# Going from multi geared to SS/FG bikes



## PSC (Mar 10, 2004)

I am curious who prefers there single speed (or FG) over there multi geared road bikes. Last year I did about 50% of my 6k miles on my SS. For some reason I just seem to have more fun on my SS. There has to be something said for just getting on a bike and pedaling and not worrying about shifting or maintainance of a multi geared bike. Curious how other people feel about the difference?


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

PSC said:


> I am curious who prefers there single speed (or FG) over there multi geared road bikes. Last year I did about 50% of my 6k miles on my SS. For some reason I just seem to have more fun on my SS. There has to be something said for just getting on a bike and pedaling and not worrying about shifting or maintainance of a multi geared bike. Curious how other people feel about the difference?


10+ years of my SS/Fixed riding vs geared...... I seriously doubt I'll ever change that


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

*different toys for different games*

I do more than half my miles on FG, mostly commuting. I like the FG; it's fun, and I like the simplicity. But for longer and hillier rides the regular road bike is better. I enjoy both.

If I lived in a flat place, I'd probably ride FG most of the time.


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## mushroomking (Sep 26, 2008)

Built up my first fixed gear about 2 years ago, sold it due to financial issues. I missed it dearly and built up another one a year later and I don't plan on letting this one go for a long time. I also converted my mountain bike to single speed and am not looking back.

I only ride my geared bike when it may be absolutely necessary(long rides, races).


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## Dan Hickey (Oct 10, 2011)

I put together a fixed gear and started riding it this summer. Haven't touched my geared bike since. Too much fun.


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## brads (Jan 22, 2012)

I don't understand why they are so much fun, please help me understand what all the fuss is about.


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## axlenut (Sep 28, 2010)

brads said:


> I don't understand why they are so much fun, please help me understand what all the fuss is about.


Hi, I think it has something to do with the minimalistic approach. It is very enjoyable to ride a simple bike. I also really like the finite speed control of the FG - can very the speed quite a lot and very quickly without the delay of reaching for the brake levers.

I ride a mix of fixed, SS and geared and love riding all of them. 

Later, Axlenut


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## brads (Jan 22, 2012)

Hmm.. Interesting, thanx for the reply


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## Dan Hickey (Oct 10, 2011)

I can't explain the feeling it has. I guess maybe more connectected to the bike and road.Give it a try.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

JCavilia said:


> If I lived in a flat place, I'd probably ride FG most of the time.


This....That's probably the main reason the majority of my riding is fixed or SS...


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

Dave Hickey said:


> This....That's probably the main reason the majority of my riding is fixed or SS...


But even in rolling terrain, fixed can be more satisfying than geared. There's a sense of accomplishment when you made it up a hill slightly overgeared, just as there is when you spun down a gentle but long descent at a slightly higher than comfortable cadence. Compare to that crawling up a hill in a 34 x 28 and soft-pedaling or coasting down that gentle descent: yawn.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

wim said:


> But even in rolling terrain, fixed can be more satisfying than geared. There's a sense of accomplishment when you made it up a hill slightly overgeared, just as there is when you spun down a gentle but long descent at a slightly higher than comfortable cadence. Compare to that crawling up a hill in a 34 x 28 and soft-pedaling or coasting down that gentle descent: yawn.


I love climbing fixed.....it's the descending that I hate.....I'm a wimp


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

Hold the phone, Dave! There a DAN Hickey now too?


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Pablo said:


> Hold the phone, Dave! There a DAN Hickey now too?


Yep.........we're taking over

I've never met Dan....Maybe a long, lost relative


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## saf-t (Sep 24, 2008)

Pablo said:


> Hold the phone, Dave! There a DAN Hickey now too?


There has been for a while- you just have to look for the references in Dave's posts


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

Dave Hickey said:


> I love climbing fixed.....it's the descending that I hate.....I'm a wimp


I know what you're saying. When my cadence goes into the 130s and the front end of the bike gets the shakes (or is it my eyeballs?), I'm wondering about having paid my monthly life insurance premium as well. In my previous post, I was talking more about a cadence just slightly above one you would choose on a geared bike for a couple of minutes or so. Feels good, to me anyway.


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## mushroomking (Sep 26, 2008)

Dave Hickey said:


> I love climbing fixed.....it's the descending that I hate.....I'm a wimp





wim said:


> I know what you're saying. When my cadence goes into the 130s and the front end of the bike gets the shakes (or is it my eyeballs?), I'm wondering about having paid my monthly life insurance premium as well. In my previous post, I was talking more about a cadence just slightly above one you would choose on a geared bike for a couple of minutes or so. Feels good, to me anyway.


Rolling hills are the most enjoyable for me. Love getting close to the bottom of a hill that runs straight out and spinning to a cadence you didn't think was possible, you shake and wiggle like your gonna go out of control for as long as you can hold it. 

That' what I enjoy.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

wim said:


> But even in rolling terrain, fixed can be more satisfying than geared. There's a sense of accomplishment when you made it up a hill slightly overgeared, just as there is when you spun down a gentle but long descent at a slightly higher than comfortable cadence. *Compare to that crawling up a hill in a 34 x 28 and soft-pedaling or coasting down that gentle descent: yawn*.


Of course, you don't have to do that. You can hammer up that hill, pop it into a bigger gear as you hit the crest, stomp it out of the saddle, shifting up until you're in your top gear, spinning up into the high 30's. And so on.

They're both good.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

brads said:


> I don't understand why they are so much fun, please help me understand what all the fuss is about.


Try it. You'll either get it pretty quick or hate it. Hard to explain. More than the simplicity. I have a theory. I will expound when I have more time.


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## Mingkishi (Feb 2, 2012)

I mainly do my commuting with my fixed/SS. But for long distance I get on the road bike. I ride my SS/FG more than my other bike.


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## bb1mina (Jul 21, 2010)

riding a fixed-gear bike is like meditating

just you and the bike and one gear

peaceful and stress-free

zen-like ;-)


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## Dan Hickey (Oct 10, 2011)

So true.


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

bb1mina said:


> riding a fixed-gear bike is like meditating
> 
> just you and the bike and one gear
> 
> ...


I'm sorry, I like riding my fixed gear bike and all, but that's a load of nonsense. Whatever stress and lack of peace one experiences on a bike is not the cause of multiple gears and the freewheel.


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## bb1mina (Jul 21, 2010)

yup, pablo, that's what my multi-geared friends tell me whenever i tell them why i ride my fixed-gear bikes

i come from a background of fixed gear bikes since childhood, more out of economic necessity than anything else

fixed gear cogs were so cheap way back, and since we lived in a flat place where the only elevation you can find is a short stretch of bridge, it was actually easy to get used to

i now ride a variety of bikes, from a fully rigid fixed-gear 29er mtb with disc brakes (!) to full-suspension multi-geared ones, and i'm now in the process of building my first fixed-gear skinny-tired drop-bar road bike (track-style bikes have been my dream since the 90's)

i love riding my fixed-gear bike the most because of its simplicity and directness


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

bb1mina said:


> riding a fixed-gear bike is like meditating
> just you and the bike and one gear
> peaceful and stress-free
> zen-like ;-)


I think there is something to that. I've noticed this: On the FG, I more often and more quickly get into that "zone" that runners describe, that feeling of movement being natural and automatic. It happens on multi-geared bikes, too, but more sporadically.

My theory: when you run, the speed at which you are moving is directly related to how your body is moving. Your pace and the length of your stride are the only variables affecting speed. You turn it over quicker or stride longer, and you go faster. The connection between what the body is doing and the resulting speed is constant. This produces some sort of harmony between the body and the sensory input.

On a multi-geared freewheeling bike, the relationship between leg speed and bike speed changes with every shift. When you coast, the connection is entirely broken. On the FG, by contrast, the relationship between leg speed and bike speed is constant. You go slower, you crank slower; you crank faster, you go faster. A freewheeling SS is similar, but doesn't quite get to the same place, because you break the connection every time you coast. On a FG ride, that mind-body synchrony is more like what you can get running (without the pounding), and it is constant for the whole ride, from first to last stroke. It does something to your brain that you just don't get with the other bikes.

Of course, this presupposes you can get used to the FG and its limitations. It is not a mindless process. Starting and stopping, and riding varied terrain, require some kinds of attention that are more difficult than riding a normal bike. But if you get to where those are somewhat automatic, that other thing kicks in.

