Advice when riding a fixie for the first time
Discussion
Make sure you are going slow when you decide to indicate
Just bought a Langster and it came without a flip flop so being impatient took it as is. What a great way to get your exercise..I love it and it feels quite fast when it's in my sweet spot.
Nearly threw myself off it though at the first turn, I deffo can't do 100 rpm one handed yet
Just bought a Langster and it came without a flip flop so being impatient took it as is. What a great way to get your exercise..I love it and it feels quite fast when it's in my sweet spot.
Nearly threw myself off it though at the first turn, I deffo can't do 100 rpm one handed yet
Avoid going downhill at speed untill you can regulate your speed.
Going down Whitley Wood hill in the dark and only having a front brake I thought time to slow down now its getting a bit hairy. Everything said no. Not wanting to slam the one brake on and go over the handle bars there was nothing left to do but take my feet off the pedals and go down the hill like a nutter praying no cars would be at the roundabout at the bottom of the hill when I reach there.
I am fortunately still here so lesson well learned.
Going down Whitley Wood hill in the dark and only having a front brake I thought time to slow down now its getting a bit hairy. Everything said no. Not wanting to slam the one brake on and go over the handle bars there was nothing left to do but take my feet off the pedals and go down the hill like a nutter praying no cars would be at the roundabout at the bottom of the hill when I reach there.
I am fortunately still here so lesson well learned.
swerni said:
Celtic Dragon said:
Don't stop pedaling!
This. Think about what you're doing
Remember to take a slightly wider line on corners
Speed bumps are interesting
Learn to fart while pedaling.
I'm doing Paris to Amsterdam on mine next month, it's my favorite bike
Twas a shock I got over quite quickly and I now regulate my speed before I even consider taking my hands off the bars. I get the corner speed bit, mounting/dismounting is now no longer a problem...sussed that too
Managed 26mph tonight (47/17 700c) but I have to say it could have ended in tears real quick if I got out of sync (if that makes sense) learned already that at those rpms there is absolutely no way I could have got to the brakes unless my hands were already covering them.
Going to upgrade the brake blocks.
It is really surprising how often you do stop pedalling without realising it too.
Last thing to learn is a good look over the right shoulder before moving to the rhs of the road to turn right, I think its more a function of suppleness as I don't bend round far enough yet for a good look whilst still frantically pedalling all over the shop
.I may still get the flip flop but until I scare myself I shall enjoy it
swerni said:
Speed bumps are interesting
Soon after I got my fixie, I went down Camberwell Grove in South London - nt particularly steep but long and with speed bumps. Spinning like a hamster on a wheel, hit one of the speed bumps, shoes cames out of the cleats. All I could do was look down at the pedals spinning away beneath me with my legs held high.
Corners too. Pedalling around corners felt very wrong at first, particularly when you realise how close the pedal pointing into the corner gets to the ground.
swerni said:
This.
Think about what you're doing
Remember to take a slightly wider line on corners
Speed bumps are interesting
Learn to fart while pedaling.
I thought I was the only one.... Think about what you're doing
Remember to take a slightly wider line on corners
Speed bumps are interesting
Learn to fart while pedaling.
My fixed gear tries to kill me at least once every journey. That split second when someone steps out, 35+ years of freewheel luxury kicks in and you try, momentarily, to stop pedalling....
For the uninitiated the nearest analogy I can think of is the feeling when you go to drive off and the car is in reverse and you thought it was in first (or vice versa) - shock/panic/foolishness all in one split second.
dave_s13 said:
Excuse my ignorance but is this a bike that doesn't freewheel at all? Similar to what we saw used in the olympic velodrome?
I can't think of anything worse than not being able to freewheel on my bike. What's the attraction?
Yes.I can't think of anything worse than not being able to freewheel on my bike. What's the attraction?
"Fixed" means there is no freewheel; single speed just means no derailleurs/other variable gearing.
I think the stories related already have explained the attraction: suicide.
dave_s13 said:
Excuse my ignorance but is this a bike that doesn't freewheel at all? Similar to what we saw used in the olympic velodrome?
I can't think of anything worse than not being able to freewheel on my bike. What's the attraction?
Try it and you will find out. (Or you will hate it. That happens too)I can't think of anything worse than not being able to freewheel on my bike. What's the attraction?
Basically riding a fixed gear is all kinds of awesome. It's like the Alfasud 1.3 of bicycles.
I've been riding fixed gears for five years now and have sold my touring bike, and am about to sell my road bike, because I'd always rather take the fixed gear.
.Adam. said:
Just building up my first ever road bike, and am going for a single speed/fixie. Think I will go somewhere quiet for my first visit ride! Going fixed/freewheel so can singlespeed somewhere then have a practice at fixed.
You can't practice it, imagine yourself as a trainee WW2 fighter pilot, nothing will ready you for the real thing.Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff