Are the best days of fixie/SS behind us?
#51
Newbie
Being an older thread coupled with being a newbie I feel I may have a different perspective. In and around 2004 or 05 I was introduced to fg by an odd guy at an lbs. I'd never seen or ridden a fg and found myself intrigued.
So, I did my due diligence and discovered the general consensus was 'bike boom' bikes made the best, most consistent conversions. Found one at a garage sale. Stripped it and got a 46t Rocket Ring, 1/8" chain, 16t freewheel and built myself a ss. Having already learned how to re-dish a wheel it was pretty straight ahead.
Fg was a little more involved as I had to obtain a flip-flop hub. Other than that everything else was similar except the actual riding. Adjusting to fg took a bit, but as an experienced cyclist the time it took was pretty fluid. The main thing is that riding fixed is just one of many cycling disciplines I enjoy. Having gotten into it by chance I believe I was already far into it before it became any kind of hipster connection.
It's not my opinion the best days of fg are behind us. They're as relevant today as they were back in the day. My bike collection includes a rb, off rb, fg, ss, touring, utility and a tandem. Riding fg is usually my 1st choice, but lately I built a ss I find it to be my 1st choice. Prolly because it's my latest build and it turned out real well.
Fg around 2010ish
This is my latest. It's a Pac'Rim utility/fun ss that's my current favorite. Circa 2024.
So, I did my due diligence and discovered the general consensus was 'bike boom' bikes made the best, most consistent conversions. Found one at a garage sale. Stripped it and got a 46t Rocket Ring, 1/8" chain, 16t freewheel and built myself a ss. Having already learned how to re-dish a wheel it was pretty straight ahead.
Fg was a little more involved as I had to obtain a flip-flop hub. Other than that everything else was similar except the actual riding. Adjusting to fg took a bit, but as an experienced cyclist the time it took was pretty fluid. The main thing is that riding fixed is just one of many cycling disciplines I enjoy. Having gotten into it by chance I believe I was already far into it before it became any kind of hipster connection.
It's not my opinion the best days of fg are behind us. They're as relevant today as they were back in the day. My bike collection includes a rb, off rb, fg, ss, touring, utility and a tandem. Riding fg is usually my 1st choice, but lately I built a ss I find it to be my 1st choice. Prolly because it's my latest build and it turned out real well.
Fg around 2010ish
This is my latest. It's a Pac'Rim utility/fun ss that's my current favorite. Circa 2024.
Last edited by Kiwisaver; 05-07-24 at 02:08 AM.
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#52
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I was a cyclist in Indianapolis when Nelson Vails and Mark Gorski were racing at the Major Taylor Velodrome on the west side, and the fixie scene exploded. The cool kids were walking around wearing Lycra, with flabby calves and no tan lines.
Meanwhile we could go watch the Jamaican National team, the Canadian national team, Nelson and Mark, Connie Young, and Curt Harnett put on a world class cycling show for about $12 on a Friday night.
Chasing cool usually means missing out on the substance.
Meanwhile we could go watch the Jamaican National team, the Canadian national team, Nelson and Mark, Connie Young, and Curt Harnett put on a world class cycling show for about $12 on a Friday night.
Chasing cool usually means missing out on the substance.
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#54
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I noticed that a lot of people who were previously riding fixed gear are now riding "supple" gravel bikes and talking trash about fixed gear bikes and singlespeed bikes. There are still a lot of people riding fixed and ss bikes, but it was at ine point a fad, so there are significantly less people riding them to "fit in". The people who are riding fixed/ss bikes these days and are people who truly like them better than geared bikes.
Sorry grant40 that is not happening. There is not a bunch of people riding "supple" gravel bikes who used to ride FG/SS bikes and are now trashing them. There will be people who will change their minds but there are also a lot of people who have multiple bikes who enjoy riding all sorts of bikes and you can also have a nice supple fixed gear gravel bike. I have one and it is great and my next fixed gear bike will be even better.
I know you want to try and stir up controversy but it just isn't there. Maybe there is somewhere else to stir trouble?
I know you want to try and stir up controversy but it just isn't there. Maybe there is somewhere else to stir trouble?
Grant's right and you be consumN too many bikes ...but all in all you're good for the bike business which is better than being good for nothing
#55
Clark W. Griswold
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I do consume a lot of bikes and bicycles news and such. I enjoy bicycles and I work in the industry and have worked in the industry for over a decade and now own my own shop so I see a lot of stuff and talk with a lot of people from other shops and all of that. I do understand gravel is a growing trend it is very visible and known but the way Grant describes is false.