There are moments on a FG ride when this really comes through. I especially notice it when accelerating from low speed. Slowing to a near-stop for traffic, then stomping on it. At 5 or 6 mph I'm turning 25-30 rpm; by the other side of a big intersection I'm up around 90 rpm, 20 mph. The feeling is so natural and straightforward, like sprinting away from a tight turn or obstacle on a trail run. The acceleration on a multi-geared bike is probably faster, because I can pick appropriate gears, but the feeling on the FG is unique.

Enough of that.


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## m_s (Nov 20, 2007)

I only have singlespeeds right now. My mountain bike and a SS cross bike/all rounder. I'm trying to decide if I want to build my geared cross bike back up. I have almost all the parts, I'm just not sure if I'll ride it. Eventually I'll have a geared bike again, for sure. But right now I'm pretty into not shifting.


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## Guest (Feb 19, 2012)

I currently have a geared road bike I use for most of my long fitness rides, as well as a singlespeed cyclocross bike I use for both commuting, and trail riding. I went with singlespeed for my commuter because it's often outside/exposed to the elements and cleaning a SS drivetrain is a lot more straightforward than "flossing" a 10sp cassette and a pair of derailleurs. 

One of the reasons I got a low-geared cyclocross bike in particular for commuting was I assumed that the low gearing (39/16) would act as a speed limiter so I wouldn't be 'racing' around town and arriving at my destination all sweaty. Turns out that line of reasoning failed miserably and I just trained myself to maintain efficient form at stupidly high cadence. I now commonly cruise around 21mph in a 39/16 (110rpm) and occasionally hit 27mph+ (140rpm+) at yellow-lights. 

I now also prefer these high cadences when riding my geared bike. When I first got a computer with cadence I found my overall average cadence was 80 (including climbs and accelerations from stops etc) and I'd usually be in the 90-95 range when cruising at steady speed at moderate to hard effort. 

Since commuting daily on my SS, my average cadence is now 95 and my usual cruising cadence is 110+. I'm also actually riding a lot faster -- I'm pushing _ the same gears as before_ at 110 instead of 95 



jcavilla said:


> I think there is something to that. I've noticed this: On the FG, I more often and more quickly get into that "zone" that runners describe, that feeling of movement being natural and automatic. It happens on multi-geared bikes, too, but more sporadically.
> 
> My theory: when you run, the speed at which you are moving is directly related to how your body is moving. Your pace and the length of your stride are the only variables affecting speed. You turn it over quicker or stride longer, and you go faster. The connection between what the body is doing and the resulting speed is constant. This produces some sort of harmony between the body and the sensory input.
> 
> On a multi-geared freewheeling bike, the relationship between leg speed and bike speed changes with every shift. When you coast, the connection is entirely broken. On the FG, by contrast, the relationship between leg speed and bike speed is constant. You go slower, you crank slower; you crank faster, you go faster. A freewheeling SS is similar, but doesn't quite get to the same place, because you break the connection every time you coast. On a FG ride, that mind-body synchrony is more like what you can get running (without the pounding), and it is constant for the whole ride, from first to last stroke. It does something to your brain that you just don't get with the other bikes.


I used to be a competitive runner through my first few years of college, and kept it up as my primary form of exercise until I recently switched to road cycling.

At least in my experience, I found I've had a lot harder time getting into a "zone" cycling but I mostly attribute that to needing to dedicate a huge amount of mental energy attention to interacting with vehicular traffic and avoiding other assorted road hazards. On a run there's usually a lot less to think about. Most of the times I have gotten into a "zone" riding, it's been on dirt fire roads which are closed to vehicular traffic.

I do agree that true fixed-gear riding and running are more similar in that it's not possible to "coast", what you describe as synchronicity.

Although one peculiar difference is that on a fixed-gear bike, cadence is directly proportional to speed, and it's the force/cycle that varies. When running though, cadence is usually constant (for most runners around 90 strides/minute), and the stride length that changes proportional to speed.


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

PSC said:


> I am curious who prefers there single speed (or FG) over there multi geared road bikes. Last year I did about 50% of my 6k miles on my SS. For some reason I just seem to have more fun on my SS. There has to be something said for just getting on a bike and pedaling and not worrying about shifting or maintainance of a multi geared bike. Curious how other people feel about the difference?


I ride a single speed as my winter bike and geared bike when it's dry...mostly go back and forth in the winter.

The single speed is nice as a rain bike because of the simplicity and the fact I can go ride then put it in the garage with minimal cleaning, no worrying about derailleurs, shifters, etc. is very nice.

