Fixed Gear Bicycles: Difference between revisions

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# Are you using too hard of a gear for the rides you are on?  Your cadence should be fairly high, but not so much that you are spinning out.  Be a spinner not a masher.
# Are you using too hard of a gear for the rides you are on?  Your cadence should be fairly high, but not so much that you are spinning out.  Be a spinner not a masher.
# Brake pads are cheaper than knee replacements, if you don't have brakes and your knees hurt -- consider the obvious.
# Brake pads are cheaper than knee replacements, if you don't have brakes and your knees hurt -- consider the obvious.
== What is it? ==
A fixed Gear Bicycle, sometimes called a 'Fixer' or 'Fix', is bicycle gearing without the ability to coast. That means that while the cranks turn the drive wheel will turn, and while the drive wheel turns the cranks will turn. Through this rigid attachment to one another, a fixed gear bicycle can be slowed by the rider's resistance to pedaling. Most fixed gear bicycles have one gear ratio, but some two-speed and three-speed internally-geared fixed hubs exist.


== References ==
== References ==


* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed_gear Wikipedia's Fixed Gear]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed_gear Wikipedia's Fixed Gear]
* [http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/ Fixed Gear Gallery], for showing off your fixer
* [http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed/index.html Sheldon Brown's Fixed Gear/Singlespeed Page], a good start for anyone

Revision as of 03:11, 28 March 2007

By now you have probably seen someone racing by with one gear and asked yourself why? Well maybe you should ask yourself why not?

  1. All the cool kids are doing it. You'll be popular! Seriously, it can be a trendy thing, but you can either join or ignore the lemmings and still have a great time.
  2. A fixed gear bicycle is perfect for cadence training. You can't coast, even down hills, so if you maintain constant speed you are also maintaining constant cadence.
  3. Try something new, riding a fixed gear is a different experience, if you are looking for a little spice in your cycling life -- here it is.
  4. Mechanical simplicity results in something that is very easy to maintain.

Q: I hear they are bad for your knees, is that true?

A: They can be, the legally correct way of addressing this is probably to consult your doctor, however... Listen to your body, it has a lot to say. If you are experiencing discomfort, stop and evaluate the situation, try the following:

  1. Make sure the bike fits, the Bicycle Collective or other bike shops can help you with this.
  2. Are you using too hard of a gear for the rides you are on? Your cadence should be fairly high, but not so much that you are spinning out. Be a spinner not a masher.
  3. Brake pads are cheaper than knee replacements, if you don't have brakes and your knees hurt -- consider the obvious.


What is it?

A fixed Gear Bicycle, sometimes called a 'Fixer' or 'Fix', is bicycle gearing without the ability to coast. That means that while the cranks turn the drive wheel will turn, and while the drive wheel turns the cranks will turn. Through this rigid attachment to one another, a fixed gear bicycle can be slowed by the rider's resistance to pedaling. Most fixed gear bicycles have one gear ratio, but some two-speed and three-speed internally-geared fixed hubs exist.

References