneness with the bike).

[EdinburghFixed]

I got a fixed-wheel bike primarily because I was sick of the maintenance of my previous one. I wasn't sure I'd like it but I was curious (and brave!) enough to go for it on the maintenance / low cost / light weight issue alone.

I'm pleased to say that I have spent about as much time over the last few thousand miles maintaining it as I spend on my girlfriend's geared bike every couple of weeks!

Without trying to get all spiritual and "zen", I also find that riding fixed is a lot more enjoyable and freewheel bikes seem somehow slack (or perhaps, flacid ) in comparison. There's just something about the directness of the bike that makes it so satisfying to ride. In this respect a singlespeed "cop-out" nets you the worst of both worlds.

I have also become a much stronger rider over the last year and can now manage both a high cadence and/or a high power output far better than before, while my climbing ability has gone through the roof (ahem!). Last year I managed a 10 mile time trial in under 25 minutes which put me above the 'normal' geared bikes and even a couple of the proper TT bikes. So it's not that slow!

I'm sure I would be able to go faster downhill on a geared bike... but really that's not important to me. I can get up to about 30mph anyway, and it's not like you're putting effort in to spin your legs, the bike is doing it for you

There's no question that it might not be the best choice if you live on Alp d'Huez and you only ride for gentle pleasure. But then, Edinburgh is not so flat... for those who like a bit of zing, fixed might be worth a try!

PS. although this long ramble might make me sound like a keen racer, in fact I've only ever done 2 local time trials, and 99% of my riding is pure utility.