Just finished fixing up a NoLogo skinny wheel Single speed/fixie/flip flop thingymajig that was gifted to me
To be honest, I never much saw the point in them other than cycle couriers in London or hipsters hoping to look cool…terrible point of view I realise and apologies for any offence caused but these are the only people I have ever seen riding them…
Oh how wrong…these things are awesome! And quick, so quick, tried it out on my 15 mile (each way) commute today and am so impressed/surprised for what they are it’s in danger of becoming my main commuter…
Question…
riding with Strava on, I’ve managed to effortlessly take a good 4-5 minutes off of my long standing best time(s) for the same route(s)
Phone was in my pocket where as usually in my saddle bag or back pack so could feel it continually bouncing away in my pocket as I went along, would this extra movement in my pocket contribute to the quicker times? Or is this, as I’m thinking, just either a good run or a flukey kind of coincidence?!
Currently searching the web for an answer on this but nothing solid yet…
No. It might for something which counts steps but not for something which works off GPS. It knows you were here at this time and there at that time, that's how it knows how far you went and what speed you did it at, nothing to do with motion sensors. You are just faster.
Welcome to the fixed club !
Post needs pics I’ll start 😉
My commuter beater and my long abused Kona just had revamp to use on good days
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@andrewh mostly as I suspected but was keen to clarify…getting faster it is then…
@plus-one Thankyou for the welcome!
Will get some better pictures but this is the best I have currently after removing all seized parts, cleaning, regreasing and then rebuilding, a bit rough and ready at the minute but since I’ve decided she’s definitely a keeper…looking at replacements for the still rusty bits and an email sent to the local powder coaters to confirm price for frame and forks…
First time on single speed? I've not ridden a Fixie (well, once) but I'm much faster on my single speed MTB.
There will be either something funny going on with recording or you were just trying harder but not realising it.
I rode pretty much only fixed gear bikes for last 20 years and only really stopped last August. I have a lot of ride data when riding fixed over last 9 years of Strava on the same routes and segments and have lived where I live for 23 years and always ride from the door.
Started on a road bike in August and pretty much every ride on every route/segment previously ridden on fixed gear I got a PB. Swapped all the parts over to a CX frame and tyres in January and then same again and pretty much every off road ride on every route/segment previously ridden on fixed gear I got a PB on geared CX bike.
If you have a shortish hill where you by chance have an ideal gear on fixed then you could be faster up that hill as they are more efficient (and much lighter if you have a nice one). At all other times it will be slower.
The data doesn't lie and the fact I am faster (at age 54) on geared bike than I was at any time on fixed gear when up to 9 years younger is telling.
I love a singlespeed (currently have two) but couldn’t get on with a fixie, had a On One Pompino fixie a while back and ended up swapping it to singlespeed freewheel to save my knees.
Nice fixie!
I think on a good flattish route, they are proper ‘blat machines’!
I used to smash out a 5 mile run through Pompey in about 12 minutes! I’d be a mess at the end..often skidding onto the train with a bit of vomit in my mouth!!!
Nice to see you’re running both brakes too…I’ve no idea how anyone can control one without brakes!
DrP
I’ve no idea how anyone can control one without brakes!
As I had none I would say very easily. Develop the skills (while having a front brake) and then remove it.
A time and a place for it though - I wouldn't ride brakeless through towns/cities/built up areas but then I don't live in those places.
I wouldn’t ride brakeless through towns/cities/built up areas
Which is where most of the brakelessness goes!!!!
I freely admit, i never tried too hard to learn as I always had brakes~!
DrP
Which is where most of the brakelessness goes!!!!
Fair point. I found it much better fun off road than on road.
Around 2013 I ride my Fixie from roughly the middle of Germany to London via Rotterdam.
Thinking I would follow the Main and Rhein rivers and that it'll be pretty flat. Lots of bits of the Rhein bike path around Cologne are not flat.
Not being able to freewheel for a week left me walking around doing an impression of a cowboy. Never again.
@spooky_b329 currently have it in the freewheel side but tempted to try fixed one day if only for the fits and giggles, have now started the search for SS suitable MTB frames to add to the collection
I think @kerley and @andrewh are right, wouldn’t make a difference if my phone was bouncing around in my pocket or not, thanks for the insight(s) guys
@alpin despite the general discomfort, sounds like an excellent trip all the same
@DrP @kerley I think I’m good with brakes ha ha as you can see from the wheels though, I’m not sure the front has ever been used by the previous owner
I've got a Genesis Day One in the shed that is waiting for some new bits. I'm heading down the tracklocross route with some knobblies and riser bars! Off road brakeless sounds entertaining.
