Does Riding A Fixie Really Make You A Stronger Cyclist?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 มิ.ย. 2024
- Fixed gear bikes, or fixies, are single-speed with no freewheel. They make great town bikes and are also used as track bikes in the velodrome, but should you be using one to improve your cycling? Conor looks into the training and fitness benefits of riding a fixie, including strength efforts and improving pedalling technique, testing it on the flat, as well as up and downhill!
00:00 Intro
00:45 What is a fixie?
01:13 Why ride a fixie?
01:42 Fixed gear benefits
02:20 Getting started
03:07 Pedalling technique
05:11 Climbing
06:41 Descending
08:41 Conclusions
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Have you ever ridden a fixie? 🚲
every single day!
Fixie is my first real bike and this is really where I started to love cycling
no. hub gears yes, fixie no. not even Singlespeed (unless you count the first bike i had as a kid which ofcourse was singlespeed). if i have to save this much money id just walk. bikes with gears arent that expensive to give all that up.
i even have both chain ring and cog same as shown here. 2.98 ratio is the best for me :)
No, but id like to try
Suggestion: Ride it for a whole month. Only that bike and nothing else, even during GCN videos. That will show weather it realy is beneficial or not.
thats defenatly true
It's not. Whether you use a 40-20 or a 52-14 it's all high rep low resistance training. The only thing that increases strength of muscles differently is weight training.
The heartrate will going up and down like crazy. Maintain a certain speed on a fixie is hard ...
@@jimsonjohnson3761riding a fixie is like going to the gym.
It is not infact. It's like riding a bike. There is no difference
Suggestion from a long time fixed gear rider: ride a ratio with which you can accelerate quickly at lights and get up easy on your local hills.
For the flats you just have to spin, the best cadence training there is. Picking a too high gear ratio is a thing many "beginners" do, because they want to ride as fast as possible on the flats. But it's all about the cadence on a fixed gear
What do you suggest? I ride 48:15 but I’m exclusively riding in a flat city.
@@samuelleestokes my city is quite hilly and lot's of stop and go. I ride in the range of 48x17 to 48x18.
A new cog is pretty cheap and worth trying, just try it out
@@samuelleestokesI ride 52 to 11 - but only downhills! 😂
46-16 is my jam
@@mendonchurros779 46:16 is my favorite. i can get up some steep ass hills and still rip the flats its great. bit too heavy for fgfs but i make do
I ride fixed for almost 15 years now, with some breaks in between but also did some fixed gear crits and other races. I actually spoke with one physiotherapist once and he told me he's riding fixed as well, because the lack of dead point in pedaling actually decreases risk of knee injury!
What do you mean
Lack of deadpoint
Is it when I switch gears and there is a sudden loss of resistance due to the gear changing? Maybe just a thought.
@@Bruh-lm4zr the rotation of the cranks is constant and there are no 'dead' areas in the pedal stroke. its what not pedaling 'in squares' means
Interesting!
Don’t know if it makes you faster, but it certainly makes you cooler
100%
Um
Love a fixie. I've had a fixed gear bike in my rotation for over 30 years. I use brakes on the road, because dogs, children and cars can exceed my non-Jedi reflexes. No brakes on the velodrome, obviously. Smaller gears on road than track, 72" is my go-to road gear. In my humble opinion, those who ride fixed gears tend to be smooth on geared bikes, as they don't stop pedaling to stand, sit, shift gears, or corner, so they're easier to draft closely.
P.S.-Future video Connor should try a "tracklecross" fixed gear off road race- a niche sport where the "spirit of gravel" may or may not live.
Super cool to hear that you have been using a fixie for a while 🙌 Tracklocross would be epic! Have you ever given it a try?
I agree with 72 for shoes and pedals, but with flats-straps for the downtown core I go down to 67. Seemed too spinny for not much acceleration gain at first but I got used to it cuz the 19t is fucking stuck now/ 19t with shoes is a riot, can spin a way higher top speed than straps [close to 20% higher for me] and rip up hills like a pirate on crack.
Should GCN try to persuade Connor to go for the fixed gear record at the 3 Peaks Cyclocross? Yes it is something that exists (having been done a couple of times), and yes, the idea is terrifying!
I used to ride 67 or so on the road when my reflexes were younger, 63 in winter when air was thick and riding in heavy clothes. Or maybe the real reason I stick to 72 for low is I don't have to swap chain rings or add links when going from track to road gearing (i.e. lazy) @@Disrtict6
@@gcntracklocross (brakeless) is some of the most fun on a bike ive had, makes xc stuff feel like proper techy downhill. it’s super sketchy but it wouldn’t be fun if it wasn’t!
I always enjoyed climbing on a fixie. Despite never being in the correct gear on a incline, the forward momentum turning the pedals makes it easier to keep them turning. Descending on the other hand…😬
There is a certain bit of fun when climbing fixed... your right descending can be so scary! You could get used to it though.
Just take your feet off and Superman on the downhills 😉
Getting back on the pedals afterwards is the really tricky bit, especially with clipless. With clipped pedals this can be done though…
@@gcn You're* right
The trick I found was to work on controlling speed with back-pressure from the start. Don’t let the descent speed get out of hand
Riding brakeless fixed gear bike with steep track geometry and waxed chain is one of life's simple pleasures :) Truly immersive experience. I got into road cycling via riding fixed gear around town, then doing longer road rides, climbing hills and later installing front brake to tackle more technical descents before buying my first road bike. I actually did a 180km/2000m brevet Rapha Prestige Bohemia on my Standert Umlaufbahn and the organizers in the finnish were amazed and told me I was crazy doing it on a fixed gear :D
this is the kind of comment i come to gcn to find. people ride fixies because its cool. THATS IT
And thank goodness brakeless fixie riding is BANNED in my country.
Your immersive experience shouldn’t come at the cost of safety to others, with an inability to stop at a dime.
@@87togabitook boomer. Riding brakeless is illegal pretty much everywhere in the world. difference is only countries such as UK where the front brake is sufficient for "road legal" status vs both front and rear in most of the world.
big thumbs up for this content. As a fixed gear rider, i enjoyed very much to see you talking about fixed gear bikes. GCN should create more fixed gear related videos. Bring Mannon back with her super track bike ⚙🔥A Bike Vault Special with only fixed gear builds, would be awesome, right?
They keep trying to make gravel a thing there on thee olde mud island, I’d love to see them on traclocross mid-fats in full partypace flannel & denim.
I like this.
the bikes arent expensive enough for them
@@Nostalgiaforinfi Indeed
Fixed riding part of my training/fitness regime for years. It has made me a better cyclist overall by teaching me to spin more efficiently and anticipate changes. Back on a geared bike you immediately realize how much you coast. But please,install a break! Be safe out there.
We agree, it really makes you think when back on gears 👀
I assume your brake suggestion is a general rule seeing as he has a front and rear brake already 😅
Are you thinking of the movie Premium Rush?…
@@rob-c. I believe it was. In the UK it is a legal requirement for fixed gear bikes to have a front brake for rising on the road, but in other countries there is no rule. A lot of American Fixie riders I have seen are brakeless.
@@matt_acton-varian In France, a set of 2 brakes is compulsory. I'm always scared in large cities like London, Paris or Montpellier where I live, when guys ride a fixie with a single front brake or none at all. Imagine I crash into one of these blokes: his being a candidate for suicide doesn't make me a candidate for murder, or have I missed something?
In my cycling club there was always one guy who turned up on a fixie in the fast group (in the Surrey hills so very lumpy in places). He always kept up, must have been so fit.
Those old school hitters 💨
We had a guy on a fixie in our club in cornwall, from 20% hills to -20% downhills he somehow managed it. Absolutely crazy.
As a seasoned fixed gear rider, this is a breath of fresh air. The main thing, as cliche as it might sound, is the flow that the fixed drivetrain puts you in. I've been racing road and cx for years but the thrill of being in control on a fixed gear bike is always something else. More content like this, pleaseeee! 🤘🙌
Thats it, just feels so good when you lock in. There's nothing like it.
I ride my Bianchi superpista 45:15 for more than 20000km. I like the tough, durable and lightweight (less than 7.5kg with all aluminum component) of the fixie. The smooth commute in big city on flat road is so amazing. I tried to ride it on climbing for elevation of 1000m. It was super hrad to maintain the pace. And the descending was nightmare...
You only have 1 skid patch for that
I commute over 50 km every single day on São Paulo-Brazil to go to work and back to home at the end of the day... the happiest moment of my daylife!!
I have been commuting to work since 2009 on my Boardman fixie (usually 50-70 mins ride). Now with bombproof wheels and 32mm marathon plus tyres on a 48x18 set up. Just the perfect way to ride to work and almost never be let down with a mechanical, plus all the benefits discussed.
The mechanical side of fixed is great! Makes the perfect winter set up. Have you got that bike in the vault? 👉 gcn.eu/app
Might wanna give the Continental Contact Urban tires a look. They came out in 2022 and are very similar to the Schwalbes you are running. Way better rolling resistance though.
@@___Bebo___ i will thanks! I love the puncture resistance of the M+ tyres but they are extremely uncomfortable 🥴
@@hardcheese The Contact Urban feels like a road tire it's amazing. It has touring tire rubber thickness and puncture protection but feels as good a fast winter training road tire like the 4 seasons. They made it the default tire on the Brompton folding bike last year.
If you're in to skidding 48/17 or 48/19 might be worth to check out as they offer more skidpatches and a cheaper replacement then a chainring
Rode my fixie for a good few years, did three century rides on it and rode the London to Paris ride on it much to the disbelief of the full roadies that I went with. But I ended up in the lead group because with a fixie you have to attack the uphills and hold your pace so you end up getting away from everyone but they then catch you on the downhills. Loved it and still love having a cruise/blast on it.
It's pure joy on my fixie. I recently passed 30000km on it. Just get on pedal. It is so freeing- no decisions to make and I'm always in the right gear! 🙂
Fixed gear mode or single speed
Track bikes on the street are a beautiful thing. They teach you the most important thing in cycling outdoors - awareness. And help with cadence (remember guys - spinning is winning!). Oh, and they look the absolute best. Nothing beats a gorgeous, brakeless track bike in the looks department.
I live in a very flat area so riding a fixie makes good sense. I wouldn't enjoy climbing on one and I certainly would have far different gears than I have now. I recommend a flip flop hub w/ a single speed freewheel on the other side (bailout option). A strong QR works fine on the rear...don't have to bolt through.
My "pub bike" is a single speed 48/18 ⚙️. Sometimes I'll use it for short commutes. The simplicity is nice. Coasting downhill is convenient. If I want to non-stop pedal for training, I'll use Zwift.
My commute bike is a fixed gear bike & I love the simplicity & feel of riding it.
Love GCN fixie content. I’ve been commuting on one for 7 years and recently did 3 fixed centuries. I get Connor’s hesitations about climbing and descending, but honestly it’s just a different experience that you have to adapt to. In fact I’d say it’s helped me become a pretty strong climber.
Also I’m on team brakes. Using your legs to control the bike is fun and helps with handling skills, but brakes are handy on a descent or for avoiding an emergency crash
Surprised you didn't elaborate more around climbing - I've been riding fixed a lot more recently mostly because i wanted to work out different parts of my body more - the fixed gear forces me to interact with the bike differently, getting out the saddle, swinging the bike under me and using my arms and torso more dynamically. Geared, i tend to slam it into an efficient gear and blitz the power out in one position - might as well be on a turbo!
As for risk of injuring knees, i suppose you do have to be careful, though i'd say that goes just as much for standing starts - mate constantly did himself a mischief riding fixed in traffic cause he'd constantly want to sprint off the line - at least when you're climbing, you're more often already warmed up.
Oh i almost forgot - one other major benefit is that it knocks me out my habit of wanting to go as fast as possible, all the time (I think Si has spoken about this habit in the past). It's like a little slap in the face telling me to just chill out and enjoy the ride - great for the mental.
Thanks for the comment! You make some great points, riding fixed certainly makes you work the full body 🥵 Conor can back from his ride with a 6 pack. You make an interesting point about chilling out on the bike - slowing down isn't always a bad thing 👀
I have ridden a fixie on and off for the last 50 years (I'm 70 now). You have to choose your route and you might want a bag of cogs and chainrings to pick the right gear for your area. In my view, riding a fixie will make you a smoother rider and will help you ride outside your normal cadence. Love 'em but they don't mix all that well with old knees
I ride a fixed gear track bike on ~90% of my rides. Here in Chicagoland, USA the roads are quite flat so I use a 52 x 17 ratio and it works beautifully. I’m in my 40’s and have no knee pain. Also, in the USA we ride fixed gear without brakes and that helps develop different muscle groups. Nothing beats fixed gear riding.
I just got my first Fixie a few weeks ago and I love it! It's so fun to ride and makes me really appreciate cycling and all the tech on my road bike even more. It's perfect for when I want to pop down for a coffee or run a quick errand. I don't worry about my expensive road bike getting damaged or stolen and I feel like I get a pretty good work out in as well!
A keen cyclist should own at least 2 bikes. Stay safe 🙏
More fixie content please ❤ as a fixie rider I'd love to see more content on the topic, especially because i feel like it's kind of unknown to the average bike enthusiast.
Also the community around fixed gear riding is something that I think many people could get interested in
Refreshing to see you guys testing this ! Where i come from it is very flat and very bike friendly to ride. As a mechanic and daylie fixed gear commuter this is a very easy to maintain machine + there are alot of good bike brands out there that make some very tough fixed gear parts.
You can even get away with using steel parts when u dont use gears and it is still very light.
And yes you really are getting used to the ride.
Fixed gear made me loose almost 30kg of weight back then.
Not only as a commuter with low maintain its a great way to train yourself. Looking forward for more track content !
Cheers from Germany ! :) 🚴
Been watching GCN for a while and have only had a fixie this whole time. Working my way up to 40+ mile rides. I want a geared bike, but absolutely love my fixie!
A big advantage of fixed gear bikes is the control you get at slow speeds, as you can pedal forward and apply pressure backward to modulate your speed without tipping over. This is very useful to get around tight spaces, e.g. traffic, people, tight corners, etc. This can't be done as effectively with brakes.
Track stands feel great too 👌
I sort of agree, but... the impact on your knees, esp. patella and meniscus, is pretty bad.
This is why fixed gear is the only way when riding a tall bike
@@lucborot2219 As long as you're not overgeared and not using the fixed gear to brake, it's shouldn't really be much worse on your knees.
TallBike!!!!@@thesimplecooks
@ Conor - I think you may be slightly over-geared if this is your 1st fixed gear training experience. Try to aim for around 72" - you're over 79" at the moment on your 44/15 gearing. You'll have a better experience on the hills and rollers. There's still nowhere to hide on the hills but it won't bust your knees so much! 😎
I've spent years training on fixed gear and they are fun for hard training sessions - not so much in the stop-start of suburban environments - but a joy in rolling countryside.
