TMS destined to get all busted up, buys fixed gear bike.

[themadscientist]

I've been interested in them for a while, I even picked up a cog to convert one of mine to fixed, but I couldn't pass up the deal on this little comrade. Comrade? Why comrade? Well because it's the Specialized Langster Moscow model of course!
http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBC ... 2&eid=4354

This is a fixed gear one speed, no freewheel. If the back wheel is moving so are the pedals, no kicking back and coasting Bolshevik. Now, in keeping with the spirit of the west, the rear hub is a flip-flop type with a freewheel on the opposite side if you want to embrace the fat capitalist laziness.


The frame is aluminum and the forks carbon fiber and this sumbitch is light! That's good, because I ain't.


The mad one went for a quick spin down the street and cripes I am out of shape! Going downhill is actually worse than going uphill because unless you want the crank to run away from your feet you have to resist the rotation. My quadriceps were like


I had to stop and sit for a while and these ***holes went zipping by me laughing. "слабо"


Power to the people! I shall put the people's a** in the seat and pedal as hard as the people's legs can manage until this people weighs less people!

[PapaSmurf2k3]

WOw, no freewheel?!
Was it really cheap? Seems like you have an awesome frame and fork. You could easily upgrade the "drivetrain" if you wanted.

[themadscientist]

I picked it up for six bills, MSRP is $770. I don't like the strap pedals. Having my feet trapped in is kind of scary. Not sure if toeclips are the way to go. If they are easy to disengage to release my feet I might get those.

It was a really strange feeling not being able to coast and it woke me up a couple of times by kicking my feet back into motion against their will. I may flip the wheel and run with the freewheel side until I am used to the geometry and handling before trying to run fixed. You are right on top of the center of gravity and it turns on a dime.

And think about this little scenario. When you take a turn real fast you lean and what do you do with your pedals? What can you not do with pedals that spin all the time? How might that go?

[Razi]

Fixed gear is really fun!
I bought an older Fuji Track frame and swapped my stuff over.

When you're turning, just be careful not to lean too much. :P

My previous frame was just a road bike frame I converted, and the bottom bracket was really close to the ground, and my pedals would hit the ground sometimes and lift my bike if I turned too sharp.

You should be able to pull your feet out of the straps fairly easily, I've had to bail once in a while and I've never had a problem.

Try to track stand everytime you come to a stop, it's really helpful once you get the hang of it.
You won't need to pull your feet out then try to put it back in everytime you come to a stop.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Oh yeah I didn't even think about the sharp cornering disadvantage of direct drive. I'd swap that thing to freewheel ASAP. I fail to see the advantage of direct drive over freewheeling.... unless you're on a unicycle.

[Razi]

It just feels nicer.
Turning thing isn't a problem as long as the bottom bracket is a good height.

[Red coupe]

Oh yeah I didn't even think about the sharp cornering disadvantage of direct drive. I'd swap that thing to freewheel ASAP. I fail to see the advantage of direct drive over freewheeling.... unless you're on a unicycle.

lol, never ridden fixies?

They do help you up your cadence if there are any (down) hills around, helps make never coasting a habit, helps train your feet to spin circles, and deal with being in the "wrong" gear...

REALLY easy to do track stands, lol.

Kinda fun too, but even better is bikes with gears... cause when you shift them they go faster.

I picked it up for six bills, MSRP is $770. I don't like the strap pedals. Having my feet trapped in is kind of scary. Not sure if toeclips are the way to go. If they are easy to disengage to release my feet I might get those.

It was a really strange feeling not being able to coast and it woke me up a couple of times by kicking my feet back into motion against their will. I may flip the wheel and run with the freewheel side until I am used to the geometry and handling before trying to run fixed. You are right on top of the center of gravity and it turns on a dime.

And think about this little scenario. When you take a turn real fast you lean and what do you do with your pedals? What can you not do with pedals that spin all the time? How might that go?

Its confusing, because pedals where you clip in are called clipless, and pedals with straps are for toe clips...

Used to be there was a little "clip" at the toe of your shoe that was basically a plastic bit that stuck downwards hand hooked the leading edge of the petal so that your foot could not slip if your making a pulling back kinda move.
Those straps held your foot down onto the petal and the clip kept it from sliding back.

