What is the advantage of a fixed gear?

[Unchained]

Sorry for my ignorance and lack of knowledge in this respect, but I've seen people building these a lot lately and am wondering what the advantage to having a fixed gear setup is. Do you expend less energy pedaling, or is it geared higher? Is it preferable gearing-wise as a setup to a single speed coaster brake hub? I might build one if these things are true.

 

[KZ1000]

OH BOY, Chris you would have the coolest fixie if you put your touch to it

 

[icyuod2]

A fixed-gear bicycle, fixed wheel bicycle or "fixie", is a bicycle without the ability to coast because the sprocket is screwed directly on to the hub and there is no freewheel mechanism. Whenever the rear wheel is turning, the pedals turn in the same direction,[1] this allows a cyclist to stop without using a brake, by resisting the rotation of the cranks, and also to ride in reverse.

my little sunshine bicycle is a fixed gear.

the only real advantages are riding backwards and not having the extra weight of brakes.
you can use any combination of different gear ratio's, so theres no real advantage there.

 

[FunkyStickman]

Advantages: with no coasting, you can slow the bike down by putting backwards resistance on the pedals, therefore you don't need traditional brakes. It's also good for tricks, and it forces you to not be lazy on training rides, as you can't stop pedaling. Plus it's a bike in it's simplest form: two wheels and a crank, nothing else.

Some people get all sentimental about it and say "fixie riding brings you closer to the bike" or some stuff like that... Sheldon Brown was one of them. I'm sure you have to pay more attention, as you can't just daydream while you're coasting, you have to always give the fixie bike input.

I might build one for novelty, but it would not be a practical mode of daily transportation for me. You might build one and find out differently, who knows?

 

[Rustinkerer]

my little sunshine bicycle is a fixed gear.

I think that qualifies as a "fixed belt"! :lol: ~Adam

 

[B607]

Some people get all sentimental about it and say "fixie riding brings you closer to the bike" or some stuff like that... Sheldon Brown was one of them.

Buy a cool old bike, take apart every nut and bolt, bead blast, paint, get all parts rechromed, repair and reassemble. I think that would "bring you closer to the bike"...at least as much as riding a fixie. Romantics...blech!

 

[Unchained]

OH BOY, Chris you would have the coolest fixie if you put your touch to it

Thank you! Thanks for all the replies, I am buying an early diamond frame soon and this is getting the wheels turning in my head...

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

personally, the single speed conversion (not fixed) with at least a front brake is the way to go (with a sensible all-around gear ratio)

 

[schwinnmesa]

I'm building a fixie right now. :wink: I just went to the bike store yesterday and got some nice white BMX grips. I have an old school BMX seat and am looking for 27" white walls. It's a 1978 Fuji Sports 10, I cleaned most of the chrome yesterday. :mrgreen: Haha, sorry. Just went into a daydream mode.

But the way I see it, if you have an old 10-speed bike that the shifters and brakes are messed up, why not end those problems and make it a fixie. :wink: It drops a ton of weight too. It's sort of a fad that's getting popular amongst mainly college aged kids. I've sold some road bikes to college students that their plans are to make it a fixie. 8)

 

[deorman]

Being middle-aged(old! :lol: ) and lazy, I see no advantage whatsoever.Could be the best reason to make one. :wink:

 

[Rat Rod]

Doctors who do knee replacements love them too. :wink:

 

[schwinnmesa]

Doctors who do knee replacements love them too. :wink:

I wonder how great the resistance would be on the knees to slow the bike down on a fixed gear?

 

[Rat Rod]

Doctors who do knee replacements love them too. :wink:

I wonder how great the resistance would be on the knees to slow the bike down on a fixed gear?

My assumption is that over time that cannot be good for your knees, but maybe I'm wrong.

 

[mastronaut]

It's a novelty, a way to ruin a perfectly good road bike. If you want to be with the current 'in' crowd (who by the way, HATE the term fixie) by all means have fun. It's not everything for everyone, but my advice is buy a track frame and leave the vintage classics for the purists. Oh and tell your buddies you ride a fixed gear, then you'll be accepted into the hipster society.....:roll:

 

[Ed_Straker's_Rat]

Doctors who do knee replacements love them too. :wink:

I wonder how great the resistance would be on the knees to slow the bike down on a fixed gear?

I've had knee problems all my life since I did track & field in school (not getting any better since I hit my 40's) and I don't have any issues stopping a fixie. The secret is to have the seat post long enough that your leg is almost fully extended at the bottom of the stroke. If you had a fixie setup bmx style with a very short seat post then I could see some serious knee problems arising. If it hurts your knees accelerating on a fixie, it's gonna hurt twice as bad slowing one down.

 

[benz]

In my little opinion, fixed gear bikes look so nice because of the simplicity of design, the stripped down version of anything is usually pretty nice anyway. Call me weird but with one gear I would just feel weird without a coaster brake..ha.

 

[RZ94]

My "cheater fixie".....isn't really fixed, has a rear freewheel, and I LIKE HAVING BRAKES for when other people do stupid things....and I agree with the others...real fixies play havoc with your knees....even with brakes total weight is around 18 lbs.

 

[Unchained]

Thanks for all the replies, I guess it makes a little more sense to me now, though I don't know if I like the idea of stopping a fixed gear, it does sound kind of hard on you and not too enjoyable. I get what people mean when they talk about a bike being beautiful in it's basic form, and some frames do look nice without the extras. RZ94, could you please pm or post some pictures of the freewheel setup on your cheater fixie? I think that is an awesome idea and undoubtedly how I would do one if I were to do it. Also, you could use a coaster brake like Benz mentions, but then the purpose really has been defeated :lol: I've got something to think about, anyway.

 

[Philphine]

i saw where someone had done the "cheater fixie" thing by using a front freewheeling setup. not into it myself. has zero appeal to me.

 

[Philphine]

it just occurred to me. if your putting force on it backward to stop, what are the chances that you just unscrew the rear sprocket and then can't stop? or does the rear sprocket attatch some other way?