I've been riding my CINELLI shark 50/16 for a few years now. We tour, commute, take on rides most folk would question, but I'd not have it any other way haha! There's this connection to riding Brakeless that seems to change the focus on what I thought cycling might be. People always question my bike and how I ride it (especially on big tours), but it feels so natural to myself now. It isn't always easy in the hills, but it definitely creates a fun journey haha! Love this video too BTW. 👊
You used to feature fixed gear crit races such as the Red Hook Crit. Kindly feature it again. I’m such a fan of fixed gears. In fact I own one and I ride it to work. Cheers!
We'll see what we can do... Hank might not fancy it again 👀
All the more reason to feature it again.@@gcn
I want to see Connor get back on a freewheel after a month on a Fixie. He'll feel like he's only got one leg!
The video has inspired me to get my FGSS out though, so props for that. 😊
Got my 1st fixie in late 2021, totally change my view of riding a bike
i've been on my fixie for over 4 years now. i just love it!
It makes you a better, smoother "pedalist". I even used it for several years for winter group rides riding with guys with normal bikes. Sometimes, my cadence was way over 100. I can say I was in the center of attention when my cadence reached 120 rpm and more. Not doing it any more, but it was fun and definitely helped me to learn to spin (not saying it's the only method). I loved the simplicity of having one gear.
The best tip for climbing and descending on a fixie is to pull up in the pedal stroke (assuming your riding clipless). On a climb, it saves your knees because your using your calves and quads to pull up and not your knees to push down. Since it's fixed the opposite pedal will natural be forced down. On an incline, pulling up on the pedal stroke will force your butt into the sit and keep you from bouncing around, especially when you really start flying!
Thanks for raising all these questions. Now in my 60s, my joints are not in a condition to stand the cadence dowhill nor the muscular effort uphill, for sure, and my fixie memories from my racing days in the youth categories 50 years ago in the Paris region are more awful than awesome ;)
I rode a 42x17 for 3 weeks between seasons, and though I benefitted from the very specific handling of the fixie (but on track, I also did...), I was scared of most steep climbs. Not of long ones, as I was very light and a bit of a climber. I felt danger in descents in urban contexts (stop and go, as you suggest), crazy corners, opening car doors, etc...) though not on open roads, as there were fewer surprise events; I used my brakes if it really got scary. I also use my track skills to slow down my pedalling, but it was pretty painful: honestly, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone 1/ in their right senses, 2/ with even minor knee problems: in that case, use your brakes, for the Lord's sake, guys!
My conclusion: the minuses beat the pluses by a pretty wide margin. But if you're young and super fit, go for it. But always remember NEVER to stop pedalling :D
Just ride a 40/18 and a freewheel and use your bodyweight at slow speeds standing and don't press down. If you can ride a normal bike you can ride a 40/18.
Got two fixies Langster Steel and Condor Classic Fixed. Great commute bikes and real workhorses. Really connects you to the road. Love them.
All my PRs on hill climbs are on my fixie, love climbing on my fixie but don’t look forward to the downhill. I also love coming to a stop and just track standing until it’s time to go, looks badass, unfortunately I haven’t been able to replicate these skills on my geared bike.
I love riding fixed wheel. I use one sometimes for a fairly hilly commute through the Forest of Dean as well as an occasional longer ride. Fixies feel alive in a way geared bikes just don't; the closest thing to running on wheels.
So true you feel like one fast creature...totally one with the bike
Agree with this completely. I adore riding fixed (until I hit a headwind)
You do feel a close connection with the road! Great to hear you are doing the bike commute 🙌
My go-to mechanic is a fixie aficionado and he helped me to get into this type of riding a couple of years ago. Now that I've accumulated some practice time and carefully tweaked my saddle set-up, I'm having a blast with fixed-gear riding, mainly just for short fitness circuits or urban errands. I constantly mix things up by switching between my fixie and my trusty old hybrid. Even with the freehub, I've stopped coasting and I really notice how my overall pedalling motion has become smoother, more consistent, and I believe more efficient.
When you are coming up onto a red traffic light reduce you speed and anticipate the coming of the green light, when it turns green. then apply the power, same thing for stop signs.
When living in the U.S. Santa Barbara California I was with a friend and we noticed a troop of fixie riders riding down hill at speed while straddling the double yellow, so we decided to watch them as they came flying by! Then all of the sudden we realized that the lead rider was my son Benny, my friend said Hey! That's Benny! Way Back in the early 80's I was way a head of the time of riding fixies, we were riding full out track bikes back then, those were the days of, Hey! Mom, look, no brakes.
