ok someone explain the whole fixed gear thing ..flip flop sprockets and all ..! my kid seen someone peddlin backwards now he want 2 "do that " ..is this something i can do my self ...any help would b great ..mike
just a question
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I ride a fixed gear and actually have two of them. I actually like it more then a freewheel or coaster brake style wheel in my personal opinion. If you don't like constantly spinning then and coasting sometimes then it may not be for you. But give it a try cause I just decided to build one after reading about it and have been hooked ever since. What it is, is that the rear gear is actually fixed to the rear hub so that it's locked in place and doesn't spin like a normal wheel would. I just feel like I have more control pedaling and braking. Not to mention the simplicity of of the bike overall. I ride my BSA fixed gear to work(twenty miles round trip) whenever the weather and work schedule allows me to which is around three times usually. I run a 39/16 gear ratio which is a tad on the low side but the extra spinning doesn't bother me. Takes me fifty minutes to go ten miles which I don't think is that bad. I'm not into the tricks portion(bar spinning, riding backwards, etc..) of the fixed gear scene. The flip flop hub is that you can put a gear on one side of the hub and say maybe a larger or smaller one on the other if it's setup for fixed on both sides. Otherwise they have hubs that are setup for fixed(the gears thread onto the hub and then have have a lockring thread on to keep it in place) and then the other side of the hub can have a normal BMX style freewheel threaded on in case you feel like coasting sometimes. There's a couple of different way to build a fixed rear wheel instead of buying one. One option is using a disk brake front wheel as they make gears that go in place of the disk. A good thing about that is that you don't have to redish the rim. Another option is to use any multigeared wheel that uses a Shimano freehub. Then buying a Surly fixxer that replaces the freehub device with a solid fixed piece to thread your fixed gear onto. Sorry for the small novel but that should cover the questions you asked. lol. As for doing it yourself. I guess you could weld the internals of a coaster all together and that might work.
so just to some it up, legs a pedaling-wheels a turning. legs stop pedaling, wheels stop turning.
ya want to coast, too bad your in it for the long haul. :lol:
most guys dont even put brakes on em (crazy peeps) :lol:
flip flop hub
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flip-flop_hub
ya want to coast, too bad your in it for the long haul. :lol:
most guys dont even put brakes on em (crazy peeps) :lol:
flip flop hub
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flip-flop_hub
ay! ive just been cursed with anything that has to do with cables, plus, i love the no-nonsense simplicity! 8)
edit: the gear ratio also should be chosen thinking about stopping. i have a sorta high gearing on my current fixie, and find it hard to slow down. so if you have an easy gearing, itll be easier to stop. right?
ah yes, but thats what they have toe clips for.. which i dont have.. nevermind. :lol:
I only ride with clipless pedals as I'm not a big fan of toe clips. I originally had a 52T chainring on my BSA but tossed on the 39T instead. Imagine trying to stop a Cadillac Fleetwood from rolling down a hill with just you behind it. The inertia was a bit too much and I like my knees. I roll brakeless so the smaller chainring was perfect. I don't skid also so it's just adjusting the pressure of my legs to slow down. My Hercules fixed gear has a rear brake since I have a 50T on it. I just hate being grouped into the hipster cliche since I ride fixed. No tight pants, messenger bag, blah blah. I ride it cause I hate derailluers and the like the simplicity of them.
well alrighty then ..so sounds like the best was it 2 just get a rim already set up ...LOL im not sure he needs something like this anyway ! seems kinda sketchy for an 11 year old ...yes ? anyway ill give it some thought ...thnx guys for the fast response and a little education at the same time ....mike
maybe a couple years down the road when hes gotten more years on a bike. 8)
he has been riding 8 years already ..its amazin ..he got a little gas powered pocket bike at 6..an 80 dirt bike 2 years ago ...so he has lots of practice on 2 wheels ....he is just way 2 crazy ..dosent pay attention so well ,,,like 2 show boat and when he is doing so ...he is usually lookin behind him 2 see ppls reaction ...ran into my dads garage last year doing a seat stand ...oh well he wears a helmet !! lol good luck 2 me i always say ...its just getting stated ...look out teen years !!!
Toss a brake on it and it's not different from any other bike. The one thing that gets people is when their so used to stop pedaling and attempt to coast is a rude awakening. With brakes on it it's almost safe then a normal brake cause you have like three forms of braking. The front, rear and the resistance from your legs. I just finished my 2nd fixie project and it rides like a dream.
as a teen/adult,have you ever hopped on a kids tricycle and roled down a hill/incline/driveway?
if you have, the pedals were probably spinning franticly with your feet in the air!
while i don't wanna dis the fixie crowd (i think fixies are kinda cool) sticking an 11 year old on a fixie
will probably produce similar results.
as a parent, its probably something you don't wanna encourage until later in life.
on a side note,as a general rule, fixies are all about simplicity. get rid of the brakes,derailers,reflectors you name it (lighter is better)
at the age of 11 bicycle safty should be first and formost. brakes,lights reflectors etc are required by law in most area's.
if you have, the pedals were probably spinning franticly with your feet in the air!
while i don't wanna dis the fixie crowd (i think fixies are kinda cool) sticking an 11 year old on a fixie
will probably produce similar results.
as a parent, its probably something you don't wanna encourage until later in life.
on a side note,as a general rule, fixies are all about simplicity. get rid of the brakes,derailers,reflectors you name it (lighter is better)
at the age of 11 bicycle safty should be first and formost. brakes,lights reflectors etc are required by law in most area's.
