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OPINION

Commuter diaries - fixed or not

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by Flo K
Tue, Sep 14, 2010 14:38
8

 I rode to work fixed this morning for the 1st time in about a year and did not enjoy it. It's the descents I find most difficult, on wet roads heavy with traffic it was a little sketchy. So much so that I have flipped the wheel at lunch time. The question is, am I being a coward and should I swap back? I am riding the ss / fixed category at the Frome Cobble Wobble which is a hill climb so no descending. Dilemma.

Flo K

Commute

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8 comments

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cat1commuter | 14 years ago
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I'm impressed antonio. My form goes to pieces above 130 rpm!

I'd recommend Flo K not to give up. Maybe get more used to it on less challenging terrain to practice spinning a high cadence. I don't have any really steep hills to contend with on my commute. Personally I find that fixed makes me feel more "planted" on the road surface in the wet.

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antonio | 14 years ago
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I love fixed gear, at seventy two years old I can still 'twiddle' downhill at 160 rpm, a bit difficult to get up the other side at the same cadence though.

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Morgan | 14 years ago
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Personally... I'd switch. Running a freewheel gives you a 'breather' from pedalling. It's a bugger getting back in the routine of cycling daily - especially in the wet!

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Flo K | 14 years ago
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There is nothing new about fixed obviously and any genre / discipline that increases cycle usage is all good for me. Like most, I love the simplicity and uber clean lines of a fixed bike allied with the "ride feel" you get, I'm just not very good at going down hill! I have two brakes on my bike, both freewheel SS and fixed are great fun, I just have a personal preference.

Flo K

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cowspassage | 14 years ago
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Does anyone know of anyone who uses one of those SRAM Torpedo hubs? You know, where you just have to turn a screw to switch from fixed to free. Certainly seem a good option if you find you want to flip/flop on a regular basis.

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WolfieSmith | 14 years ago
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If fixies were really safe to ride on the road we wouldn't have invented free wheels. Trying to remember you are on fixed in the wet in heavy traffic is a recipe for disaster - regardless of how skilled you are at riding one. I've heard so many accident reports in the last 2 years since the craze started. Fixies are best off on the track even if they improve cadence and feel traditionally so right..

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STATO replied to WolfieSmith | 14 years ago
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MercuryOne wrote:

I've heard so many accident reports in the last 2 years since the craze started

Thats nothing to do with fixies being unsafe and everything to do with the TW*T's that ride them (by that i mean 'fixie' riders, not riders who happen to be on a fixed)

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mr-andrew | 14 years ago
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you got 2 brakes on the bike? if so, who cares. and that said, you do seem to get more control in the wet with fixed

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