One of my best riding road bikes was Modifide TRACK Bike that was converted to road and it was a beast! Due to the riding characteristics of a TRACK bike for sure it got me out of few tight places like getting out of tight squeeze when being squeezed by 2 city buses, that's what I would call riding for day light, when applying to power, it did what I needed it to do for me, end game I shot out from between the 2 busses like a rocket at that time I think there was less than 3 feet between the 2 busses, my elbows were scrapping on both of the busses, I was torking so hard the back wheel lifting and was slamming the side of the busses as well, Bang! Bang! Bang! For sures that was a SUPER adrenaline rush! The next day I dropped into the shop of the frame builder, Dale Saso who was the frame builder for this frame, he looked at me and said why were you playing games with the busses, I looked at him and aske what are you talking about, he then I was sitting in the bus on your left side and I saw everything, then the other frame builder Jeff Lyon and he said, Dale told me about the buss situation, he then went out side to look at my bike then he said, what is this, a f*cking TRACK/ROAD BIKE! We need to get you on the TRACK!
I rode fixed for a while but my old knees couldn't take it much more so I just ended up riding single-speed. It was weird riding SS or on my road bike and realizing that I could freewheel. It made me better in that I would continue to spin and just soft pedal to rest instead of freewheeling, which you should probably do anyway.
Fixies make the bike feel like an extension of your body. This synchronicity of human and machine is intoxicating and joyous.
I am also a big fan of fixed gear bike.... I have ridden my fixed gear bike since 2010... I still ride the same bike till now... the maintainance that I have to do is only changing the tyres... Love it so much...❤
loved this video. Conor’s enthusiasm is great. I wouldn’t mind trying one, though having no freehub seems a bit scary. It goes against all we’re told about maintaining a regular cadence for efficiency (which I don’t do anyway 😅)
I've used a fix gear with no brakes for my flat, sub mile commute and short errands for the past decade. I dont ever go fast on it for fear of not being able to stop, but it has helped a lot with my track stands and I can even peddle backwards a decent bit now. Just a super fun, unique riding experience.
kiel. What's the point of that. Put brakes on and ride as fast as you like.
@@vincekerrigan8300 and (in the UK at least) means you’re legal
Would you ever consider fitting a brake on your bike? Even if it was just a front brake?
Need to fit one brake to keep yourself legal
I've got other bikes to go fast. I used to have one brake, but I pulled it off when retaping my bars and just kind of liked it. Definitely an acquired taste.
The key to enjoyable and efficient fixed gear riding, is finding the proper gear ratio for your terrain. Not just your legs, but it will really help build up your core strength. There's nothing better feeling than the the way a fixed gear makes you feel connected to the bike. The machine becomes a part of you. You must tame the bull.
I've been riding a fixie as a quick/cheap/utilitarian replacement when my bike was stolen a decade ago. I've always been riding a bit of everything, from BMX to road, so at least it wasn't something to get used to. Now at 39, I'm sticking with it for everyday commuting and rides that are not much longer than a couple of hours, or particularly hard due to elevation. Only thing is, the last couple of years I've turned the flip flop hub to the freewheel side and rarely turn it around now. Much of the mentioned benefits apply to singlespeed as well, so we can remind people that they could enjoy the simplicity and still be able to coast. Freewheel reduces some of the efficiency/average speed as your momentum no longer contributes to spinning the cranks, and I still prefer fixed in the rain and some other occasions, but my knees will hang on for longer like this I think. And being able to turn absolutely on the limit without having to pedal inside corners is also fun. Interestingly, when I got a geared bike again after 7 years where the fixie was my only one, I felt I was riding exactly as I was the last time I had one, as if the fixie didn't alter anything at all.
Love my fixed gear bike for commuting and winter training. Mainly have it for its robust simplicity. There is very little to go wrong, and the chains last 3x the miles of my geared bikes.
It’s fun to ride too….hard to explain why, but those who ride them will know.
Fixed gear, every day ❤
Single speed with freewheel is nice...
One of the main benefits I’ve found on the long run is the core strength it gives you for other biking disciplines. For Mtb it makes climbing on the saddle much easier and on road bikes it gives you strength for handling off the saddle. Additionally it makes tracking your pedals much easier. Helping avoid hitting your pedals against objects on Mtb, road, and park.
My college commuter is a brakeless Fixie, and it’s fantastic. It’s made me way better at keeping track of my surroundings because I can’t stop very fast, which has really translated to my pack riding ability
Larger ratio + riding up hill = TRAINING!!
I love my steel fixed gear bike. It's worth mentioning that fixed gear bikes tend to be lighter with no shifters/derailleurs, narrower hubs, and usually rim breaks (my steel fixed gear is about 18 lbs), and you always have a perfect chainline. That somewhat offsets the climbing disadvantage compared to a geared bike.
I love riding my Fixie throughout the winter, it keeps my track season going strong. Although going up a 12% gradient climb on the way home is tough. Cycling at its purest.
I have one for work commute...fairly it has short climbs and long flats..easy to maintain rain or shine. Im tempted to paint it white..seeing yours with that beautiful white paint.
I wouldn't mind trying a single-speed; but would not want a fixie. How do you lean into a corner when descending without the pedal striking the tarmac??
Do a skid, it will be very cool
Its a bit shorter so your pedal wont hit
Most frames designed for fixed gear have a higher bottom bracket than a geared bike frame. I use track frames and haven't had any issues with pedal strike.
@@potto5485 I don't want to donate skin cells and blood to the tarmac.
@@CwazyWabbitsespecially if your fixie is a proper track bike
I love single speed, fixie not so much.
