michaelnel

I took my fixie on my old commute route today (job interview), and noticed that some of the small hills that used to have me downshifting and spinning and getting kind of out of breath on my 27 speed geared commuter (Soma Doublecross all loaded up with stuff) were *easy* on the fix.

I just stood up and powered on over the hills in a 42/16 gear with what seemed to be far less effort than spinning on the other bike.

Are fixies that much more efficient? Mind you, my commuter probaby weighs twice what the fixie weighs, but still...

abe1x

yes they are more efficient, how much so is a bigger question. The chainline is always straight so you are wasting less forward energy. There are other less proven theories that claim there is more efficiency, than that, but who knows.

The weight probably has a lot to do with it.

lubes17319

You're just much studlier now.

michaelnel

Well of course, that goes without saying!

HereNT

I remember reading a long article on it I think on the FGG, but I'm too lazy to look for it. I think the guy was saying something like 25% more efficient than geared and coasting, but I could just be pulling that number out of my butt...

The LT

I would be willing to bet that the difference you notice has more to do with the weight rather than with the advantage you gain by riding a more efficient bike

Spor

i've read that road bikes are something like 98% efficient machines and i believe it. i doubt that fixed gear bikes are appreciably more efficient, although they might feel that way. I've read the article that hereNT mentions and i don't buy it. I think that it's just the situation of being stuck with one gear that makes you grin and bear it, and realize that you can make it up hills in a big gear. However, try riding up a really big long climb and tell me it's more efficient than a well tuned geared bike.

baxtefer

if you're referecing the scleronomous gyrator article, then the author was also pulling that number out of his butt.

jim-bob

I always figured you climbed better on a fixed gear because you didn't really have any other choice.

toshi

Michael, today I took the fixie up Broadway into C-town today (she's geared at 48x16) and it was much easier than I anticipated. Still, it's a grind up steeper hills (for example, Pennsylvania St. here in Potrero Hill) and. I may gear down a tad to 48x17/18, but I am almost too addicted to the speed on the flats to do so.

(As far as efficiency goes, I don't think you can beat a geared roadbike, but at least with fixed, it *feels* like the momentum of the cranks carries you a bit... the chainline and potentially lighter weight might help to some very small degree.)

Maybe I'll just need to get stronger. Decisions.

humancongereel

48/17's not that big a difference...little more spin, noticeable for sure. but it also gives you more skid spots and will make hills easier. i dunno, i ride it and i really like it, but as they say...ymmv.

r-dub

newly acquired bikes are also faster than old ones...until you don't ride the old one for a while and pick it up again. Then it will be faster. I rotate between about 7 or 8 regular rides and I just keep getting faster and faster! (as long as it's all in my head and you don't actually clock me...)

bostontrevor

The article's BS.

It was easier because you had to just sprint to get over it.

It's like any sprint, if you're going just a short distance it can seem both faster and easier than spinning it out at a slower speed over a longer time. But try to maintain that for 30 minutes.

koyman

+1

you can't go up hills slowly on a fix. unless you're batman.

Ken Cox

I commute 13.5 miles one way with an 800' gain.
I can do it in 41 minutes on my fixed gear bike and 50 minutes on my geared bike.
Yes, bike weight has something to do with it; as does the efficiency of a straight, unconvoluted chain; and, so does the fact that my fixed gear bike does not lend itself to anything slower than its optimum speed (I have no choice but to go fast).

On my fixed gear bike, I arrive at work refreshed, cheerful, invigorated and ready for the day; and wishing that I lived a few more miles from work.

Generally, I outclimb geared bikes by a significant margin, but mostly because I can't go slow and they can.
Last year, an elite female racer, here in town for a century classic, kicked my butt on the local hill from hell.
Yes, she had only one third my years and half my weight, but it goes to show that fixies don't always rule.

DownRodeo

You folks are silly indeed. I'd give you 2% efficiency from chainline if the other person is severly cross chained. Any other gains you see are purely mental or inherent to not having a choice. Weight is a large factor, probably in your favor on your fixed because people are too uppedy about their bike to attach a rack or heck even a brake. Seems the line between simplicity and vanity has been blurred.