fixed gear vs non fixie road

misk · Post by **misk** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 2:33 pm

im leaning more toward the trek or the specialized. This guy had a binachi volpe on sale on craigslist for $300, and it looked pretty dope, but it seems like more of a touring bike than a road bike.

braiden · Post by **braiden** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 2:41 pm

Fixation wrote:he said he wanted to do longer rides, couriering is generally not that far

nothing wrong with doing long distances fixed, when i was working as a courier i was doing about 50-60 miles a day, wouldnt mind doing longer either. its not so much the length which is the problem, but it depends how steep the route is as obviously you cant change gear.

as macroclimate said, flip flop hubs are a possiblity, just flip the wheel around for a different gear and to change to freewheel.

deamonds · Post by **deamonds** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:27 pm

howstrange wrote:
deamonds wrote:wouldnt get a fixed wheel unless your a bmx'er.....if you are blatting and you stop pedalling, well...over the handlebars is the minimum you can expect.. oh and trek's=ace....

although for that price range id be looking at maybe a second hand Specialised, Claude Butler or Kona. Are you looking for a suspension ting or just normal
fixed bmx is rare but i think some flatlanders use it??

fixed around town is best without a doubt. being able to fully control your speed with just your feet is so much more intuitive and fun - and you have much more control at slow speeds around traffic.. yes it takes a little while to get used to it, maybe a week or two. but the benefits are worth it. 40 miles on a fixed is fine unless its up the alps.

the only thing worse than the people jumping on the fixed craze purely because its cool, is the people avoiding it and putting it down purely because its cool.

Braiden can u sit on your handlebars and ride backwards? just a random question there

deamonds · Post by **deamonds** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:27 pm

in fact can any1?

braiden · Post by **braiden** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:54 pm

good question. no but i know a man who can. i rode a tall bike the other day though. its two frames welded together vertically like so

the guy who built it has set it up with no brakes and a freewheel. and he rides around london with it. seriously. foot on the top of the tyre to slow down.

ashley · Post by **ashley** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 4:23 pm

howstrange wrote:good question. no but i know a man who can. i rode a tall bike the other day though. its two frames welded together vertically like so

the guy who built it has set it up with no brakes and a freewheel. and he rides around london with it. seriously. foot on the top of the tyre to slow down.

I used to do that. Mum used to beat me many o' time for ruining my trainers.

d_three · Post by **d_three** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 4:55 pm

edit:
been said before

macroclimate wrote:flip-flop hub with 18 on one side and 16 on the other

macroclimate · Post by **macroclimate** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 11:08 pm

Like I was saying, a lot of people catch flak for riding fixies... people say that it's useless, "why do it?", etc. Sure, those are valid arguments, but you can't hold that up until you try it...

I've said it before, it's like the difference between a manual and automatic in the car world... with a fixie you feel much more in-touch with the road... sure it's lighter because a lot of moving parts are removed, but the main difference is just the feel. People say it would suck not to be able to coast, but it really doesn't bother me anymore, it's worth it to have that control at the cost of not being able to coast.

misk · Post by **misk** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 11:54 pm

that does sound pretty cool macro. And it turns out i've got about half of what i'd initially thought i'd have to play with... sround $350 or so... so im thinking that i might get an older nishiki 12 speed or something and get a flip flop hub... it's tempting...

misk · Post by **misk** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 12:08 am

oh no... i've been perusing www.fixedgeargallery.com again... with this new budget. Im thinking about a fixie again O.o

macroclimate · Post by **macroclimate** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 12:58 am

Haha yeah... I love it, never looked back since I built mine.

Honestly, riding that thing was like a life-changing experience for me. I had been stuck on this old Univega 10-speed for the longest time and it was completely falling apart.

I spent months getting together my new bike (while continuing to ride my Univega), I remember the day I took the new one out, it was a really nice day in the middle of summer... riding that thing was nuts, I felt so much more in control... it's really something you should do at some point if you get the chance, just to see how it feels at least.

d_three · Post by **d_three** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 10:45 am

whatever you do, don't buy unipack bike

they look good, but the quality is shit + they dont last long

misk · Post by **misk** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 11:21 pm

i ended up buying an old Cannondale R300. it's dope as hell and fast as ... fast! I'm in love with it, and i'm stoked! definitely eats pavement for breakfast.

fixed gear vs non fixie road

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