Fixed gear bicycles, or "fixies," have one gear that is mounted to the hub of the rear wheel. What was once the chosen mode of transportation for bike messengers has grown in popularity; now, cyclists of all abilities can have fixed wheel bikes in their collections.
What Is Fixed Gear Bicycle?
Typically a fixed gear bicycle is a converted road bike frame; some people have also converted mountain bike frames to fixed gear bikes as well. More often than not, a fixed gear bike is made from an old steel frame bike. According to Lakeside Bicycles in Oregon, the reason for this is that many of these frames cannot accept some newer components such as 11 speed hubs. Fixed gear bikes are not track bicycles. Author Sheldon Brown points out that a track bike is built to have much finer clearances between the frame and the tire.
Riding Technique
Riding a fixed gear bicycle requires skills that differ from those needed for multiple gear road bikes. Since you cannot coast on a fixed gear bike, your legs must keep pumping the pedals at all times. There is no resting on a fixed gear bike. This includes pedaling through turns. You cannot lean too far into the turn or you will strike the pedals on the road and possibly crash. Likewise, stopping requires the use of your legs to stop the rear wheel while applying a brake that is attached to the front wheel. Some people remove the front brake and just rely on a technique called "skip stopping" to stop the bike. This is dangerous, and as Bob Purvis of the "Milwaukee Journal Sentinel" points out, may even be illegal in some places. So keep the front brake.
You Only Get One, So Which Gear?
Gear selection is important and will involve some trial and error. The gear that is appropriate for a ride on flat rolling hills will not be a good choice for serious hill climbing. Gear choice also depends on what kind of shape you are in. Take time to test out which gears work best for you, and be careful going downhill and using your legs as resistance as this can lead to injuries. According to Brown of Harris Cyclery, this motion is called eccentric contraction and can lead to micro-tears in muscle tissue, and actually weaken the muscle.
Why Ride Fixed Gear Bikes?
While it may seem to be a regression to ride a fixed gear bike, there are positive aspects. Firstly, there is no resting on a fixed gear bike, so you will get a very good workout. Secondly, riding a fixed gear can also improve your form. Choosing a gear that requires faster pedaling will improve your pedaling cadence, allowing you to pedal faster without rocking from side to side. Finally, fixed gear bikes are inexpensive, so there will be little buyer's remorse to spoil the ride.
References
- Harris Cyclery: Fixed Gear Bicycles for the Road
- "Milwaukee Journal Sentinel"; No break on no brakes:Cyclists object to ticketing over Fixed Gear bikes; Bob Purvis; September 2006
- "Fresno Bee"; Changing Gears: The "Fixie" is in; Don Mayhew; November 2007
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