Clipless petals got rid of that clip by having you clip in with a cleat (Makes total sense right?)

Both straps and clipless are pretty safe, clipless is much better feeling. Never tried with actual toe clips, just the straps with regular shoes... but that s*** seems like it would be hairy.
Either way it is easy to get your foot out... BUT only if you do it right :P

When I rode with straps (toe clips, with no actual clip) I could actually get my foot out easy. I left them just tight, but not clamped down and even in a dumb panic your feel will pull out when you give a good yank.

Clipless vary with the system, but basically you twist your foot and it pops out. There are settings and tensions on these petals, so that will change things a bit...
The mountain bike clipless setups I have used (SPD with multi-release cleats on low tension) You can yank your foot out in a dumb panic if you go for it. This is actually more dangerous tbh because these pedals and shoes do not work well when you are NOT clipped in, and popping will most likely mean a fall if your standing or on rough ground (when your most likely to pop out)
The road pedals I use now (look keo classic with 4.5 deg of float/angular free play) YOU WILL NOT GET YOUR FEET OUT OF in a dumb panic. Very easy to release, but if you don't twist and just pull they will not come out unless you have enough strength to brake something (and you don't).
All systems seem to designed around a twisting of the ankle motion to release, which is good because it means you are not likely to twist an ankle in the event of a crash... as you would clip out first. (nice thing vs straps)
Clipless you will fall once. Hopefully not in front of people, and you will be stopped so it wont be that bad, but damn near everyone forgets once when they start.

All in all, The argument is made that clip less systems are SAFER... You will come out in a crash, and your much more likely to crash when your feet don't stay on the petals (keeping YOU in control). Many people feel that having to remeber to perform an action to take a foot off the bike has some inherent danger... and that is not to be ignored, but EVERY time you take a foot off you will do this action, it becomes second nature... Are you afraid of having doors on your house in case you ever need to flee in an emergency? What if you didn't have time to remember to open them!


BTW keep those laces and pant legs tucked in. Stuff + fixed gear drive train = bleeding face.

[AZhitman]

^ All that.

My kid raced BMX on Shimano 747's and Giro road racing shoes.... He started clipped-in at 5 years old. (side note - I built several insanely badass bikes for him in his 7-year career).

If you wipe out at the speeds they're doing, it doesn't matter if you're attached to the bike or not, you're gonna be f*****. He got the hang of it pretty quickly, and could balance clipped-in in the gate on a 40* incline for what seemed like forever.

I'm with James on this one, though - Seems to be counterproductive and unsafe. We've got a huge "fixie" group here in the Valley, and I just don't get it. : How the hell DO you turn?

[Razi]

You point your handlebars in the direction you want to go.
Only times I get pedal strike is when I lean much more than I really need to.
Even then, my bike just sorta jumps and not much else happens.

It's hard to explain why a fixed gear is fun. Try riding one for a while.
It'll either scare you away from them, or get you interested.

[themadscientist]

Real friggin careful it seems. I have to say, just the short spin I took today made an impression. I think I like it, but it is really strange. I think it is going to be a hard sell to anyone who isn't already a little interested.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

I'm with James on this one, though - Seems to be counterproductive and unsafe.

Right? I keep thinking "freewheels were invented for a reason".

I mean s***, its why we use ratchets instead of just wrenches. Its downright more efficient. Bikes even add that safety factor.

[Razi]

That's what I thought before riding one.

[Jesda]

I really don't get it. To each their own. Have fun out there.

[Bubba1]

I mean s***, its why we use ratchets instead of just wrenches. Its downright more efficient. Bikes even add that safety factor.

^This, but I believe an unltralight single speed fixed gear drive bike like the one you bought (minus the handbrakes) is designed more for a velodrome (banked oval bike racetrack), than street touring.

I lived a few miles from a velodrome during college. They are a hoot. If you live near one, you should take the opportunity to try it out. The main disadvantage I see using a racebike like yours on the street is you won;t be able to travel as far before tiring than if you had gears and an open drive (allows coasting). Let us know how you enjoy it.

[themadscientist]

Well. I took about a 10 mile jaunt on this deathtrap. I am getting better at getting the second foot in the pedal straps; I'm up to "sucks." I'm also getting decent at stopping near things to lean on so I don't have to pull my feet out of the clips.

