Fixed Gears

Introduction to Fixed Gear Bikes

I've been riding a fixed bike for quite awhile, well for me I feel that it's been quite awhile but it's been only about a year or so. Most people like to ask "what's so nice about a fixie or fixed gear bike?". This has many reasons based on the rider's opinions and so on.

Well, today I will be sharing with you about my experience with fixed gear bikes.

A year or so ago, I bought a very cheap fixed gear bike from a local store. Before that, I've read about fixies on the internet, books, magazines and also TV shows. If you are a fixed gear fan like me, most of you might have probably heard of the movie called Premium Rush. Briefly speaking, the movie is about a New York messenger and his life as chaotic as all bike messengers are.

Okay, now some of you might be wondering what a bike messenger is. In New York there is a tradition or more like a culture of sending items, delivery to be more specific to its owners by messengers on bicycles. Back in those days, these messengers are paid quite a wholesome salary for their delivery job. Mostly the pay is based on the timing of the package arriving at the customer's doorstep. The bikes that  messengers ride are simple and very easy to maintain. These bikes don't cost much. They are light, cheap, not very attractive and very easily maintained.

The reasons for these criteria are that they don't need much money to be kept in good condition. Moreover, bicycles are chosen for they do not need fuel to be powered, the power comes from the rider itself, so fuel money is not a problem. Next, they are mostly unattractive bikes so that people do not have much attention on it and do not have much of an intention to want to steal the bikes. Finally, (this is also the most interesting part) most of these bike messengers use fixed bikes because when the gear is fixed which means whenever the wheels spin so goes the pedals you can either stop with your brakes or also with your legs by exerting back pressure onto the pedals to slow yourself down. So, some messengers thought it would be much more saving to have no brakes on their bikes as it would be more easy to maintain and much more cheaper (as they can stop with just their legs). Although it might sound a little extreme that some people ride their bikes without brakes, it is possible to master the skills required to ride a brakeless fixed gear bike. There are many ways to slow down or come to a halt on a fixie. There's the skid, whip skid or emergency skid, the skip hopping technique, and the most easily done normal back pressure.

What is a fixed gear bike/ fixie?

Before we go on to these complicated parts, let me introduce to you briefly about a fixie bike. Fixie bikes are first introduced in the late 1800 as racing track bicycles. It soon became a trendy bike around certain parts in America. The gear or the hub of the bike is directly screwed onto the wheel itself. So the pedals move in the direction of the wheel, whenever the wheel spins so do the pedals move. Unlike free-wheel bikes where you can cruise or rest your leg while you don't feel like pedalling, you cannot have your legs rest on a fixie, the pedals move as long as the bike is moving. In other words, you can cycle backwards on a fixie bike.

Now, fixies are a really trending bicycle as it is now way more attractive than before, very afforable, cheap, worth and most of all very much of swag and cool, the hipster kind of cool. However, there are also lots of seriously expensive ones out there to be honest and not to insult, I would give some examples of famous and costly brands. The ones I know are Dosnoventa, Bianchi, Cinelli, Aventon, Crosstar, Giant, Trek and many more. Those are mainly made of fancy stuff like carbon fibre to some serious composite material stuff that cost you a hell of a lifetime.

My personal experience on fixed gears

If you are a free-wheel rider (most of of you are), you have to be really careful when riding a fixed gear. It is very different. The most common mistakes people make when new to fixed gears ( me too) are that they forget the part where they cannot rest their legs. Your legs keep moving as long as your bike is moving and when you make a turn, never NEVER EVER try to rest your leg as on a free-wheel as you most probably will crash as a result of losing balance. It had happened to me the first week I rode fixed. 