However...the "Zen" aspect of riding a single speed is pretty much "Hyped crap" ... though if you want to buy into it, that's fine.

I live in the Pacific Northwest where we have hills/mountains...so riding purely on a single speed is impractical. It can be done as I've done many climbs on my single speed, some as steep as 15%, but it's hard on the knees when you are going up a climb at 25 RPM and grinding it "HARD".

With that said...I generally don't have a hard time staying up with fast group rides on my single speed and it's great for high speed spin training and some power training on the lower grade climbs.

I would "NEVER" give up geared bikes for a single speed bike, under any circumstances ... even if I lived in the flat plains states.

As for fixed gears...In my opinion...they don't belong on the road. 

With all the railroad tracks, pot holes, need to stop quickly, changes in pace of groups, etc. they can be dangerous...especially for those that don't ride with brakes! I rode my single speed fixed gear for a short period of time and in all honesty, it was way to dangerous to ride on the road...Personally, I like my skin intact, my bones together and my brains in my head enough to not ride fixed on the road. Others opinions will vary though :idea:


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## Guest (Feb 20, 2012)

Wookiebiker said:


> I ride a single speed as my winter bike and geared bike when it's dry...mostly go back and forth in the winter.
> 
> The single speed is nice as a rain bike because of the simplicity and the fact I can go ride then put it in the garage with minimal cleaning, no worrying about derailleurs, shifters, etc. is very nice.
> 
> ...


I've literally saved my own behind and avoided or drastically mitigated potentially fatal car crashes by making _really_ sharp evasive right turns to avoid being hit broadside. These including a couple of "right hook" incidents and a case where a motorist ran a red as I was in the intersection. 

Had I been on a fixed-gear instead of freewheel SS I could have easily bottomed out the pedals and crashed out badly in these situations. My bike is flip-flop and I have run fixed before, but only on fire roads or trails, never in traffic... and even riding fixed offroad I still want to have brakes just in case.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

> As for fixed gears...In my opinion...they don't belong on the road.
> 
> With all the railroad tracks, pot holes, need to stop quickly, changes in pace of groups, etc. they can be dangerous...especially for those that don't ride with brakes! I rode my single speed fixed gear for a short period of time and in all honesty, it was way to dangerous to ride on the road...Personally, I like my skin intact, my bones together and my brains in my head enough to not ride fixed on the road. Others opinions will vary though .


Opinions will indeed vary. You had a limited experience with FG; you didn't like it; you didn't feel comfortable or safe. That's not uncommon; it's different, and not everyone finds it enjoyable.

But to draw from your own limited experience the categorical assertion that they don't belong on the road is nonsense. Brakeless riding is another question, but with a brake I would assert that a skilled rider is no less safe on FG than on a freewheeling bike. I have a front brake on all my FG bikes, and I can stop as quickly as on any other bike, and I can negotiate obstacles just fine. I commute on FG, sometimes riding in the dark in heavy rain. I've been doing this for more than 5 years, doing well over 10,000 miles in that time. I have never had an incident of any kind that was attributable to the fact that I was riding fixed. 

I also value my skin, my bones, and my brain, which use on a daily basis.

Diff'rent strokes, y'know?


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

JCavilia said:


> .
> 
> But to draw from your own limited experience the categorical assertion that they don't belong on the road is nonsense. Brakeless riding is another question, but with a brake I would assert that a skilled rider is no less safe on FG than on a freewheeling bike. I have a front brake on all my FG bikes, and I can stop as quickly as on any other bike, and I can negotiate obstacles just fine. I commute on FG, sometimes riding in the dark in heavy rain. I've been doing this for more than 5 years, doing well over 10,000 miles in that time. I have never had an incident of any kind that was attributable to the fact that I was riding fixed.
> 
> ...


I agree 100%.....I've never had an accident related to fixed riding...ever.......and I'll add in crowded, slow speed situations I have more control fixed then freewheeling..


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

Wookiebiker said:


> As for fixed gears...In my opinion...they don't belong on the road.
> 
> With all the railroad tracks, pot holes, need to stop quickly, changes in pace of groups, etc. they can be dangerous...especially for those that don't ride with brakes! I rode my single speed fixed gear for a short period of time and in all honesty, it was way to dangerous to ride on the road...Personally, I like my skin intact, my bones together and my brains in my head enough to not ride fixed on the road. Others opinions will vary though :idea:


(Emphasis added.) JCavilla and Dave Hickey are right on this one. 

