single gear bikes (1 Viewer)

[Lili Marlene]

argh, I don't want to dismiss something I obviously know nothing about but that New York Times article is just short of reading like a crimethinc book

 

[Dktr. Faustus]

several times the pricetag.

what the

 

[rettucs]

Someone was talking about these in work the other day. They said couriers use them a lot?
And that they have no breaks....?!?

total bikenerds will insist that its not a real bike unless its a proper fixie with no brakes. In reality, they all have brakes.

yes, couriers use them a lot. They make sense around the city (freewheels, not fixies) because its so flat. Plus they involve little or no maintenance and theres feck all can go wrong with them cos theres feck all to them.

fixies are great for building up fitness as you have to pedal all the time. But I still wouldn't, unless it was out on a dedicated cycle path away from traffic.

And yes, track bikes have no brakes. They don't need them. And they would add needless weight to the bike anyway.

 

[magicbastarder]

surely bikes with backpedal brakes are the pinnacle of cycling technology?
great for pulling skids with, too.

 

[flashback]

no no, read ngglbyths post again there.
he's talking about back pedalling when you are changing gears.
Now, I'm pretty old, old enough to have heard rumours of the existence of such technology.

But mother god ngglbbth has only grown up riding the bastards. Basically this means ngglbbth is old, as in carbon dating old.

re the 10 speed, off topic. Can;t comment.
re the rest of yis giving out about fixers being too cool for school, LEAVE MY BIKE ALONE.

 

[Froog]

are fixies the new prius?

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

I have a a Sirrus and though I love the disc brakes on it, I generally use one gear the whole time - I might knock it up to the highest gear down a hill to make a light.
Switching to a lower gear going up a hill seems like you're working harder, to me anyway, with your legs spinning round faster but going a shorter distance for that work?
And it's not like we have all that many super-steep hills in Dublin anyway.

Point is, a single gear bike is fine, even preferable, for city biking.

 

[redd]

I worked in Square Wheel for a while and we used to joke about the regression of bike technology with the fixies but then I had a go of one and got hooked. Someone on a roadbike will most likely beat you in a race and you can end up spining your legs like mad thing when your going down steep hills but I've ridden mine as my main bike for the past three years, they're just more fun.

they don't have to be expensive either. my first was an old road bike I found, stripped down, redished the rear wheel and slapped on a fixed cog with some loctite and bottom bracket ring.

If you're getting a singlespeed on the back to work scheme i'd advise you to get one with a flip-flop rear hub so you can swich to fixed if you want to give it a go.

 

[theoootini]

this yoke. think you can switch between fixed and not...

 

[flashback]

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/uno.htm

this is the yoke that I ride in and out of work on.
400 US dollars delivered to your doorstep. I threw on some SPDs and a set of Panaracers and I was very pleased with myself.
Its got a flip flop hub there if I want to put it on, I have no intention of doing this though.
It takes the miles like a champ, durty big Z BMX chain and one fuck off sprocket. An AHeadset. And nothing else moves on it.
they are much easier to keep clean too.

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

this yoke. think you can switch between fixed and not...

Will those guys ship to here?

 

[theoootini]

there are numerous "trek" re-sellers around dublin. but i haven't actually checked. that one or something like it...

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/uno.htm

this is the yoke that I ride in and out of work on.
400 US dollars delivered to your doorstep. I threw on some SPDs and a set of Panaracers and I was very pleased with myself.
Its got a flip flop hub there if I want to put it on, I have no intention of doing this though.
It takes the miles like a champ, durty big Z BMX chain and one fuck off sprocket. An AHeadset. And nothing else moves on it.
they are much easier to keep clean too.

Nice one. I had this.
Put straight bars, durty big BMX chain (and pedals) and a nice saddle on it.
I put miles on that thing in 10 below and in a foot of snow. Nothing would stop it.

Unfortunately I left it locked overnight somewhere and it was beaten worse than James Caviezel in the Passion.
Hence the Sirrus.

 

[mr pharmacist!!!!1]

thinking of going fixie
kinda chicken though

 

[Lili Marlene]

wow, jerks and posers get their very own type of bike that has none of the technology and several times the pricetag.

From now on all my thumped posts are going to be mailed by courier to a paid servant who will type them for me.

fuck that was such a good idea, it's not too late is it?

 

[Space]

thinking of going fixie
kinda chicken though

You could get a fixed/freewheel flipflop.

 

[shower another shower]

can't go wrong with a Schwinn.

 

[Jerry Twig]

they are fasionalbe in the states because thier a very practical option in a country that actually has no hills at all.

Give the geography student an A+

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

Just bought this
http://www.fujibikes.com/LifeStyle/ClassicSeries/Classic-Track.aspx

Put straight bars and BMX pedals on it.
It came as a fixed and I figured I'd give it a shot. After a little getting used to it, I loved it.
Like the man here said, such a smooth ride.
I had the freewheel put in the other side so I can swap it 'round when I want, but after going back for a day, I'm back to fixed now.

 

[shower another shower]

I want a single gear cruiser with a beer holder.