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What’s with fixies?

04.10.2008 by Ray Niekamp // 8 Comments

I was riding the Veloway recently, when I ran into (not literally) a friend of mine.  I didn’t recognize him right away, because he usually rides a blue bike, and this time he was on a black one.

I stopped and we chatted, catching up on riding experiences.  But while we talked, he continued pedaling in slow circles around me.  I asked him about the different bike.  “It’s purely a training bike,” he said.  “I use it out here, but don’t take it out on the road much.”

I looked at his crankset.  A single sprocket ring.  “Is that a single-speed?” I asked.  “Kind of.  It’s a fixed gear,” he said.  “I have to keep pedaling.”

I’ve noticed over the past few months lots of articles and references to fixed-gear bikes.  They’re single speed, but have no freewheel, so the pedals continually turn.  Most seem to have one front-mounted brake, like my friend’s.  If he has to use it, he has to quickly get his feet out of the toe clips on his pedals.

I can see where a fixie could be a good training bike.  Whenever the rider hits a slight variation in the terrain, it means a change in pedaling tempo.  Uphills can be especially challenging.  But I guess downhills can, too, if the bike builds up a lot of speed and the rider is spinning the pedals for dear life.

Call me chicken, but that strikes me as dangerous. Besides worrying about cars and trucks along your route, you have to worry about whether you’ll manage to stay upright on your bike.  I see lots of forum posts from riders who ride 50, 62, even 100 miles on their fixies.  I can’t imagine doing that, and have a hard time imagining why they’d want to.

Are fixies a passing fad, a hot trend, or are they going to be a “fixture” on the biking scene from here on out?

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Comments

  1. Lazy Cike Commuter says

    April 11, 2008 at 7:39 am

    To the final question, I would say “All of the above”.

    I think they look pretty fun, though I would ride mine with two brakes like a sane person.

    I like the idea of minimal maintenance and the fact that you could be more “in contact” with the road. Of course, who knows, by the time I get one and ride it I might think its the most unpleasant thing ever. Totally wouldn’t want to ride down a big hill though.

    Reply
  2. Ed W says

    April 11, 2008 at 6:21 pm

    A fixed wheel is a good choice for winter training or a utility bike, especially if it’s your second bike. With a medium gear, it teaches you to pedal at high rpms very smoothly. When you transition back to a ‘geared’ bike, you’ll find that you pedal almost constantly rather than coast.

    I prefer a fixed wheel for winter riding and wet roads. Pedaling constantly helps keep me warm and I can slow down with the pedals rather than using the brakes.

    The late Sheldon Brown had a lot of information on fixed gears on his website. It’s well worth reading. There’s a lot of history associated with them. Riding one is a way of feeling connected with that history and the ‘hard men’ who rode them a century ago.

    Reply
  3. Matt Boulanger says

    April 12, 2008 at 12:52 am

    Mt “town bike” is a fixie and I agree on the pedaling and not coasting thing, especially when you get back on a freewheel bike. The, I also unicycle, which is sort of the ultimate fixie.

    Reply
  4. julian says

    April 18, 2008 at 12:55 pm

    no point in having 2 breaks on a fixed-gear – you can resist the pedals to slow the rear wheel. plus, a front brake gives you far more stopping power anyways

    Reply
  5. MichaleR says

    April 20, 2008 at 4:09 pm

    Then there are those that ride 1200km (750 mile) randonneuring events on fixed gear bikes, like this guy:

    http://www.mile43.com/peterson/Rocky.html

    John “Sabertooth Salmon” Spurgeon rode the Cascade 1200 on one.
    http://sabertoothsalmon.blogspot.com/2005/07/ninety-one.html

    As to fixies being a “passing fad”, they’ve been around for well over 100 years. Looks like they’ll stay.

    Descending is tougher on a fixie than climbing. We’re all familiar with putting in effort to crest a hill, we’re not all familiar with the really high cadences a descent can create. That’s one reason why standard brakes are a good thing.

    I took up cycling in my late 40s and a fixed gear was my second bike. I still ride it. I still enjoy the lessons a fixed gear bike teaches the rider.

    Reply
  6. rainycamp says

    April 20, 2008 at 9:28 pm

    Thanks for the links, MichaleR. To paraphrase what Bobby Jones said about the young Jack Nicklaus, “They do a kind of bike riding with which I am not familiar.” More power to ’em.

    Reply
  7. fubarbicycleproducts says

    December 17, 2010 at 2:37 pm

    great reading!

    Reply

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