I am good for a lot of things but I do on occasion jump into the good for nothing pool just to make sure the water is still a cool comfortable 73˚ LOL
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#57
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Join Date: May 2022
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I still like fixed gear riding. I ride mine 2 times a week for short 10-12 mile rides after work
'80's Viner
. Great workout and improves bike handling too.
'80's Viner
. Great workout and improves bike handling too.
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#58
Senior Member
The best days are behind because not all top tubes are horizontal?
I must have misinterpreted something because that is just plain goofy
I must have misinterpreted something because that is just plain goofy
#59
Senior Member
#60
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I dunno. I have been having some pretty good fixed-gear days lately ... as far as the fixed/SS vs. gravel divide goes, I don't see it. The purple Mercian (on 28 mm tires) was my first choice for mixed pavement & gravel surface rides from when it was new in 2003 until fairly recently, and it still holds its own pretty well so long as I remember to flip the rear wheel around to the 18T cog. The black Raleigh with 35 mm tires and a 60-in fixed option is slightly better optimized for gravel, but it's not a dealbreaker either way ...
Last edited by rustystrings61; 06-21-24 at 07:53 AM.
#61
Senior Member
My theory is that every time Shimagnolosram add another cog to their cassettes a few more thousand people switch to fixed gear. With a 48/19 I can get up all the hills near where I live and I get about the same average speed over a typical 50-mile ride or so as I do on the 2x10 road bike. Quite eye-opening. The bike also ends up being very light and saves hundreds of £££. Not sure if I am ready for fixed off-roading though.
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#62
Senior Member
My theory is that every time Shimagnolosram add another cog to their cassettes a few more thousand people switch to fixed gear. With a 48/19 I can get up all the hills near where I live and I get about the same average speed over a typical 50-mile ride or so as I do on the 2x10 road bike. Quite eye-opening. The bike also ends up being very light and saves hundreds of £££. Not sure if I am ready for fixed off-roading though.
I've been using 48/18 (or the equivalent, e.g., 51/19) for all my fixed-gear riding since 1964, including on many hills that have me temporarily wondering whether I should change the gearing. But I've learned to configure my routes such that the tough hills mostly happen in the first half of the ride.
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#63
Senior Member
#64
Senior Member
crypticlineage,
Well, I'm late to this thread! Single-speed and Fixie popularity is definitely waning. However, they have come and gone, then come and gone again over the decades. We called them "Track bikes" back in the 1970's. Us young bike mechanics back then built our "track bike" from a hodge-podge of parts. These Frankenbikes functioned and most were re-purposed "10-speeds".
I built one from an old Peugeot back in 1974-ish. I was in high school and worked after school in a local shop. Can't recall what happened to that bike but it was fun to ride. The head mech helped me put it together with parts blessed upon me by the shop owner. Track bikes never really took off past us bike mechs back then. Then there was a lonnnnnng lull....
This last SS/Fixie craze was kind of a game changer in that technology progressed on the bike scene and these anachronism bikes appeared out of nowhere and soared in popularity among a select set of riders. The difference this time is that they were new bikes purpose-built. They really didn't go "main-stream" among all riders and I think that is why the SS/fixie scene comes and goes over the years.
Heck 20 years from now they will probably be built from FrankenCarbon parts of today and will look like an anachronism in 2044!
As a side note, I own a Wabi Special and a Wabi Classic. Both bikes are the most comfortable riding bikes I have ever owned. Yes, the Wabi web site doesn't do them justice but rest assured they make a VERY high quality product. Wabi was started by Richard Snook. His brother Gary started Performance Bike. Richard sold to the current owners a few years ago. I'll admit both of my Wabi's are "Richard's Wabi's" as I call them, but the current owners are very responsive and helpful and are carrying on the Wabi brand quite well, I think.
--
Well, I'm late to this thread! Single-speed and Fixie popularity is definitely waning. However, they have come and gone, then come and gone again over the decades. We called them "Track bikes" back in the 1970's. Us young bike mechanics back then built our "track bike" from a hodge-podge of parts. These Frankenbikes functioned and most were re-purposed "10-speeds".
I built one from an old Peugeot back in 1974-ish. I was in high school and worked after school in a local shop. Can't recall what happened to that bike but it was fun to ride. The head mech helped me put it together with parts blessed upon me by the shop owner. Track bikes never really took off past us bike mechs back then. Then there was a lonnnnnng lull....