What is it about fixed that you don't get on with?
@@gcn That I have to pedal all the time. At the velodrome sure, why not, but commuting, well... nope :)
No downhill scare. You can coast, position your legs for lean, and brake rather easily.
Rode a fixie in my younger years, I credit it with training me on keeping a steady cadence and keeping my legs moving. Tried riding one again a few years ago and realized how much I like having gears and being able to actually get up hills.
Nice to see some fixie and SingelSpeed action on GCN! I now only ride SS both gravel and road. No longer ride fixed down to safety
Love my fixie. Cycling in its purest form without any gadget crap. Smooth, light, reliable and fast, I can remember leaving a road bike rider behind after a standing start and hearing him change up through his gears 4 times before he finally passed me, and only because I was spinning out.
Gadgets such as gears, you mean?
“Only because I was spinning out” - you mean gears were an advantage in exactly the situation that gears were designed to help with? 😂
Now take the brakes off
Leave them on, and use a bigger chain ring.
😂😢
@@zesticide1010 what a madman
I went half-way and bought a single-speed (freewheel, 49/17) bike for commuting and running local errands around the town - frankly, if any of my bikes are going to be stolen, I’d rather it was the single-speed (because it is the cheapest bike I own). Mainly did this to reduce wear and tear as well as costly maintenance on my geared bikes because I ride every day to work, (almost) all weathers. So it has decent mudguards on it which remain on all year ‘round.
Unintentional byproduct of using it is seeing how much of the video is correct: improves pedalling technique, makes you think more about where to generate and how to maintain momentum and it certainly improves hill climbing because you soon realise the only way to achieve something close to ‘gears’ is to realise the difference in bike handling when sitting or standing.
Recommend everyone gives it a go - surprising enjoyment and it’s also amusing how many people assume it’s an ebike and make cheeky comments about cheating, when in reality it’s the opposite of cheating!
Single-speed bikes are great fun, and brilliant for the winter (or hard training). Fixies though are an accident waiting to happen. Tried them both, and single-speeders are miles better.
david. Of course they are not. Use front and rear brakes, get accustomed andthey are as safe as a freewheel.
Fixed wheel bikes are great. You do need to get used to them, though, and they're not for everyone.
@@vincekerrigan8300 I have a couple (and Orro, and a Spesh Langster). Tried fixie with the Orro, brakes and all, but my knees 😫
I'm sure they're fine for those who persist, but you get most of that simplicity from riding with the freewheeling option.
@@davidatkinson-lifematters4826The freewheeling actually removes one of the major sensations of riding a fixed wheel, that of being at one with the machine. This is not a myth.
There's a large segment of fixie riders that don't have brakes on their bikes as well.
i saw one, he didnt even had a saddle
onebig. They are just stupid.
I ride fixed gear for 5 years its real that makes you stronger rider i live in colombia and we have a lot of mountains my gear ratio is 15-39 very good for colombian hills! Great video!!
I rock a 53:16, I ride mostly flat with mine, but I do love a good descent. Mad enough to enjoy the higher speeds, feels more rewarding to me. I've found its helped me for hills when I forgot to change gear but can still power through them rather than changing gear at a near standstill.
Yup, I have a similar set up. Pretty much all flat where I’m at and I too love the high speed. I have a front 180mm disc in the front. Hopefully save my knees even a little bit from decelerating. Running 56/15.
Single speed with brakes 👍
Fixie 🤬
Fixie with brakes? That's what I use.
Don't have to buy a _fixy_ - just don't change gear.
it doesn't work that way
@@youtuli4Explain please....
@@blaze1148 A fixed gear has inertia and a thick chain. You can maintain either a high cadence of 130 rpm or climb hills while standing for a very long time.
@@youtuli4Sounds dangerous if you cannot keep up with the cadence downhill.
Hey Conor loved your video. I personally ride 49:16 Fixie and Single Speed Bike with brakes as a Bike Messenger in my city. Hope to more Fixed Gear videos in the future.
Here is a Challenge for uphill presenter: Everesting on Fixed Gear Bike. Suggestion for Everesting, you could use the gear ratio 42:17. Thanks a lot Conor.
I don't think there is any good argument to riding one of these archaic bikes. The only decent argument I've heard is becasue it's extreme. Fair enough but all of the other arguments are just silly to me.
Beside beeing totally in Controller once you learned it
@@philippsaga4180dude pulled out the manual car argument for fixies
Track/velodrome cyclist would hard disagree with you.
Fixies are a lot of fun. You merely ride a geared bike, but you wear a fixie.
I don't mean to shit on them. If you like riding one, have at it.
I love riding fixed gear. I started in 2012 after an infection in my leg put me out of action for months. I lost kilos of weight, lots of it muscle, and I am certain that riding the fixie helped me get back to full strength much faster - I even went on to timetrial (I'm in the UK) on a fixed gear bike too!
been riding fixed for years now currently one of the best freestyle riders in the uk although i don’t do the stuf you guys do i still aprechate the fixed love
I ride fixed in that very city and it was fun to see you struggle up some of my daily climbs 😜 fixed gear has pushed my fitness and cycling ability for sure. Dont ride anything else now. Great video 👍
these comments are so heartwarming. most roadies in my area seem to hate or find ppl who ride fixed annoying.