Think about your statement. Your logic would ban most all bikes from the road because the "can" be dangerous or, cutting you some slack, could be more dangerous than an alternative. I suppose we should all be riding fat bikes with hydraulic disc brakes and roll cages.


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

Pablo said:


> (Emphasis added.) JCavilla and Dave Hickey are right on this one.
> 
> Think about your statement. Your logic would ban most all bikes from the road because the "can" be dangerous or, cutting you some slack, could be more dangerous than an alternative. I suppose we should all be riding fat bikes with hydraulic disc brakes and roll cages.


Not true...using a freewheel fixes the issue.

There are many instances on the road where fixed gears create problems that don't happen with a freewheel:

-Having to pedal through corners and having the wrong placement of the crank can land you on your butt fast!

-Hard railroad tracks or potholes...freewheeling over them is much safer than pedaling

-Being able to un-click from pedals while still moving if necessary


Just to name a few...However, I have seen some very skilled fixed gear riders at cross races and can do fine on them. They are a rare breed however.

I figured the fixie crowd would get "Up in arms" with my assertion that fixed gear bikes don't belong on the road, but such is life. 

What I love are the "Brain Donors" that ride fixed gears without brakes. 

I've literally seen them (on multiple occasions...I live in a fixie city (Portland, OR)) fly through red lights with their arms/hands up trying to stop oncoming traffic because they couldn't stop in time on their fixie....if they had brakes, they would have had "ZERO" problems stopping in time for the light...but locking up the rear wheel slides them right into (or beyond) the intersection so they don't even bother trying to stop.

People wonder why the general public have a problem with cyclists...Most are not a problem, but in my opinion the idiots who refuse to put brakes on their bikes because it's not "Hip" or "Uncool" cause more problems on a regular basis than the rest of the cycling community combined.

I'll reassert my opinion...fixed gear bikes don't belong on the road. 

Single-speeds are fine...not a problem there...as they need brakes to stop and can give a good workout if ridden properly as well as being very low maintenance for the daily commuter.

Back to the OP's original question...I'll again reassert that single-speeds are great as an alternative, but I'd never go to one as my only bike and would never give one up over a geared bike.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

> There are many instances on the road where fixed gears create problems that don't happen with a freewheel:


They're only problems if you don't learn to deal with them. Every piece of equipment requires the user to learn its peculiarities and limitations.



> Having to pedal through corners and having the wrong placement of the crank can land you on your butt fast!


Only if you lean too far. You learn to corner more upright, and you take some turns a little slower. I've never struck a pedal riding FG.



> -Hard railroad tracks or potholes...freewheeling over them is much safer than pedaling


Again, only if you don't learn the necessary skilIs. Unweighting a bit, and soft-pedaling are helpful for that kind of obstacle. One can learn to do these things on a FG.



> -Being able to un-click from pedals while still moving if necessary


I have very rarely found it necessary to do this, on a FG or a freewheeling bike. But I can easily do it on either. In fact, riding a FG with clipless pedals trains a rider to be very adept at clicking in and out, since you have to learn to do both with a moving crank. Nothin' to it, once you've practiced some.



> I'll reassert my opinion...fixed gear bikes don't belong on the road.


You are entitled to your opinion, however unfounded.

All of your anecdotal complaints seem to relate to riding brakeless, and to the habits of a specific group of riders in your area. None of them relate to fixed per se. Maybe the problem is you think there's one "fixie crowd," and they all behave the same way, and it's the lack of a freewheel that causes it. Not all FG riders do dumb stuff, and not all the cyclists doing dumb stuff are riding fixed.

Had to edit to add one small point.


> However, I have seen some very skilled fixed gear riders at cross races and can do fine on them. They are a rare breed however


.
You seem to concede here that skill can overcome the "problems" you perceive. Maybe you are in error in your perception of the rarity of this breed. Among the FG riders I see around here, most have these abilities.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

I'm certainly not "up in arms"...you are entitled to your opinion...

I agree 100% about brakeless riders... anyone that rides on the road needs to have brakes....