This last SS/Fixie craze was kind of a game changer in that technology progressed on the bike scene and these anachronism bikes appeared out of nowhere and soared in popularity among a select set of riders. The difference this time is that they were new bikes purpose-built. They really didn't go "main-stream" among all riders and I think that is why the SS/fixie scene comes and goes over the years.
Heck 20 years from now they will probably be built from FrankenCarbon parts of today and will look like an anachronism in 2044!
As a side note, I own a Wabi Special and a Wabi Classic. Both bikes are the most comfortable riding bikes I have ever owned. Yes, the Wabi web site doesn't do them justice but rest assured they make a VERY high quality product. Wabi was started by Richard Snook. His brother Gary started Performance Bike. Richard sold to the current owners a few years ago. I'll admit both of my Wabi's are "Richard's Wabi's" as I call them, but the current owners are very responsive and helpful and are carrying on the Wabi brand quite well, I think.
--
Last edited by drlogik; 07-05-24 at 09:20 AM.
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#65
I only shift under duress
I hope the best days of this thread aren’t behind us, or where will we able to lament that the best days of SS are behind us?
For me, the best days of singlespeed are always ahead—I experience them whenever I hop on my bike for a ride!
There still seems to be a decent selection new SS-specific models available, and of course, conversion of older bikes is often an option, too. If singlespeed is a niche within cycling (or even within cycling disciplines), that’s fine—it’s not for everyone, and I’m sure there were people swept up in the hipster-fixie craze who discovered mono-cog riding wasn’t for them. If SS/fixed is the hidden back room at the cycling pub, then one needs to hear about it through the grapevine or stumble across it on one’s own (when one’s trying to find the restroom and accidentally opens the wrong door), and then the chances of liking what one finds and sticking with it are probably higher. That might mean fewer SS riders but a higher dedication/enthusiasm quotient.
For me, the best days of singlespeed are always ahead—I experience them whenever I hop on my bike for a ride!
There still seems to be a decent selection new SS-specific models available, and of course, conversion of older bikes is often an option, too. If singlespeed is a niche within cycling (or even within cycling disciplines), that’s fine—it’s not for everyone, and I’m sure there were people swept up in the hipster-fixie craze who discovered mono-cog riding wasn’t for them. If SS/fixed is the hidden back room at the cycling pub, then one needs to hear about it through the grapevine or stumble across it on one’s own (when one’s trying to find the restroom and accidentally opens the wrong door), and then the chances of liking what one finds and sticking with it are probably higher. That might mean fewer SS riders but a higher dedication/enthusiasm quotient.
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#66
Temporary Sentient
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Just recently bequeathed a Schwinn with semi horizontal drop outs. Converted it into a single speed and really enjoy the difference in ride quality. It's like having an exotic girlfriend that my other two mistresses (geared bikes) don't mind. Recently hit a bike shop flea market where I got a flip/flop wheel set and am flirting with the fixed gear side.
One of the co-op shop chiefs is a dedicated fixed gear rider in his (I'm gonna guess) late forties/early fifties and still does deliveries. I think the perception of whether or not single/fixed is popular depends on geography. Flatter urban landscapes lend themselves well to the advantages of fixed.
SM
One of the co-op shop chiefs is a dedicated fixed gear rider in his (I'm gonna guess) late forties/early fifties and still does deliveries. I think the perception of whether or not single/fixed is popular depends on geography. Flatter urban landscapes lend themselves well to the advantages of fixed.
SM
#67
Tiocfáidh ár Lá
When asked if Jazz is dead Frank Zappa replied, "Jazz isn't dead, it just smells funny." Point being things ebb and flow and sometimes go viral and catch on and then they go back to normal again. The first nice bike I ever had was a Panasonic track bike that a roommate of mine gave me when he upgraded his. He was a messenger in NYC and track bikes as we all know have always been their tool of choice. That was 1989. The bike got stolen and I was track bikeless till about 2000 or so when they started gaining in popularity. I got myself an old road frame and made a fixed out of it and then some years later got a proper track bike that reminded me of my Panasonic. I have lived and worked in the same college town since then and have seen the changes. It probably peaked in about 2007 I'd say and pretty much went away with the advent of electric scooters, bikes and skateboards. I rarely see a college kid on a bike anymore nevermind a track bike. So is it dead? Nah it just smells funny.
