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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)

Why fg/ss?

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Old 11-01-11, 06:19 PM
  #1  
jimmytango
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Why fg/ss?

Why do you guys ride FG/SS as opposed to having gears? Personally, as a former BMX kid, I'm just not used to having gears so I got an SS. When my FW started having issues, I switched to FG and haven't looked back. Why did you guys choose the discipline of cycling that makes steep ascents/decents hard at best and impossible at worst?
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Old 11-01-11, 06:21 PM
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Sometimes, I ask myself why, and the only reason I can find other than "I just enjoy riding fixed" is that the simplicity of the drivetrain is unparalleled(other than to an unicycle, I suppose). I like thing that just work, and a fixed gear bike is one of those things.
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Old 11-01-11, 06:23 PM
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Because Sheldon said it would be fun. He was right.
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Old 11-01-11, 06:23 PM
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Because my freewheel on my road bike got gummed up and stopped coasting. I thought fixies were cool and wanted to give it a try. Now I do it because I think it's a fun challenge, I like the "community", and I've always been a fan of elegance through simplicity.

edit: Ti Member 3x combo!!
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Old 11-01-11, 06:29 PM
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For me riding fixed feels like my whole body is part of the bike. I know a lot of people say that "zen" feeling is a stupid concept, but I actually feel it. You resist the pedals, the bike slows down. Also, for some reason a fixed gear bike feels more nimble to me as well. The whole feeling truly cannot be put into one word.


Edit: make that 4x!
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Old 11-01-11, 06:33 PM
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I like riding fixed, but I've also been wanting to build up a road bike.
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Old 11-01-11, 06:38 PM
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i like all bieks. but cuz i like to go slow, i ride FG
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Originally Posted by yummygooey
crabon/campy/rapha/roadie-bro.

next step is recumbent.




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Old 11-01-11, 06:48 PM
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Originally Posted by yummygooey
I like riding fixed, but I've also been wanting to build up a road bike.
I said it once but I will say it again:

CAAD10 FTW.
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Old 11-01-11, 06:59 PM
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I roll both ways
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Old 11-01-11, 07:03 PM
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Originally Posted by homebrewk
I said it once but I will say it again:

CAAD10 FTW.
Got a Ti frame hanging in my closet waiting for some SHRAM.
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Old 11-01-11, 07:09 PM
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Nice. Rival is just as good as anything else for training/light racing IMHO.
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Old 11-01-11, 07:11 PM
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I'd be super stoked to have a Rival group.
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Old 11-01-11, 07:32 PM
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troll CL, i got complete group for 400
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Originally Posted by yummygooey
crabon/campy/rapha/roadie-bro.

next step is recumbent.




my bikes | bike blog | beer blog | work 1 | work 2
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Old 11-01-11, 07:33 PM
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I get asked this at work too. I don't have a reasonable answer that makes sense. My staple answer is "I just like it". If they want to ask more questions I do my best. It was so long ago when I first tried it that I honestly don't remember what it was that made it stick. To be fair, I ride fixed and geared equally these days although ~7 years ago it was almost 100% fixed.
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Old 11-01-11, 07:43 PM
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I do it because they FG/SS's are great for commuting and being locked up; no fears of gears and whatnot getting bumped by other people/ bikes.
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Old 11-01-11, 07:58 PM
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i love FG for the beautiful simplicity of operation. less is more.

i've had roadies/mtb/cruisers, but FG is very much my drug of choice. just sorry it took me so long to discover/try it.
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Old 11-01-11, 08:05 PM
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Originally Posted by jdgesus
troll CL, i got complete group for 400
CL here blows. I'm hoping I end up in Seattle for my internship so you can teach me your CL ways.
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Old 11-01-11, 08:10 PM
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hurry! SO RONNERY
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Originally Posted by yummygooey
crabon/campy/rapha/roadie-bro.

next step is recumbent.




my bikes | bike blog | beer blog | work 1 | work 2
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Old 11-01-11, 08:14 PM
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Originally Posted by jdgesus
hurry! SO RONNERY
It's only obligatory.
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Old 11-01-11, 09:00 PM
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I'm a BMX kid too, and I like to work on my own bikes, so gears seemed like a bit too much to just sort of jump into. Soon enough though. And like homebrewk said, theres a sort of 'zen' feeling of connectedness to your bike that just feels really good.
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Old 11-01-11, 09:13 PM
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Ha I was going to post the exact same question!

I ride fixed because I can bash the bike around without worrying about my gears getting messed up or my derailuer not acting properly
I have slightly perfectionist qualities, so I can't bear it when my gears aren't shifting properly (my road bike that I ride occasionally shifts like a beauty) I can just hop on my fixie and go. I dislike the clipping in that i'm obliged to do so, but hey it's a good trade off.

Also, fixies generally looks way more simplistic and fashionable then your standard road or mountain bike.
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Old 11-01-11, 10:45 PM
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Because there isn't a hill within 25 miles of me.

And it's fun.
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Old 11-01-11, 10:49 PM
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I got my fixed gear because I crashed my road bike and had nothing else to ride. Now I just ride it because it's fun and easy to maintain. I really like the simple look of SS/FG
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Old 11-01-11, 11:05 PM
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I live in about the worst terrain for single speed (short, steep hills ad nauseum) but I have a cruiser with low gearing that I can ride through the country with ease. I get up hills without problems, and it keeps me from trying to spin like mad on downhills because I run out of gearing.

It may be slower than my geared bikes, but it forces me to relax. There's no planning hill attacks, I just pedal.
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Old 11-01-11, 11:11 PM
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...because i have more than one bike. when was it a binary choice between fg/ss and gears?
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