I have an old Charge Plug, it's great for bombing around town, beautifully uncomplicated. Hills are a proper challenge though both up and down, as the braking on mine is utterly useless (have some old rim brakes) so you have to think a little further ahead about stopping!!
uurgh
being as i cant sell my saracen levarg.. im tempted to try it out.. no idea when id ride it though 😀
I enjoy mine, Charge Plug alloy setup wither SSCX with 700x42C tyres, or as tourer/commuter with racks, mudguards and 32c slicks. And a Vitus Six setup as a track bike that can be ridden to/from the velodrome. I'm still not convinced it's possible to comfortably fart whilst riding one.
PSA for anyone who wants some carbon bars for the price of a decent set of secondhand aluminum ones. https://sportandleisure.com/products/pro-vibe-carbon-track-bars-420mm-31-8mm-lightweight-carbon-bars Not suitable for brake levers although I'm running cross-tops on them as they're quick to take on/off.
I commuted fixed for about 7 years. Proper dropped bars, two brake levers (needed them) and panniers and guards. Made total sense as an all weather bike. Low maintenance too.
i got one of those no logo' last year second hand. checked everything i though and seemed good. got home and realised i didn't check the seat post and low and behold it's rusted in. going to have a proper go at removing it this week. it's slightly to low for me in it's current position which is annoying!
@tommyhine I had exactly the same issue with mine, spent near three days spraying with penetration oil and trying to turn, nothing, after lots of advice on here through a thread I started regarding this issue
Heat…and lots of it, what I did…
-Spray with oil
-Heat the seat post (not bike frame seat tube) just the post, with a blow torch
-Cooled down very quickly with the hose
-Tried to twist
Did this three or four times and it came loose enough to remove, whether the two or so days beforehand of soaking with oil help or not I can’t say but the above method worked in less than an hour
Have considered a charge plug many times when I’ve seen them go for less than £100 on eBay but was unsure if I’d use it, can honestly say, on one hand, should’ve done it but on the other, my reluctance paid off with a freebie
I absolutely love it, “the flip flop” has now become my commuter and I’m starting to wonder what to do with my “other” (geared) commuting machine
Only thing I feel the need to change (in time) wider bars, thicker grips, clipless pedals
Upside down frame and PlusGas down the seat tube for 24 hours should help @tommyhine
As @thisisnotaspoon mentioned…
Anyone else find it impossible to fart whilst seated on a bike?! Or is that just me?!
Only thing I feel the need to change (in time) wider bars, thicker grips, clipless pedals
You'll need clipless when you move to fixed donslow. SS freewheel is decent for working out your gear ratio, getting started etc but once you're riding the fixed flow-state you won't go back.
Anyone else find it impossible to fart whilst seated on a bike?
One of the many things you will learn to do when riding fixed gear. Being able to spin at 200rpm is probably the best thing you will develop.
I should probably stop looking at this thread as am now starting to look through the fixed gear frames for sale on eBay and have only been without one for a year.
once you’re riding the fixed flow-state you won’t go[s] back.[/s] around corners leant over.
Ftfy
Fixed gear can be fun, but I nearly stacked it a few times forgetting about pedal clearance on the inside of corners 😳
I had a Charge Plug, but ended up building another one up out of the parts with a vintage frame I got out of a skip.
It's single speed now instead of fixed, using the flip-flop hub.
Lovely simple bike.
Why are toe straps/ clipless mandatory on fixie bikes or is it a hipster thing?
Some sort of foot retention is necessary - if your feet got bounced / slipped off the pedals for whatever reason you'd be out of control of the bicycle with the drivetrain spinning. This could be very bad going downhill, for example, esp as many riders don't run a back brake.
Why are toe straps/ clipless mandatory on fixie bikes or is it a hipster thing?
Partially safety. Imagine the mess those pedals will make of your legs if you slipped off them at 200rpm. Unlike the usual shin/calf gouges from flat pedals, on a fixie they'd not stop moving as they have the whole kinetic energy of the bike +rider pushing them round not just their own momentum.
Partially control, you need to be able to transition between pushing down on the front/back pedal smoothly. This is surprisingly clunky the first time you try it. And there's always going to be panicked moments you forget you cant stop pedaling (hitting a pothole, getting close passed) and almost lose it. Clips give you some margin for error as you can't just fall off the pedals.
Partially comfort, on a long gentle downhill you can just relax and let your legs spin round with the pedals. With flats you'd need to keep a constant downward pressure just to stay engaged.
Maybe it works for bike polo, or for the cruseriest of bikes somehwere flat. But not on a "road" bike.
i can't imagine anything worse than being stuck to a bike with the pedals spinning... in public...with 2 ton metal boxes around...
i can’t imagine anything worse than being stuck to a bike with the pedals spinning… in public…with 2 ton metal boxes around…
You don't have to enjoy everything 🤷♂️ if you don't like riding clipped in or fixed, why open a thread about it to tell people? FWIW if you've never ridden clipped, you get used to it quickly. If you've never ridden fixed, you also get used to that quickly.
I don't buy into the hyperbole surrounding it, but I do think it suits solo road riding, shorter winter riding, commuting, and a few other niches very well.
