mtb_addict

hi,

i had a fixed gear roadbike back in the days, like 20 years ago. back then, i rode it on the road with very few stop lights. after one year, i switched back to gears, because i was doing alot of long group rides and MS150.

now, i got the itch to lace a fixed-gear wheel for my townie bike. it has 90 deg sweep back bars like those old English Raleigh Roadster.
but now, i live in urban area in China. And have to ride on the Mups alot. Have to dodge pedestrians alot. Have to stop for stop lights ALOT. On the road, lots of big trucks squeeze by you. i have to ride an hour before i get out to the suburb. according to local cycling group, the main route to suburb and back has over 100 stops (if you actually follow all traffic rules). alot of places, the law require you to push your bike across rail tracks and intersections.

question is, is all this stop and go going to make me hate fixie riding?

Rolla

Build that wheel with a flip-flop hub so you can ride with a singlespeed freewheel if fixed doesn't work for you.

sdimattia

How often do you plan to obey traffic laws . . . ?

The essence of a fixed gear (or so I've been told) is to figure out the best route that'll keep you moving and learn to flow around obstacles. A geared bike won't make the stops disappear so it shouldn't matter much whether you're riding fixed or geared. Only difference I can think of is if you're not running brakes, all that skidding will wear down the rear tire faster and a lower gear ratio might be required to make startups easier. Alternatively, you could make it a SS as someone suggested previously.

veganbikes

The question is more are you actually going to do this or is it like everything in the past where you want to go to an all you can eat buffet but just have a glass of water?

mtb_addict

i just saw cops writing tickets for cyclists not pushing their bikes across an intersection(on a Mup). So not obeying rules has high risk.

i see lots and lots of people on bikes run red lights here. i think difficult forcops to catch you. but i am not going to run red lights.

i definitely need a new wheel. whether its freewheel or fixed-gear. the current one is very rusty.

ethet 

For many, many kilometers everyday I ride a brakeless fixed-gear bike on city streets with occasional hops on and off a MUP to avoid freeways whilst strictly obeying stop signs and signals (a religion which has me sometimes track-standing for many minutes) and I love it... Indeed, the fluidity of riding fixed and the ease of track-stands and slowly approaching obstacles/pedestrians/intersections/weird cars with deftness and a direct and tangibly engaged drivetrain is what makes me love it so much. Also, by respecting cars and riding with their rules (along with deference to them when needed): we get along fine.

I like the stop-and-start nature of it, truly... The whole endeavor is fluid and stimulating, especially when fixed. I can imagine this sort of thing being pure torture for a roadie.

The MUP is nightmare for any cyclist, and my only two collisions (one destroying a frame, the other a rim) were due to horrific behavior on the part of someone riding a bicycle on the MUP: Which is why I stick to city streets as much as possible. Cars are much more predictable and reliable when it comes to the behavior of your neighbors on the road... Let's face it: Drivers are likely to be more experienced and have more to lose due to bonky behavior... The MUP is a murder zone of incompetence, obliviousness, and dog-walkers.

veganbikes

Why wouldn't you replace it with something similar but higher quality to what you have? Unless it is a single speed already get what will already work with the bike.

TomM

Time to hone your track standing skills!

mihlbach

I find frequent red light and stop signs to be annoying when riding brakeless with >75 gear inches. The high gear just requires a lot of unnecessary strain, stopping and accelerating, and in this situation, high gears aren't necessary. On the other hand, for me, a fixed gear in the ballpark of 70 gear inches is just fine for stop-and-go situations, and, in fact, may be less annoying than a geared bike, as it eliminates the constant shifting and makes trackstanding much easier than a freewheel bike. On the other hand, out on the open road, I prefer higher gears. It's all about finding a compromise that works best for you in all situations.

mtb_addict

yes!