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Which handlebar type gives the best leverage for slowing down a fixed gear?

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Singlespeed & Fixed Gear "I still feel that variable gears are only for people over forty-five. Isn't it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailer? We are getting soft...As for me, give me a fixed gear!"-- Henri Desgrange (31 January 1865 - 16 August 1940)

Which handlebar type gives the best leverage for slowing down a fixed gear?

Old 09-05-19, 11:12 AM
  #26  
Mikefule
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Originally Posted by Loose Chain
A skidding tire has lost traction, a rolling tire apply deceleration to the maximum threshold will stop quicker than a skidding tire.
Absolutely. Skidding is a loss of friction and a loss of some degree of control. Tyres have one job, brakes have another. You can stop a fixed bike without brakes, and steer it without handlebars, and ride it without a seat, but it doesn't mean that it's a good idea to remove them.

I can see why skidding is fun, but I stopped skidding bikes around the time my parents stopped paying to replace my worn out bike tyres.

I ride fixed by preference and try as far as possible to control my speed without using my brakes, but I'm glad they're there when I need them.

As for the best leverage, I'd say either drops (ridden on the hoods) or straights with bar ends, or bullhorns, all of which allow you to grip with your palms turned inwards and brace your ars and upper body.
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Old 09-05-19, 07:46 PM
  #27  
BicycleBicycle
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I might want to add that putting wide bars on my fixed turned it into an instant fun machine.
Suddenly, all of rolling hills that I would normally be all focused, serious, and tucked in on suddenly turned into roller coaster rides.
I still remember the first time I put on wide flat bars (with light sweep) and took a different route back home one day.
The route involved rolling hills (funnest hills aside from the ones that are composed of many hills of different gradients separated by flat intersections (also super fun)).
It was pretty late at night and there were no cars so I basically had the whole lane to myself.
I started howling and had the biggest stupidest grin on my face the whole way home because I was able to stay upright and super stable and it COMPLETELY changed the way the thing rode.

The feeling of basically sitting up straight while going down hill with the pedals moving faster as you went faster, while being able to place your hands out wide and in front of you was pretty amazing. It was like holding onto one of those lap bars on a roller coaster.
You still felt the super nimble track geo, but you were able to sit on it like you were just chilling on a cruiser bike.
The wind was all in my face and chest...
I was just a small, insignificant spec rolling down these hills that you couldn't see the bottom of until you were over the crest, and you just looked down into this gaping urban maw that you were going to be rolling through.

Oh man.
I spent the next few months looking for a really good pair of super wide drop bars on craigslist but never found them. All of the drops still wide enough were like $150+ and I just didn't want to drop that at the moment as I was focusing on school and surviving.

Anyways, just get both man.
On single speed a bar swap is like a 5 minute job.
I got my 3ttt (manufacturer of many high end bars) bars for like $15, and i'm sure you can find two good decent pairs on CL for less than $80.
Brakes or no brakes, whatever.
The "leverage" you speak of will also be felt in many other areas of ride charcateristics of your bike.

Last edited by BicycleBicycle; 09-09-19 at 04:14 PM.
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