fixed gear question

[yeehawfactor]

so i now own christian's 96 merckx mx leader. i already have a road bike, and that one will continue to see the majority of the miles. my question-inspired by scott harper's thread-is do i want to build the merckx up as a single speed? what would be the advantages of having a single speed as far as riding goes? i live in charlotte nc, but most of my riding is in and around boone nc, so an easy ride still has some climbs. since there are climbs there are also descents, so would it be acceptable to build it up as a single speed, not a fixed gear? thanks!

[coylifut]

When going fixed, you will actually be able to climb in a substantially larger gear than your geared bike or a single speed. Trust me on this one, you'll surprise your self. The momentum of your rear wheel will help you kick over the top of your pedal stroke. Your limiting factor will not be climbing, but descending. However, over time your leg speed will increase dramatically and it won't be an issue unless you are riding with geared riders. You'll kill em going up anything < 7% though. I live atop a 500 foot hill that averages 7% with pitches of 12% or so. I use a 43x17.

This year, I've been unable to lift (it's too bad because I really love the gym). The fixed gear is my weight lifting machine and I use it to climb longish hills at 50-60 rpms while keeping the HR down. I now finish the climbs in the top 1/4 on my team ride. Before that, I was a very average climber.

[yeehawfactor]

leg speed is not my strength. what kind of cadence are we talking about descending? it's been a long time(i think i was 8) since i've ridden a single speed-when the rear wheel is turning my cranks will be turning too, right? the most recent bikes with one gear i've ridden were a surly single speed mtb and a beach cruiser, and with both you could roll without the pedals turning.

[Climb01742]

there are quite a few passionate fixed-gear advocates on the forum, and their POV may well be correct, but speaking for myself, a single-speed offers choice. with a fixed-gear, you have no choice but to pedal all the time. maybe i'm a wuss, but i simply want the option/choice of pedaling or not pedaling. a single-speed offers you all of the simplicity and ease of bad weather clean-up of a fixed, but also the flexibility of on/off pedaling. being forced to pedal constantly does result in a better/harder workout, but harder isn't always my #1 priority. sometimes just a simple, pure ride is. i had a phil wood two-sided hub on an old frame of mine years ago...and i kept gravitating to the single speed side of the hub. i think fixed and single both have their pluses/minuses. for me, the chance to choose to pedal or not outweighs the harder workout.

[Ray]

leg speed is not my strength. what kind of cadence are we talking about descending? it's been a long time(i think i was 8) since i've ridden a single speed-when the rear wheel is turning my cranks will be turning too, right? the most recent bikes with one gear i've ridden were a surly single speed mtb and a beach cruiser, and with both you could roll without the pedals turning.

Yeah, if the wheel is moving, so are the cranks. How fast depends on the gearing. I ride a 63ish inch gear on my fixie. Descending at 30+ mph gets up well into the 160s. When I first started riding fixed, I'd bounce all over the place when I got into the 120s, but found that if I could get through that and get really active in staying ahead of the pedals, that I could get up to 170+ and hold it for a couple of minutes on a descent. It took a couple months of riding to get there, but I was having so much fun I barely noticed. I'd recommend giving fixed a try. As Climbo said, not everyone ends up loving it, but it seems that the large majority of those who try it end up really into it. Get a flip flop hub and if you end up not liking fixed, you've got a single speed ready to go with a flip of the wheel.

It's the purest form of riding, a zen experience, you become one with the bike, yada yada yada. Worth a try anyway.

-Ray

[pbbob]

do it. I did it to a merckx corsa extra tsx at one time. flip flop phil hub. good times.

[Climb01742]

whether single or fixed, it is a zen experience, and a return to cycling in its purest form. what's more, is there anything prettier than a frame stripped clean of excess bits and cables?

[Dr. Doofus]

knowing what you weigh, knowing how you climb, and knowing what the roads around Boone (hey, wait, Decanio tie in!), build Axel's bike up with some Veloce, and get into a single-speed mountain bike. If you want to climb at 50rpm, you can do it on a geared bike...if you want to work on your leg speed on descents, you can do it on a road bike...use the single speed MTB (there is a guy in Charlotte who has one that gets very little use...) to go get beer with

[yeehawfactor]

knowing what you weigh, knowing how you climb, and knowing what the roads around Boone (hey, wait, Decanio tie in!), build Axel's bike up with some Veloce, and get into a single-speed mountain bike. If you want to climb at 50rpm, you can do it on a geared bike...if you want to work on your leg speed on descents, you can do it on a road bike...use the single speed MTB (there is a guy in Charlotte who has one that gets very little use...) to go get beer with
i've got a surly single speed on the way, so that's covered. young mr. raab said the same thing about the single speed. you guys must have been indoctrinated by the same people

[the walrus]

Actually, what is the definition of "cycling" any way? Seems to me the "purist" form of cycling would be that hobby-horse plank thing on two wheels. Looks like fun...for 5 minutes.

[Too Tall]

For what it's worth. We live in fairly hilly terrain and 68" gear is fine if you stay on top of it and up to 74" seems to work for the locals fixee crowd.

[William]

Since Too Tall set me up, I've converted an old Super Course 12 into fixie and I'm loving it. I also converted my old Aerospoke into a single speed since I couldn't fix it. That way I can go both ways...and I like riding both.
It's always good to have options, options, options.

William

[Marron]

I'm currently running two Merckx as fixed; a Corsa Extra with Race Geometry and an MX-L. I rode 65 hilly miles on the Corsa Extra yesterday in a 44X17 which I think is in the mid 60's. I just set up the MX-Leader as a fixie with a 48X19 which is about the same.

The Corsa Extra is my commuter/rainy day bike. It's got full fenders and flaps so I can join group rides and it's basicaly all I've ridden for the past three months. The Race geometry means that it has a slightly higher BB and steeper seat tube than the more typical "Century" geometry.

I just set up the MX-L as a sunny day fixed for a lark. It's probably heavier and stiffer then is ideal, but so far it's been fun to ride and I would recommend it as a very high zoot fixie.

I'd suggest a few things:

First, start off closer to a 60 inch gear and work your way up. That was the traditional way to use fix in the off season and it particularly makes sense for a beginner. It may be easier to climb on a fixed, but it does take some getting used to. There's no point in straining your knees in the process.

Which brings me to my next point; don't even think about losing both brakes. It's possible, but not smart. I can do it, but my knees definitely don't like it. If you're running at least the front brake than you can moderate your descending speeds and run a lower gear as your starting out.

In terms of equipment I'd go with an 1/8 chain and cogs. I've done both, but I think there's less likelihood of dropping a track chain. One peice of equipment I also like are BMX chainrings. GT made good quality chainrings with 130 bcd drillings that work great and are available in every tooth count between 39 and 50. When I say good quality I mean round. The GT rings are the roundest I've used over the past 10 years.

Finally, I've always ran 175 cranks. I'm tall, so that feels good to me, and I don't corner that agressively on the fixed.

[yeehawfactor]

thanks, i appreciate everyone's input. even the doofus.

[alembical]

I posted this in the classifieds as well, but since there are fixie riders here, I am looking for a rear fixed wheel. I have been running my commuter bike as a single-speed (with a cassette and standard wheel, since my RD broke) and I am wanting to switch it over to a fixed. If anyone can help me out with a good deal on a rear fixed wheel, let me know.

Thanks in advance, Alembical