That being said, I still disgree about fixed gear riding being unsafe

1- Pedaling through corners- I use 165mm cranks and never had a issue..Maybe I don't ride fast enough but it's a non-even for me..I never had a pedal strike on a fixed gear
2. Unclipping while riding- I do it daily....no issues....re-clipping also is not an issue
3. Tracks or potholes...sorry, I've never had an issue with either while riding fixed..


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

Wookiebiker said:


> Not true...using a freewheel fixes the issue.
> 
> [...]
> 
> ...


For a guy who hasn't ridden fixed gear bikes much, you sure know an awful lot about their particular dangers.  None of the issues you raised have ever been an issue for me in my thousands of miles and years on a fixed gear bike. We should all save our bald philosophical assertions for PO. 

There are plenty of poorly skilled riders on all kinds of bikes including, but not limited to, fixed gear bikes, road bikes, time trial bikes (especially so), tri-bikes (especially so), hybrid bikes, mountain bikes ... you get the idea. They're all unsafe in the wrong hands.


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

Pablo said:


> For a guy who hasn't ridden fixed gear bikes much, you sure know an awful lot about their particular dangers.
> 
> There are plenty of poorly skilled riders on all kinds of bikes including, but not limited to, fixed gear bikes, raod bikes, time trial bikes, hybrid bikes, mountain bikes ... you get the idea. They're all unsafe in the wrong hands.


Well...I'm not out to get fixed gears outlawed or anything...but if somebody asks a question, they should get more than just the "It's GREAT and you should be doing it" crowds opinion.

I do agree there are plenty of poorly skilled riders out there and they are on all kinds of bikes. no disagreement there.

I've ridden fixed gears enough to know the dangers involved in riding fixed gears...that's why I flipped my wheel to the freewheel and eventually ditched the fixed cog all together. I'm considered by many to be an excellent bike handler...just ask the guys that watched me ride across a large patch of "Black Ice" at the bottom of a descent at around 30 mph a few weeks ago....without going down. 

The rest of the group was able to see the "Oh Crap" moments from others that went to the side of the road to avoid it and all stopped and walked their bikes past it.

Overall...Ride what you want, enjoy it, just be aware of the possible dangers involved in whatever it is your riding. The problem I see is that the fixed gear crowd often tout it's benefits without mentioning the downsides. :thumbsup:


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

> Overall...Ride what you want, enjoy it, just be aware of the possible dangers involved in whatever it is your riding. The problem I see is that the fixed gear crowd often tout it's benefits without mentioning the downsides.


A good final word, perhaps, except for the last attribution of unthinking recommendations from the "fixed gear crowd" (who are those guys, anyway?). At least on this forum, that's a straw man. Pretty much everybody here (well, me, at least) said something more like, try it, you might like it, you might not, it takes some learning to get used to. Or, to quote myself, "this presupposes you can get used to the FG and its limitations. It is not a mindless process. Starting and stopping, and riding varied terrain, require some kinds of attention that are more difficult than riding a normal bike."

It's good to point out both sides in an argument. It's not good to generalize from ones own experience to broad statements like, "everyone should do it," or "no one should do it." Either statement threatens to mislead those who are genuinely seeking information.



> I've ridden fixed gears enough to know the dangers involved in riding fixed gears...that's why I flipped my wheel to the freewheel and eventually ditched the fixed cog all together.


With all due respect, I'd say you did it enough to see some of the limitations and difficulties, but not enough to learn the skills to deal with them. Nothing wrong with that - you didn't take the time because you didn't like it. Nobody says you have to. It does not follow that the necessary techniques do not exist or can't be learned by others.

I think that horse is dead, again ;-)


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

Wookiebiker said:


> I've ridden fixed gears enough to know the dangers involved in riding fixed gears...that's why I flipped my wheel to the freewheel and eventually ditched the fixed cog all together.


So if I ride a TT bike for a short time, not long enough to become skilled at it but long enough to identify my lack of certain skills, then go back to a regular road bike, I can logically assert that TT bikes are dangerous and shouldn't be ridden on the open road?


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

Pablo said:


> So if I ride a TT bike for a short time, not long enough to become skilled at it but long enough to identify my lack of certain skills, then go back to a regular road bike, I can logically assert that TT bikes are dangerous and shouldn't be ridden on the open road?


You most certainly can...There are enough threads here about how dangerous it is to go on a group ride with one that you could almost have it's own forum :thumbsup:


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