Fixie v. 3-Speed

[oldmill]

I just ordered a 3-speed for general commuting/famersmarket-beer-grocery runs, and I'm starting to wonder if I should chnage that order to a fixed gear before it's too late. The simplicty of the fixie or single speed is appealing. Any thoughts on advanatges and disadvantages of each in hilly DC would be much appreciated. Thanks

[christian]

If the bike has horizontal drop-outs, and 120mm or so spacing, there is no reason that you couldn't have both, just using two rear wheels

New York City is pretty damn flat, so my commuter is a fixed-gear, but I'm looking for an alloy-shell Sturmey FM, to use the bike as a weekend club-bike, in the English sense of the term. When converting to fixed gear, I would just zip-tie the indicator spindle to the chainstay, and leave everything else as is.

So, I'd order the bike in whatever way you think you want to try it first, and then build another wheel for it when your fancy strikes. Given that it's easier to find fixed gear hubs than Sturmey hubs, I'd get it as a three speed and build a fixed gear wheel later.

Cheers,
- Christian

[coylifut]

I live atop a 600 foot 1.5 mile hill that I guess is somewhere in the 6-7% range. My fixie has 3 speed style bars, you'd be suprised by how much torque you can get while climbing with em. Riding a fixie is magic. Once you put on the fixie, you'll never use the 3 speed again.

[bags27]

I agree with coylifut: I always seem to have a sht-eating grin when riding my fixie. It's the most fun on a cycle I ever have.

I'm just wondering about whether the chain for a 3-speed would be too long for a fixie. I guess if you got a fixie whose gear is about the middle gear of the 3 speed it would be alright. I just don't know.

[oldmill]

The spacing is 120mm, though I'm not sure whether the dropouts will be horizontal. I'll have to bring up that and the chain issue that Bags mentions with the builder on Monday, but maybe starting with the 3-spd is the way to start if I can so easily switch it later. I am getting more and more interested in fixies though. The uncluttered handlebar (probably a Rivendell Dove in this case) and the simplicity of the whole setup looks nice.

[Smiley]

Mill Man , your young so why think gears at all . Just got in from doing a wet 38 miler sans gears , down the trails to the river and back up with a few rollers thrown in between for good measure . KISS and go fixed .

[christian]

The spacing is 120mm, though I'm not sure whether the dropouts will be horizontal.

If the planned three-speed is a S-A, the drops will need to be horizontal, unless the builder is doing something crazy, like building an EBB.

Tell us more -- who's the builder, whats the plan, etc.

- Christian

[oldmill]

Builder is antbikemike (A.N.T - Mike Flanigan, Boston). It's straight-gauge steel and I'm getting front and rear racks on 'er just so I can tote groceries or whatever, so it's not going to be light. I don't at all care about weight on a bike like this otherwise, but if I'm carrying stuff that may argue for a 3-speed <?>

[Dekonick]

Smiley - where did you ride?

for those who dont know - Smiley has a BEAUTIFUL fixxie.

[coylifut]

Ant makes some fun looking bikes. The light roadster was the inspiration for my fixie. I especially like the front rack on those bikes.