I had noticed the disturbing fact that the brake levers were dangerously difficult to reach so I made a point of heading over to the bike shop that I got it at for some new bits. They spliced in some extra levers that are easy to reach in the upright position and I was immediately enthused about the purchase! Stopping is important.



Now, I haven't ridden at all in about a year so the trip was an ambitious one. There were a few long hills, nothing earth-shattering, but they were no s***. I have heard that pedaling a fixie uphill was noticeably smoother and arguably easier than the same gear with a freewheel and I have to agree. Being in full contact at all times with the rear wheel does, at least in my case, result in a much smoother and efficient pedaling motion. Did it hurt, hell yes, but anything would have hurt an out of shape fat dude trying to drag his substantial a** up a hill.

I must say, this seat was designed by the Marquis De Sade, on a Monday, after finishing his taxes, while on the can fighting a ruthless bout of constipation while listening to an IPOD that was stuck on the Rebecca Black song. OUCH! Imagine being in the bed of an unloaded 1-ton pickup truck speeding down a dirt road while you sit on a bowling pin, yeah, awesome.

I actually feel taller and believe the pummeling on my taint has jacked my spine up about a half inch. I turn 40 next year and as a dude gets on in years certain things need to be checked. I am certain when I get my first prostate exam the doc will discover this seat is actually up my a**.

Combine that with high pressure narrow tires and a rigid frame PLUS as a fixie it's not easy to stand up off the seat quickly when seeing a large bump you, or more to the point, your a**, is trapped in the line of fire. I quickly evolved a rapid a** crunch move to suck as much cheek meat under my perineum as possible before hitting a bump and they were everywhere! I could feel everything I ran over. Seriously, if it presented a more dramatic elevation change than running over a paperback copy of the cliff's notes of the abridged version of "Memoirs of Naladude, Vaginas I've known" I was getting a** raped.

In spite of all that, I still enjoyed the ride and found it rewarding and don't regret the purchase. When I got home my quads were so destroyed I could not walk down the steps. I seriously had to sit down on the top step and shuffle down with my bruised a**.

[Razi]

You'll get used to going over bumps, it doesn't take long to get used to.
If you keep riding it often, hills won't be a problem.
Just keep pedaling and don't lose momentum. I'm always over taking my friend on hills, and he even has gears.

As for the seat issue, make sure it's adjusted right.
I used to have a squishy gel type seat, and even that was painful when I didn't have it adjusted right.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

You are going to be useless tomorrow. I hope you are aware of that

[themadscientist]

I usually am useless. At least I'll have an excuse this go round.

I've never found a seat that felt good. I might try a pair of those padded bike shorts. I'll have to have a spiked codpiece attached to the front to let folks know how I roll.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

You could get a suspension seatpost too.

[Razi]

Suspension seatposts are for beach cruisers. :P

Padded bike shorts can help, but a properly adjust seat will make the biggest difference.

Sheldon Brown always has answers!
http://sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html

[themadscientist]

That's the bastard that got me on this fixie kick!

I raised the seat post a bit, it was too low. He confirmed my suspicions. I know my legs will feel better at least. That seat still feels hard as hell, though. I think it's too narrow for my a**.

[Razi]

It might be.
If you feel like you're slightly sliding forward, your seat might be tilted down a tiny bit too much.

[Red coupe]

That's the bastard that got me on this fixie kick!

I raised the seat post a bit, it was too low. He confirmed my suspicions. I know my legs will feel better at least. That seat still feels hard as hell, though. I think it's too narrow for my a**.

Cyclists often use the term "sitbones"

Grab a hand full of a**, and you will feel its true... The saddle should support these. With that accomplished has long as its not so hard it chips bone or bruises soft and cushy isn't really a concern... A lot of the things that seem comfy work against you. Wide seats (beach cruiser) will mess with your hip angles as it forces your legs to rotate out. Suspension seat posts make your seat too damn high when your not sitting and are just obnoxious :P

Support your skeleton. I have sat in comfort on wooden chairs... Comfort is about ergonomics and support, not cussion and area as it may seem. Make sure that the center of the two big pads at the rear of the seat are the correct width for your sitbones.

And yes, the padded shorts help
Also, its a tender region that is not often used. It will toughen up with miles