[Closed] Is it worth owning a fixed gear road bike?

Honestly I think you have to be off your trolley to make things needlessly complicated in traffic. But ymmv of course.

I ride one to work and love it. I'd say it's simpler rather than more complicated.

I ride one around town and used to commute 6 miles on it. It is fun. It makes you think about how you are riding more and keeps you alert.
You'll get used to all the times you nearly fall off because you instinctively thought you could freewheel 🙂

Its another form of bicycling, another skill to master and its fun, what's not to like?
You will however be advised that death is imminent and that you are some kind of trend whore on cycling forums mind....ignore it.

No

Definately. When I was a lad ..... Etc etc. we all rode them as winter training bikes. After a twenty year break I got one again and love it. I do just potter about on it but often take it to London to buzz about on. It's what kayak said. I've even got a 3 speed fixed hub built up so I can cope with hillier terrain..

Give it a go if you can easily. I had a go and hated it even on flat East Midlands roads. Just didn't get it. Luckily my bike had a flipflop hub so it was easy to go back to a freewheel.

It's just another bike, isn't it? It's my bike of choice at the moment over the others in the shed, find it fun, simpler and certainly makes me think more about different aspects of cycling - e.g. braking, choosing lines, speed and cadence. It's no better or worse than other bikes. If you can borrow one to have a few shots on then fab, or build one up from bits lying around, before opting to buying something you might not get on with. I'm on my second (first one stolen from garden) and both have been self-builds, current one is some old chrome frame that originally took 27" wheels.

The first try I had a squirrel tried to run between the wheels, I crapped myself and stopped pedalling, that was interesting and terrifying and didn't try it again for a while after that. I found you only really forget not to freewheel a couple of times. I also found when I started really getting back into it that drifting off to sleep at night I used to get a spinning sensation in my legs, and find it strange freewheeling on geared bikes now so in a way I think it's stopped some lazy cycling techniques.

My grandad rode one from Fauldhouse to the opening of the Kincardine Bridge, then back again, cos that was his bike, nowt to do with being trendy.

Yes, nothing complicated about it...first couple of journeys may require a bit more concentration but it feels very natural very quickly 🙂

For many it is fun. If you train on it I think it can help your pedaling. I had one for a year in my yoof, wouldn't bother now, but I have one bike for commuting and training, and it's too hilly here.

It's all I ride on the road -long distance and commuting. I love it-weird at first, but then just seems to make sense!

DrP

Yup, fixies fun but I think for short stop start stuff only, city riding. Anything long distance and I think it would get boring.

I've had a couple. They're fine. Certainly no more difficult than a normal bike once your legs remember what to do.
Fine for hills too if you're mucho man. Going downhill is hilarious.

Distance? I rode 180 miles across the Pennines in a day on a fixie along the trans-Pennines trail and rode 204 miles in a day around Cheshire and merseyside. I think they're fine for that.

I have a Paddy Wagon for riding to work (through bike to work scheme years ago). Rode it fixed for a couple of commutes and realised that it wasn't for me... Good news is that you just need to flip the rear hub and you've got a singlespeed!
Ok depending on what you buy, you might conceivably have to purchase a screw on freehub... The point I'm trying to make is if you buy a fixed and don't like it you can easily turn it into a singlespeed (assuming you don't buy a true track frame with no way of mounting a rear brake of course!)

Did'nt mean to but I killed 4 freewheels in 2 months....so I drilled a hole in it and put a bolt through.That was a year ago.Need shorter cranks though.

It's defo worth riding to see what a smooth pedal stroke feels like - quite enlightening to try it out. Once you've done that, though, I can't think of really compelling reasons to ride fixed. You're sort of into intangibles like it's a chilled way of commuting, things like that.

As others have said, it's another element of cycling that's worth trying. Old school wisdom would have it that winter training on a fixed helps with souplesse, cadence work and strength. Depends on how you ride it I guess.

Put a proper brake on if you're riding in traffic though. 'Brakes are for fakes' is one thing, but smashing your face through a car back window is another 😉

I got a Genesis Day One as an insurance replacement for a stolen commuter bike. After fitting mudguards, slicks and a fixed sprocket I sold my geared road bike as I found it was lying unused in the shed. So yeah, well worth it.

take your time & dont do what i did & start sprinting because you will try to freewheel which if done at speed can result in a trip over the bars & a trip to A&E with a dislocated shoulder & torn ligaments & 3 months of work & the embarresment 🙄

Fixed gear road bikes are suitable for 3 kinds of people

Skinny latte drinking urban hipsters.
You will need flat bars cut down to 400mm. Grips, saddle and tyres MUST be colour coordinated,

Hard core roadies doing winter training.
You will need full mudguards, front and rear brakes and a spare tyre wrapped in a tool roll fixed behind your saddle with an old toe strap.

Graeme Obree
You will need weird handlebars, a 137" gear and the ability to ride at 50mph. Brakes ? You're kidding right ?