Story time: I have tried fixed gear and crashed. That was my friend's bike. It was homemade using some cheap details, frame from 70s and had no brakes, so if you want to stop you should push pedals the opposite direction. Wether it was my inner insanity or thirst for speed I wanted to break my own speed record. We met on one of the most popular places in Kyiv among the cyclists, as there was everything you can dream about: flat and good quality road surface, speed limit for cars and magic feel of a pine forest surrounding the road. At that point I had tried a fixie before but had only few rides on my road bike. So we swapped our bikes and I gave it a try. I started speeding up and it went absolutely smooth. I honestly liked it and wanted more. During the ride I stepped on the pedals but I lost my inner feel of balance and bike leaned on the left side. I crashed. I can describe my condition as adrenaline planning about how to get away off the road as there were cars behind me. I quickly got up and started inspecting injuries. To my suprise I had only big scratches on my legs and my left pocket of the shorts was ripped by the keys laying there. I checked the bike then. And it made great. I only ripped the leather on the saddle and handlebar wrapping. We went to McDonald's and I checked strava. Turns out I crashed on the speed of 44km/h. The fact that I was not wearing any protection and got no major injuries fascinates me till now.
I love riding fixed. I rode organized metrics in Tennessee on one and people thought I was nuts. It really wasn’t too bad since that’s all I rode. I had 48x18 which is great on climbs but descending can be a little spinny. It’s easier to stop brakeless as well. I love my road and gravel bikes, but fixed gear keeps it simple and opens up a whole other world of cycling culture.
I just recently hit my PB on my fixie on a 100km loop around my city at 2h52 running a 49/15 ratio.
I haven't tried the same loop on a road bike for comparison.
Stephen Roche apparently spent his winters training on fixed gear. Many road pros have had lots of track experience, as you note.
I switched my commuter last Autumn to fixed, after getting fed up with the maintenance overheads and breakages you get running a modern groupset through a Celtic Isles winter. There's no shifter to wear out or jam with muck from the road. The chain on a fixed gear is much thicker and harder-wearing, last much longer. The sprocket and chainrings can have thicker teeth - and they're cheaper. The bottom bracket and crankset are tried-and-tested threaded and square-taper - no squeaking! I didn';t realise a bike could be _that_ quiet!
Strength wise I've noticed a difference. My commute is mostly flat, with about a quarter of it at a ~1% incline - which is downhill with the prevailing wind for my commute in in the morning. I've got the bike geared to be fast / on the gear for that morning commute with a 50:16. Which means, more often than not, I get a strength work-out on the commute home going up the 1%, and against the wind nearly all the way home. It basically turns my flat commute home into something more like a 40 minute alpine climb effort - 80 rpm or lower efforts for tens of minutes. On the worst days, down into the low 70s, and 60s in spots.
I've noticed I've developed new groups of muscle on the inside and inside back of my legs, which never got developed before in years of cycling. There is a little punchy stretch of a sprinty climb - maybe 2.5% to 3% for 600 metres - and I've become much faster on it with my fixed gear than ever before. Maybe in part cause I've no choice but to attack that semi-climb - going too slow and grinding feels worse! :) So... Definitely it has helped.
It's also given me "range" on my cadence. My legs are now _much_ more comfortable over a very wide range of RPM. My legs will both happily spin away, and also torque over the cranks at 70 rpm (well, maybe not happily in the latter case, but happier than before). My legs are more versatile.
It helps with cornering too. You learn to be smoother. Though, the short cranks on track inspired fixed gears helps here, as does the high BB on street-orientated fixed gear bikes. That's another thing: I've discovered that short cranks are _really_ good. I used to go for 172.5 or 175mm cranks before, but...165mm is /so/ nice. It's actually a really nice pedal stroke. And I don't have little short legs. (Plus, better cornering wrt reduced pedal strike risk).
tl;dr: I really recommend getting a fixed gear for commuting and training.
Really enjoyed this video. I tried commuting on a fixie for a while but I think it reduces the use of my commute (which I normally use for Z2 miles) by forcing me to work harder over the climbs. On a geared bike, for a recovery commute or Z2 commute I can just click down the gears and spin. Definitely improves pedalling effeciency but it feels like a pretty minor benefit with some pretty big tradeoffs to me.
I had a pretty flat 8km commute for a few years and was doing it on a single speed bike with a flip flop hub: it can be either a fixie or you can flip the wheel and it becomes freewheel. I tried riding it like a fixie several times and the most sketchy parts were going over potholes and merging into traffic, when you have to really look over your shoulder. So, I switched back to freewheel.