What make is the top one. Proportions look nice.
i didnt open a thread, i replied. up until this point i didn't realise it was such an advantage to be clipped in o na fixie.. i hadn't thought about it that much..
then i realised how sketchy it would be to me in pretty much any style of riding. except for cruising around with little momentum for things to go wrong quickly.
then i realised how sketchy it would be to me in pretty much any style of riding. except for cruising around with little momentum for things to go wrong quickly.
That's not a realization, that's just an assumption you've made in your head and not tested in the real world.
There's nothing particularly sketchy about riding fixed that isn't inherent to cycling in general.
Please excuse my ignorance, but I still don't get the advantage fixies and, to a lesser extent, single speeds.
I live in a very flat part of the country, but still on my commute I have many places where I have to stop to slow to a near halt. I change gear a lot even on the flat.
As an example of something I just cannot see the answer to: on my route there is a long flat path beside a canal. There is a sudden, very steep, turn over a bridge. I need to jump down about three gears to get over it - how would you manage this on a SS?
They look great, and I love simplicity, but I really dislike having to push so hard to start off, and even I - with my feeble top speed - would spin out sometimes.
What am I missing?
Providing you can keep pedalling up ramps, SS can be a bit of constructive power training. On a geared bike, you usually have the option of an easier gear.
There’s nothing particularly sketchy about riding fixed that isn’t inherent to cycling in general.
Beg to differ on that, given it a go a few times on my S/S general duties bike. Feels awkward and dangerous around town to me. But some people cope 🤷♂️ Got a freewheel on the other side of my hub and when I use that it's a revelation 😁. Obviously ride what you want but track riding aside I've never seen any advantage of riding fixie.
I live in a very flat part of the country, but still on my commute I have many places where I have to stop to slow to a near halt. I change gear a lot even on the flat.
As an example of something I just cannot see the answer to: on my route there is a long flat path beside a canal. There is a sudden, very steep, turn over a bridge. I need to jump down about three gears to get over it – how would you manage this on a SS?They look great, and I love simplicity, but I really dislike having to push so hard to start off, and even I – with my feeble top speed – would spin out sometimes.
Well, the advantage of that is you get fitter across a range of cadences so you can make those standing starts and short efforts. That applies equally to being able to do standing starts, not loosing speed when you hit the bottom of a hill (maintaining cadence by increasing power), and sprinting (being able to ramp up both power and cadence together).
It's a great way to get out of the rut a lot of people find themselves in of being stuck in Z2-Z3 doing ~90% FTP at a very limited range of cadences for their whole ride.
Over the last few weeks/months mines been pressed into:
25mile each way commute (Reading into Staines) which is fairly flat with a couple of short hills through Ascot and Windsor (2000ft total climbing).
10mile each way commute into Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. Basically flat with very small/short hills (300ft climbing).
Shropshire commute form Stoke to Market Drayton:
17 miles, everything from canal paths (with zig-zag bridges), flat roads, rolling hills (900ft climbing)
TBH Shropshire was pushing it a bit. Especially as I was carrying panniers. The average speed wasn't bad, but it was harder than 75 minutes sounds.
sadly the previous owner had i rammed so far down that there is no seat tube remaining 🙁
I've tried some freeze release spray yesterday but no luck. i'll get some of that plusgas and sink it all in and leave it for a day to see what happens.#
I've left it on the patio today which is currently over 50 degrees so maybe that heat will do the job. Otherwise it might be a good time to have a go at respraying a bit after i apply heat to the frame
Re the stuck setapost, go see TheSeatPostMan, he'll get it out and is a thoroughly nice chap. It'll be worth it in the end ....
https://theseatpostman.com/
Not tried the fixed side of the hub yet but I will do soon, if only for the fits and giggles
As someone above said, it seems to be great for training plans, I’m not on one myself but So far this week I’ve covered near 100 miles on it and my legs are starting to feel it a bit whereas my “regular” geared commuter, I wouldn’t sniff at 100 miles over 3-4 days so it must be doing something right, can’t complain though, it’s just so much fun to ride
The starting after a stop with slightly tired legs can be a bit of a chore but once you get going, the thing just flies…
Thankfully my regular commute isn’t too hilly, more a series of long inclines but I did attempt the big hill in my town the other day, just to see…
12% incline, give or take 0.4km climb, my best time on it with gears is 53 seconds (normally average around 1:05-1:10) doing it on a single speed is HARD and VERY slow but 1:24 isn’t too bad I don’t think, until you get to the top and have to physically check your legs are still attached…
Really noticing the lack of clipless pedals and genuinely didn’t realise how much I pull up when using them, until you do it on the flats and it looks like your foot has taken on a mind of its own
Fixed riding isn’t for everyone as is singlespeed. I rubbished it for years laughing at the stupidity !! I tried it on road(curious) was racing at the time. Wow just wow I was flying on my geared bikes after training/commuting fixed.
But as I say it’s not for everyone 🙌🏻