It had been years since I took the old girl for a ride but inspired by this thread I oiled up the chain and commuted this morning. I really should make a habit out of riding once or twice a week.
It had been years since I took the old girl for a ride but inspired by this thread I oiled up the chain and commuted this morning. I really should make a habit out of riding once or twice a week.
#68
Senior Member
jfmckenna,
I agree, they just smell funny! Hahaha, I can picture Frank Zappa saying that.
There will always be a cadre of people who like to ride fixed or single-speed. Their popularity has come and gone many times over the years. My previous post above explains my experiences since 1974-ish.
I agree, they just smell funny! Hahaha, I can picture Frank Zappa saying that.
There will always be a cadre of people who like to ride fixed or single-speed. Their popularity has come and gone many times over the years. My previous post above explains my experiences since 1974-ish.
#69
Tiocfáidh ár Lá
jfmckenna,
I agree, they just smell funny! Hahaha, I can picture Frank Zappa saying that.
There will always be a cadre of people who like to ride fixed or single-speed. Their popularity has come and gone many times over the years. My previous post above explains my experiences since 1974-ish.
I agree, they just smell funny! Hahaha, I can picture Frank Zappa saying that.
There will always be a cadre of people who like to ride fixed or single-speed. Their popularity has come and gone many times over the years. My previous post above explains my experiences since 1974-ish.
#70
Senior Member
...and just two days of riding 40 miles and I have soar spots I forgot that existed.
I'm still gun-shy about taking the fixed gear out. I'm also afraid it will tell me how far I have to go. One step at a time, maybe I'll take it out this weekend for my 7 mile loop and see how it feels. Even when I go for the 7 mile loop with my single-speed, I notice how much more I have to work for the same given loop than the geared Surly.
#71
I only shift under duress
I can understand the appeal of fixed, but I don’t see myself flipping or flopping my hub. The ability to coast down a long or steep hill is too important for me.
I’ve mostly been riding SS for almost a year and recently sold my geared bikes, so now the best (I hope) days of singlespeed are only ahead for me!
Where I live, the landscape is quite undulating. Daily utility riding is generally flatish terrain; recreational riding is whatever I’m in the mood for.
But what I have noticed is how much my perception of the terrain has changed in the past months. Stuff I thought was off-limits at the beginning is now routinely part of my riding. For me, that’s one of the best parts of singlespeeding—an ever-expanding sense of what I am capable of.
I’ve mostly been riding SS for almost a year and recently sold my geared bikes, so now the best (I hope) days of singlespeed are only ahead for me!
Where I live, the landscape is quite undulating. Daily utility riding is generally flatish terrain; recreational riding is whatever I’m in the mood for.
But what I have noticed is how much my perception of the terrain has changed in the past months. Stuff I thought was off-limits at the beginning is now routinely part of my riding. For me, that’s one of the best parts of singlespeeding—an ever-expanding sense of what I am capable of.
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#72
Steel80's
Wow, I'm late to the party, and the thread announcing it's over! I'm having a late season kick with road biking, getting the bug again after doing some rail trail and MUP rides.
I was ahead of the fad 15 years ago, the owner of a LBS was into fixed riding, and he encouraged me to try it. I started off by just picking a gear on my road bike and pedaling non-stop on a ride, I decided he was crazy. But, people were discovering Sheldon Brown, and I found bikes to do conversions on, starting with an old Motobecane, and I was hooked.
From what I saw, the fad was over a few years ago. I gave up my last fixed gear, a Pista, 4 years ago. I had an incident with a front tire blowout 5 years ago, and decided I would stick with a safer, more relaxing bike.
I still think they're elegant machines (not the goofy riser-barred clown bikes) and I kind of hope I find one to dabble with again sometime.
I was ahead of the fad 15 years ago, the owner of a LBS was into fixed riding, and he encouraged me to try it. I started off by just picking a gear on my road bike and pedaling non-stop on a ride, I decided he was crazy. But, people were discovering Sheldon Brown, and I found bikes to do conversions on, starting with an old Motobecane, and I was hooked.
From what I saw, the fad was over a few years ago. I gave up my last fixed gear, a Pista, 4 years ago. I had an incident with a front tire blowout 5 years ago, and decided I would stick with a safer, more relaxing bike.
I still think they're elegant machines (not the goofy riser-barred clown bikes) and I kind of hope I find one to dabble with again sometime.