Comments on: Loving the Commute: Fixed Gear Edition

By: Irvin Varela

Irvin Varela — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 17:35:00 +0000

For your fixed gear to be able to coast it needs a free wheel cog, otherwise if you stop peddling you will lock your rear tire and it will cause it to break. That is why you were sent flying.

By: Sebastian

Sebastian — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 15:29:00 +0000

So I just got a fixed gear bike and I went riding this morning. I was standing on the bike peddling and going really fast, while standing peddling I stop peddling for coasting and the biked did a sudden stop and sent me flying across the pavement and I got beat up pretty good. Now does anyone know if that is a common occurrence or my bike was assembled wrong?

By: Pamela

Pamela — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 20:28:00 +0000

Great post! Half of it had me laughing like crazy, and the other half left me gripping my seat in horror!

By: Jay Santos

Jay Santos — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 19:35:00 +0000

that first fixed gear ride without brakes is indeed a scary one…they make it look so easy that it just takes you back to the days of having a coaster brake and skidding all down the hills in the neighborhood…not that easy at all…i would recommend learning how to skid stop in wet grass to get used to it…leaning forward is a big key too.

By: Jonathan Davis

Jonathan Davis — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 21:30:00 +0000

Having just bought my first fixie, this post was super entertaining. thanks Aaron! Your first experience sounds a bit harrowing. My intention was only to use it on the track, but I have a 3.5mi commute to work so would seriously consider putting it on the road…but only on dry days!!

By: troy@bikeroots

troy@bikeroots — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 21:15:00 +0000

I have an Iro that I had set-up to a fixie. It’s a sing-speed now. Call me an old man, but stopping on those things was a bit hard on my joints – my wrists in particular. I put brakes on it since, and now I just flipped the wheel around to single-speed mode and I’m enjoying it more. If my mandate was to drink craft brews, listen to synth rock and make ironic fashion decisions, maybe riding a fixie would be more important to me.

By: S Johnstone

S Johnstone — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 18:33:00 +0000

I really need to get a fixie. I’m not sure about buildling one, but I do need one badly.

By: Aaronthestrong

Aaronthestrong — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 16:05:00 +0000

It was terribly slow…and uneventful…because I was terrified

By: CharlieQuimby

CharlieQuimby — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 15:07:00 +0000

Missed hearing about the return downhill trip. Must’ve been uneventful?

By: Joel Phillips

Joel Phillips — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 14:54:00 +0000

Single speed, fixie, climbing rings, 42-teeth…all the technical jargon confuses me. Remember in the movie “Days of Thunder” when Bobby Duvall was asking Tom Cruise how the race car was performing? “Was it running lose or tight, did it surge or sway”…Tom said, “I can’t, I don’t know what all that means”. Well that’s this kid, I am more about hopping on and riding than I am about knowing what it is I am riding. Maybe this is what separates cyclists from those that just ride a bike.

At any rate I want to give what you described a try, sounds fun! I believe the cool stopping you refer to is called a power slide. All I’m going to say about power slides is that if you do it, make sure you stop on level ground and UNCLIP!

Happy riding my friend…