poopipe Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 does anyone ride one of these things? I need a commuter* and I'm not one to make life easy for myself so this whole fixie thing sounds ideal. are there any disadvantages to riding one that I may not have anticipated (apart from the whole getting tired thing)?I'd be interested in purchasing if anyone has an old semi-decent quality steel roadie frame lying about - I'd have to wait til the mod's gone so in no way is this a wanted thread but it'd be nice to know if there was one out there.anyway, yeah . ta *I've been passing the bmx off to the missus as a means of commuting but I'm gonna flog my mod so I can transfer the bmx into fun bike position and fill the gap with a fixie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fixed Pants™ Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 i had a go on my mates decent specced fixie, kinda weird for the first 30 seconds and then its fine, can go pretty fast and theyre cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Bleech Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 A guy that works in Edinburgh Bikes in Leeds has one, he is in hospital at the moment because he got hit by a dump truck. He couldn't stop in time! He ran a front brake too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poopipe Posted July 16, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 A guy that works in Edinburgh Bikes in Leeds has one, he is in hospital at the moment because he got hit by a dump truck. He couldn't stop in time! He ran a front brake too...I'd just been considering the whole stopping thing in a bit more detail but given that i've been riding with no brakes on the bmx for a while and im not dead yet I figure I'll be alright. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Bleech Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 I'd just been considering the whole stopping thing in a bit more detail but given that i've been riding with no brakes on the bmx for a while and im not dead yet I figure I'll be alright.I suppose this guy does ride clipless as well, couldn't really jump off easily. Might be worth considering flats just to make bailing easier!With a fixed though, you can't really just jam your foot on the tire as easily i suppose, because the other foot is still going round. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tank_rider Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 The guy i sit next to at work rides 40 miles a day on a fixie. Very good for training etc and for making you pedal smoothly. He runs a front brake and has no problems with stopping, no more than any other road bike. You learn to slow your legs down to brake, means lots of control etc.Make sure the frame you get has adjustment so you can get a good chain tension as you need to keep it tight to prevent it falling off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poopipe Posted July 16, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 (edited) I was definitely thinking flats, I've fallen off bikes enough times to know the value of getting as far away as possible from the big spinning pile of metal when it does happen. hadn't properly thought about the chain tensioning thing so nice one for that.I'm getting all excited now. anyone want to buy a mod ? Edited July 16, 2007 by poopipe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janson Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 fixie without spd/toe clips is dangerous. imagine if the foot comes off the pedal at speed, it will get mashed by the crank and pedal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomm Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 fixie without spd/toe clips is dangerous. imagine if the foot comes off the pedal at speed, it will get mashed by the crank and pedal.Plus if your foot comes out, you have no real way of slowing down. The other thing that scares me is that sometimes when I'm thrashing the pedals (Usually to try and draft a bus), I come unclipped. I reckon this would be REALLY sketchy if I had fixed gear. I'd like to try though.Can I convert my road bike to fixed? Or do you need horizontal dropouts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark W Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 Don't see why you couldn't mash a Rohloff/DMR/Heatsink/prefered brand style tensioner on instead of a mech? Or even just make like a real trials rider and lock out a mech? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fixed Pants™ Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 http://www.trials-forum.co.uk/forum/index....st&id=15520Sorted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomm Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 http://www.trials-forum.co.uk/forum/index....st&id=15520Sorted.I have one of them, almost exactly the same. It's an old Shimano mech (almost as bad as that one) with the cage taken off and replaced with a jockey wheel. Worked fine on my trials bike until recently I swapped it for gears. Didn't realise anyone else had done the same thing! But I could whack it on the road bike. What sort of ratio do people use?EDIT: Now all I need to do is get a new wheel, or lock out my existing freehub... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janson Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 You can't fixie a derailleur, or tensioner. Imagine what happens when braking.