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just curious as to how many of us Clydesdales & Athenas ride fixed gears, and if you do, post a pic of what you ride.
here's my late 80's Fuji Saratoga. 46/16 gearing.

chefisaac

I am curious: why ride a fixed gear? Honest question

Mithrandir

Challenge, heritage, feeling "oneness" with the bike.


I don't have one, but I want one eventually. Just have to lose weight or else I'll never make it up any hills. I think the first bike I build by myself will be a fixie for simplicity.

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the reasons Mithrandir posted are some of them for sure.
it feels really amazing climbing hills, riding 40+ miles, and keeping up with roadies completely under my own leg strength, rather than relying on gearing to help me out. I dont do sw8 skidz and whatnot; i just ride fixed because i enjoy it more.

Cyril 

Here's mine.

maidenfan

I converted my commuter to a single speed a month or two ago and am now having a fixed gear wheel built - I just enjoy the way it makes my legs feel. Climbing sucks at first, but you get used to it. Reason for the fixed gear switch - I think there is some value to learning to pedal a bike more efficiently when you cant coast and I'd like to start riding at the local track.

IthaDan 

I have two, but I usually ride them singlespeed. The hills here are tough on my knees and I'm too lazy to flip the wheel at the base of a hill.

Late 80s giant rx930, stripped down to bare steel with a grab bag of spare road parts that were in my garage (cheap amazon wheels)-



It's been through a couple iterations:





IRO mark V bought as a frameset and back wheel with a stuck seatpost, also built up from a pile of spare parts.



Artsy fartsy:

skilsaw

Occasionally I'll see a fixed gear bike without any brakes.
The rider slows down by putting back pressure on the pedals... Not pedaling backwards, like the old coaster bikes, but by slowing the pedals down.

For road riding, this arrangement seems inherently dangerous to me.
But it is suitable for bicycle track racing where everyone is going in the same direction, and there is no other traffic to be aware of.

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i like those bikes IthaDan. Skilsaw, yeah i don't get the whole 'no brakes' thing either. i ride with a front brake and am glad i do.

Mr. Beanz

Nothing wrong with them but nothing that interests me though.

What makes me laugh are the simplicity claims. Yeah I understand the concept but I've had several fixie riders ask me to borrow tools. One guy had to adjust his seat after installing a new set up. So you go do a ride knowing you will need to adjust your seat but you don't take any tools? His response, we don't carry seatpacks for the simplicity of it.

Then another group of 15.... I am not exaggerating, 15 fixie riders asked to borrow my pump. Uh.... 15 and no pump? We don't carry a pump for the simplicity of it. Then they asked if I had a ratchet set because their wheels were bolted on no quick release, ha ha! Uhh no!

Simple is good but tooooo simple? Not!

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^ hence the reason why i at least carry a flat repair kit with co2. i needed it yesterday, however, i had too many issue with the tube, and had to walk 5.5 miles home. now i will be carrying an extra tube with me haha

CommuteCommando

I'm fat, fifty something, and ride is this neighborhood. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/1525168 . Also, I look ridiculous enough in spandex and a helmet. I would have a hard time puling it off in skinny jeans, a funky little hat and messenger bag.

Other than that, it sounds like fun.

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it isn't just for the skinny jean, "funny hat" wearing, messenger bag having person. im 275lbs and use my fixed gear for excersize and generally getting around to places within a 20 mile radius of me.
the "sponser" spandex wearing group are just as bad, if not worse, than the hipsters on fixed gears. I nod and wave all the time at other cyclists, and i'd say 20% of the time do i get a nod or wave back from some roadie in his full get-up. they must be getting their "Strava" on!! haha
not trying to start an argument or anything

CommuteCommando

I agree. With me it is all about comfort and function. I do not own a single piece of Pearl Izumi (Totally requisite with the full dresser crowd). I don't pretend to have sponsorship. I wear the stuff for reasons other than fashion.

maidenfan

Same experience here and I'm in one of the biggest bike towns there is (Portland, Or). I've found, especially in the city, some very stupid people riding their bikes very stupid places (like right down the middle of a busy street when they could go one street over and have it to themselves).

youcoming

I drive a car to but don't wave at anybody...lol Honestly I wave at everybody on a bike most wave back some don't no biggie. As for riding fixed....you're all nut's, single speed sure but fixed not a chance. I'd struggle to get up some of the hills I ride but not way I could go down 20% on a fixed gear. Had a guy in our club try it...the hills named after him now after his spectacular bone crushing flying through the air, ride in an ambulance afterwards, deecent...

CJ C

do single speeds count in this thread? tried Fixed but like SS for the coasting aspect

chefisaac

I could not climb on a fixed gear. I dont know how you all do it.

DCB0

I don't think they should. The inability to coast is what makes fixies an animal unto themselves.

jyossarian

Click the IRO link in my sig to see my FG. You'll notice the rack, fenders and front brake. Mine is the daily do-it-all bike. Commuting, errands, transportation, occasional organized rides like the 5BBT or MS Bike Tour, etc. I don't use it for mtb'ing and I don't use it for super long rides unless the wind's at my back and the route is flat.

Why ride FG? At first it was a good workout, a challenge, fun, simplicity. Now it's just habit. I don't seek out huge climbs, but if I get caught having to climb, I just stand up and climb. On long descents I either brake to control speed or I fixie coast (unclip and rest your feet on the chain stays or downtube. You learn to control your speed w/o using the brake by letting your legs go slack to scrub some speed which leads to riding smoothly while keeping a decent pace. Your high, low and average pace are closer together than they'd be on a roadie.

As for FG's making you pedal better, that's a myth. If you're not careful, it'll give you a sloppy pedal stroke because you relax on the backside of the stroke instead of pulling back, up and pushing through. To make you pedal better, concentrate on pedaling better no matter what bike you're on. I will say I can spin higher speeds comfortably seated than before so I find myself shifting gears less on my other bikes.

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jyossarian, i love a purpose built bike, only thing i would personally change are the bullhorns.
i was skeptical about fixed gears for so long, wondering how anyone could ride like that, they must be crazy, etc.... then i bought my Fuji, which was already fixed. planned to put a freewheel on the other side of the hub, never got around to doing that so i just started riding it fixed and seriously have never looked back. sure, if you ride 40 miles you have to pedal for every foot of it, but you can relax on a fixed gear if you need to, you sort of just let your legs be taken round by the pedals. and as for downhills, having a front brake is a must. I was on a group ride a while back, and we went down a steep, long hill, i was pedaling faster than i ever have before! but i was lightly on the brake as well to control my decent.
as for the waving/nodding thing; i understand cars not waving at each other, but riding a bike is like a motorcycle, and motorcyclists have that wave they do to each other where they put up two fingers to say, "we're on two wheels, not 4, we need to stick together" type of thing. i guess i dont really mind not being waved/nodded at, but on the other hand, we're a smaller group of people and most drivers in cars are bat***** crazy

SRR

My 2006 Langster Comp. Handlebar setup will vary, and has a different saddle on it.

Mark Stone

Whenever I'm running around on youtube I always end up watching videos of people riding their fixies. To me it's fascinating, and I like the look of the bikes. I don't know if I want one, though

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here's my other bike, a Felt Curbside. new drop bars are on the way:

DukeRyder

I hope none of you wear skinny jeans

I always liked the idea of getting a single speed for beating around town, but after they became "hip", I decided against it. Never wanted "Fixed" as I'd probably break my friggin neck.