|
Sep 2008
11:35am, 2 Sep 2008
1,687 posts
|
fixed wheel is great fun, fast and efficient. I used an old frame an converted a back wheel to take a fixed sprocket. They are good at hill as long as they are not too steep. great acceleration, makes you realise how most energy is being wasted with gears etc.
|
|
Sep 2008
11:42am, 2 Sep 2008
583 posts
|
Slowboy
here: www.hubjub.co.uk for everything you need to go fixed, including a link to 63xx.com (I think) which was/is a blog/forum type thing full of loads of useful information.
Running a fixed gear bike in winter used to be a standard bit of training way back...and I mean, waaaay back, like when my dad was cycling in the early fifties. It fell out of fashion and became the province of die hards and nutters for many years. And me, and I don't really fit wither category. It's making a comeback now, mainly driven by off-raod bikers in the states rediscovering the simplicty of singlespeeds, which in turn was led to a lot of couriers going back to fixed gears.
It is superb for off season training, and will do more for your bike handling skills and over all riding-craft than anything else. It's also excellent for developing a really, really smooth pedalling style.
|
|
Sep 2008
11:43am, 2 Sep 2008
584 posts
|
Slowboy
oh, and whilst fixed can be challenging on a tough uphil, it's hilariously near-suicidal on a long steep downhill 
|
|
Sep 2008
12:00pm, 2 Sep 2008
1,690 posts
|
well put SB, as a winter training technique, it is something that has been lost by many. teaches you to pedal properly at high revs.
|
|
Sep 2008
12:02pm, 2 Sep 2008
585 posts
|
Slowboy
it's great fun as well, and quite liberating. Kind of reduces the bike to something very simple whilst losing non of its appeal.
|
|
Sep 2008
12:11pm, 2 Sep 2008
1,691 posts
|
safe on the ice as well, conversely?
|
|
Sep 2008
1:10pm, 2 Sep 2008
3,207 posts
|
hammerite
I have ridden a fixed twice. One was having a go on a friends track bike, but I had to be very gentle up and down his quiet street for the no brake reason!
The other time was when I went to Manchester Velodrome for a track taster session which was excellent fun (and highly recommended).
If I knew I could get out on my bike more often I'd definitely get a singlespeed (with a lip fix/free wheel), just I don't think I could justify having a different bike for different things at the moment. The MTB hardly see's daylight as it is!
|
|
Sep 2008
1:18pm, 2 Sep 2008
6,382 posts
|
GregP
I'm with Hammerite on para 2 deffo.
|
|
Sep 2008
1:21pm, 2 Sep 2008
587 posts
|
Slowboy
having only just restarted cycling I'm already working out how to go fixed for this winter.
|
|
Sep 2008
1:30pm, 2 Sep 2008
3,211 posts
|
hammerite
Don't forget guys, Tour of Britain next week. Starts in London with a circuit race on Sunday, then heads off round the country.
I'll be somewhere along the Embankment for it on Sunday. Then marshalling the start of stage 2 in MK.
|
