Fair?

[dutchie]

Is it fair to misjudge all fixed gear bikes here? I am 59 years (young and have to admit I do like them very much. And love to build them as low costs as possible. Sometimes even with a so called suicide fix hub. Which is a normal road hub with a track cog and a BSA (BB) (right threading) lock ring to fix the cog. As Sheldon Brown discribes. Nothing wrong esspecially when you make use of a front brake as well. Normal use (no extreme skidding) is like using a trackbike. I know plenty of track riders who doen't make use of a lock ring. Due to a stroke some years ago, and therefore concentration problems, it is not always advisable for me to ride long distances with these bikes, but after building I love to 'test ride' them. And afterwards to sell them to young hipsters...
Enclosed one of the nicest fixies I builded as described. A new project is already hanging in the shed, a 64 cm frame, (too big for me) turning on to be a fixie. With a Tomicog rear wheel, so no brakes necesary this time.

 

[Johnsqual]

Re:

I think there's a difference between 'fixed wheel' and 'fixies'. The former is just using a fixed sprocket on a bike without otherwise permanently modifying the frame. That's something that's been done for a long time, for various reasons, e.g. it's good for training, for bike couriers, etc.

The fixie craze of the past few years (maybe dying off a bit now?) involved 'vandalising' classic frames by hacking off derailleur hangars, braze ons, and then respraying in cheesy colours. I suppose that is inevitably going to annoy fans of classic bikes.

It probably doesn't help that loads of middle class twerps who don't know how to ride those kinds of bikes safely took up the craze, possibly giving other cyclists a bad image.

But in short nothing wrong with ordinary fixed wheel bikes in my opinion. It's more the culture that goes with fixies that seems a bit naff to me.

 

[Pionir]

Re:

I never "got" fixed wheels - it seems to me like you're always in the wrong gear. Then again when watching someone used to a fixie riding with (and fishing for) gears for the first time they definitely always are in the wrong gear!

The vandalising of classic frames is an absolute shame, especially when often people don't understand the difference between a proper lightweight work of art and a cheap cro-mo frame and would be happy with the latter, but more people on bikes is a good thing no?

I can't stand "modern" bikers with their handbars all wrong but I'm still happy to see so many more people on bikes than when I was a kid. Maybe one day enough motorists will know how the other half live so we can all just get along...

 

[Old Ned]

'I know plenty of track riders who doen't make use of a lock ring.'

Really? I'm surprised to read that. Bikes should always be checked prior to a track session and this is one aspect that is very important. The only real braking possible on the track is 'back pressure' and this will soon unscrew a non-lockringed sprocket.