Are there any other old school cyclists out there - I joined my first cycling club in 1948 - who view these 'fixie' videos with the same sort of amused incredulity as I do? Today's cyclists seem to think of fixed wheel riding as some sort of weird, wildly dangerous aberration indulged in by lunatics. The reality is very different. Until probably well into the 1950's virtually every club cyclist rode a fixed wheel bike - it was the absolute norm. Our Sunday club rides usually numbered 30 or so riders and I can't recall anyone using derailleurs. Fixed wheels were eminently suited to maintaining the even pace which was desirable when riding in the double file organised fashion of the day. Even time triallists - the main type of racing at the time - rode fixed. The problem is that people today don't know how to ride them properly, hence the complaints about difficult standing starts, hill climbing, difficulty stopping, discarding brakes and so on. Brakes were always used, and lower gears than mooted today were much more sensible for long rides over varying terrain, usually 48/18 or 19, resulting in a faster and easier cadence to cope with the usual club outing of a hundred miles or so, and you soon learned to cope with the downhills. There was nothing esoteric about it - it was all quite normal.
We just bought a fixie 2 days ago. It's my son's. He's 12. It's his first bike. For me, it's also my first time on a fixie and I can already feel more better things about it compared to road bikes and mountain bikes. We ride urban streets, barely any elevation changes and just the usual black tarmac, rough cement, etc. My son said he does not want complicated shifters and I myself don't want to do complicated setup and settings, repairs and maintenance. I am a bigbike rider (motorcycle above 400cc) and I can appreciate the continous pedalling on a fixie like it's maintenance throttle on a motorcycle and smoothly slowing down on a fixie feels like engine braking on my bigbike. I love the fixie on corners. Mind you, I have ridden road bikes and mountain bikes and I have had my share of fast sprints, uphills and downhills. It is more difficult to do those things on a fixie but like I said, we barely ride fast, up, and down, where we are located so a fixie is a really practical choice for a bike. My son's fixie is a Celt V1. I am planning to buy the Celt V2 next.
yes, I built up a fixie (sport touring frame) with a good front brake, a double-sided fixed hub with stepped threading on both sides, and double chain rings. On the hub is a 15 and a 18. Up front is a 43 and a 46. Feeling good use the high range. Headwind on the way home? Open the QR, flip the wheel and take it easy. (by using a "matched set" of gears" - the chain is always the same "length") Its a lot of fun for random rides, etc. .
I would not recommend a "track" frame, for a few reasons. 1. Designed for smooth track, it will beat you up. 2. Higher BB for the track. That is high 3. Steep geometry (for track racing - no fun & cramped. 4. No braze ons. 5. Limited tire clearance. Find a used steel racing or sport touring frame.
been riding my fixie ten years i love it univega steel road conversion velocity deep v front gold 650 back 700 white no brakes supercustom cranks
Love my fixed gear bike. Bought it as a pub and commute bike, but now I've started training on it both indoors (rollers) and outside. Just love the simplicity of it. As a fixed gear rider, I get plenty of Kudos from the passing cyclists on the hills.
It’s fun to read training programs from the 70s advising a few months of fixie riding at the beginning of the season and long low intensity riding at very high cadence to “re-develop leg capillaries” and to lose weight, plus riding on rollers. This is because it seems in the program I read they assume you take the winter off from most intense exercise. The program did advise hiking in winter and particularly climbing hills for leg strength.
I've been riding fixed gears for 6 years now and absolutely love it. Plenty of 100, 150, 200km rides in the UK and cant recommend it enough. I've got a road and gravel bike now, which are okay in their own right, but nothing will ever be as fun to me as fixed
Never gone fixed but have always rode single speed road and MTB love them a underated bike the simplicity is just great your never in the wrong gear you just get on with it
I currently work with food delivery with a 38x20 steel frame mtb with coaster brakes and 700x32 tyres.
I love my little monster
I ride a fixie I have two hand built by my self set fixed sometimes single speed I’m 56 years old rode bmx in the 80s so just carried on love the fun and the climbing
Ive been brakeless on my fixed gear and its quite the ride. My setup is a steel frame with wide risers and going thru the city on the thing is sketchy fun thanks to all the hills. Climbing is great too because of the direct connection, just pop out the saddle and you can get up anywhere. Going to that bike as my main has for sure made me feel more confident on a standard bike when it comes to control but the feeling of fixed to coast is a little funny feeling for the first few moments.
I ride a fixie as a commuter bike on weekdays and a downhill bike on the weekends on the trails. I use it as stamina training and it worked wonders for me.
Ben tempted to get a fixed gear bicycle. A local company manufactures one where flipping the rear wheel is a toggle between fixed and single speed freewheel. I own a freewheel bicycle and enjoy having less hassles with gears. Uphill can sometimes be a problem, especially against wind. I was initially not keen on single speed, but enjoy those now more than gears.
Just bought a fixie last November for training purposes, 4 months into it i actually am enjoying riding the fixie than my soloist now😅. And i use my fixie more than the soloist. The additional endurance is a bonus for using fixie
Yeah, I rode a 44x17 on my road bike one winter as a teenager. It was what people did back then. In hilly California, it was a challenge. I do remember beating everyone else in my bike club up a local climb of about 1300ft at ~9% by like 5 minutes, because I had no choice. The joy of being 140 lb... The scary part was actually the descent on the other side.