I was a mountain biker before I tried riding fixed. Mountain biking is a very fun sport and also very dangerous. I rode an All-Mountain bike before the fixie came into the household. The joy, the fun, the excitement, most of all the adrenaline rush on a mountain bike never can be underestimated (maybe roadies will never understand). Mountain biking was just awesome. Then I started learning about fixed gear bikes and their treats. I saw that the pricing of fixed gears are way more cheaper than that of any mountain bike you can find out there. I made a decision to get one fixed gear bike back home and try it out. It was almost 3 times cheaper than my mountain bike and was a sparkling little racer.

I rode it and yes, I immediately felt the fun of riding a fixie. I can't describe how it feels like to be fun on a fixie but you just have to try it out yourself. Not everyone will like to be riding a fixed gear bike, or maybe after awhile they adapt to it and start realizing that is isn't just all about that boring! 

I fell many times on my fixie, mostly because of the pedals that are always in motion. After a few weeks I got used to it, I got the feel of fixed! Not long after the brakes on my fixie started with some mechanical problems and one day I got so frustrated that I completely removed the whole brake mechanism off the bike. From then on, I started riding brakeless. First, it seemed hard to stop and all, after sometime I mastered skidding and skipping. These 2 techniques really eats up your tyres and you have to change quite often. But for saving purposes, I back pressure as much as I can to cut down on tyres. I never ever felt the need to put those brakes back on and I don't really know why, maybe they were just too annoying haha.

I learned how to service, maintain and repair parts on my fixie and it was seriously way more easier than a mountain bike. My fixie have never went back to the shop where I bought it. The only reason I went back to the shop was to buy tyres for it, no any other problems from my bike. The mountain bike on the other hand had taken my money for granted and maybe, maybe I've already spent on maintaining it more than the actual price of the bike HAHA can't believe it!!

I changed my handlebars from riser bars to bullhorn handlebars and that was one of the best choices I've ever made. Bullhorns make it easy for you to climb uphill and it is stable going uphill. Pista and drop bars are a little too strenous as you have to bend down and they are more for racing purposes. Risers are usually for freestyle but I don't do any more than wheelie and barspin. So bullhorn was my kind. Wheelie with a bullhorn wasn't hard and was amazingly more stable than using riser bars in another way. 

The feeling of riding the fixie was amazing. And also the way people looked at you on such a bright bike with the coolness surrounding you haha! Although I am in love with fixed gears, mountain biking is still what I do now, but for now, my front shocks are in a shitty condition and I feel too lazy to get it repaired. So for this period of time, I am living my Fixed Life :)

Benefits of riding a Fixed Gear Bicycle

(These are based on my experience)

1. You get a better workout.

    As we all know a fixed gear bike only has one chainring and one fixed hub so it is a single-speed bicycle. As the gear ratio is pretty big, you need more effort climbing uphill without the help of a derailleur. So you get more work out!

2. You train yourself to better coordination.

    When you ride fixed, you train yourself to have a better legs coordination especially if you ride brakeless you rely on your legs to stop. You train yourself to coordinate in a way that makes it easier for you to stop or when you are doing freestyle tricks.

3. You save more money.

    Like I said, maintaining it is just so damn easy!

4. You are more alert.

    This is more for those who ride brakeless. When you ride brakeless you have to be 100% of the time aware of your surroundings. You will train yourself when emergency situations come, say a car suddenly hits on the brakes so hard you have to think of a way to avoid ( you need really quick reflexes and awareness of your surroundings). This helps you adapt to the most dangerous and emergency situations.

5. You are more skilful than any Roadbiker

    This is based on my analysis that most roadbikers are ignorant about their own bikes, they know nothing much about servicing bike parts and are more lack of skills. Although a fixie might show some resemblance of a road bike, the two are completely different! Their skills are completely unalike! if you ride you will definitely get me.

Conclusion

Go and get your fixed gear bike right now!! Start with the best budget pricing fixies. Fixies are very enjoyable and also very dangerous at the same time. Once again my reminder to all my readers, Safety First, always put on a helmet before riding your fixie. Learn slowly the adapt to the bike and STAY SAFE!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR VISITNG MY BLOG!!