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomm Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 You can't fixie a derailleur, or tensioner. Imagine what happens when braking....Go on...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinJI Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 You apply backwards preasure to the pedals, putting tension through the lower section of chain, pulling the derailier up taught, and creating a load of slack in the chain at the top, causeing the chain to fall off and you to mash yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walleee Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 My granda has a fixie in his loft, some 1940's race beast no doubt, I'll be taking it ouf for a rip when I can be arsed to get it down.I was going to take it and bring it to uni with me, but I wouldn't want to wreck it it's more of a piece of art than a bike now.the bicycle messengers are on crack video is on fixies as far as I remember?I love youtube!! Youtube Video -> ">" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fixed Pants™ Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 (edited) I have one of them, almost exactly the same. It's an old Shimano mech (almost as bad as that one) with the cage taken off and replaced with a jockey wheel. Worked fine on my trials bike until recently I swapped it for gears. Didn't realise anyone else had done the same thing! But I could whack it on the road bike. What sort of ratio do people use?EDIT: Now all I need to do is get a new wheel, or lock out my existing freehub...by cage do you mean two jockey wheel bit?i cut it in half (closer to the jockey wheel i wanted to keep and just did it all up again, was a barstool to do though, with a jnr hacksaw and pliers.oh, bugger, very true janson, dyjhiw Edited July 16, 2007 by Fat Pants Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janson Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 You apply backwards preasure to the pedals, putting tension through the lower section of chain, pulling the derailier up taught, and creating a load of slack in the chain at the top, causeing the chain to fall off and you to mash yourself.And the derailleur to go KABOOOOOM.edit: Go ahead and test it on any mountain bike or roadie bike. Zip tie the cassette to the spokes. DO NOT RIDE IT as it will not work for riding, but to demonstrate the principle.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan6061 Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 So you're just constantly pedaling? Steep hills must be fun...Meh, i'm too new skool for all that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poopipe Posted July 16, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 clips sound more dangerous to me than a pedal in the calf and surely slowing down in that situation is no different from brakeless bmx + hill (ie. put your feet on the ground and stand up). I guess it might be worth whacking a front brake on for safety's sake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishy Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 Pussy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomm Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 You apply backwards preasure to the pedals, putting tension through the lower section of chain, pulling the derailier up taught, and creating a load of slack in the chain at the top, causeing the chain to fall off and you to mash yourself.Oh yes The answer is... Phantom cog!by cage do you mean two jockey wheel bit?Yes. But I unscrewed the 'cage' rather than sawing it off, and attached a jockey wheel there instead. I can't find it though, but it worked a treat.surely slowing down in that situation is no different from brakeless bmx + hill (ie. put your feet on the ground and stand up).Yeah but on a road bike your seat is up high and it's much easier said than done. I was riding my mate's road bike in the pouring rain and the brakes didn't work, had to brake using my feet. It's soooo much harder than on a BMX. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poopipe Posted July 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2007 Pussy you're right. I'm sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bionic Balls Posted July 17, 2007 Report Share Posted July 17, 2007 i've done this ..i cycle through west london to college on me ol mountain bike but i shagged the rear wheel before christmas..only had a fixed deore hub spare so i've been using that..middle gear..using a mech for tension (i really use the front brake to slow down...but the chain sag isn't enough to "mash meself" as someone wrote above..i can stop using backpedalling- but it's harder than you think!)feeels weird...sometimes forget and nearly castrate meself but as long as you remember to sit down at all times you can't really fall off...try it!adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muel Posted July 17, 2007 Report Share Posted July 17, 2007 fixie without spd/toe clips is dangerous. imagine if the foot comes off the pedal at speed, it will get mashed by the crank and pedal.My Dad rides on LOOK pedals on his fixed Niel Orrel, they are the equivilant of SPDs. He has crashed a few times on road bikes over the years and his feet have always come out. He still got hurt more times than he did on his mountain bike though...I might be able to sort you out with a bike if you want, he has far too many. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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