Doubts

I'm in the process of buying my first bike for about 5 years. Having searched the forums I came up with the best options for my budget, and I went to LBS and had a go on a Tricross Fixed with 42/16 around the town - no hills, reasonable amount of traffic.

Maybe because I'm unfit, or maybe because my last bike (Dolan/Centaur Audax) was so lovely, I didn't love it - it just didn't quite sing for me. I also didn't get on well with the pedals - toe-clips, and I found it hard to get my left foot into the left clip once the pedals had started moving. I also found that I was wobbling a little at about 20 mph, which felt unnerving.

I'm a bit worried about hills, given that my last experience of riding fixed was falling off, going down a steep hill in the Cotswolds on a fairly heavily loaded bike - although to be fair that bike was a bit crap.

My daily ride will involve a few hills - I'm not worried about going up them - it's going down them that scares me - especially with fairly loaded panniers. I feel tense at the memory of feeling out of control, and wobbly, and I remember not liking the feeling of not being very able to stop when the pedals were going round faster than I felt I wanted to go.

I'm also a little worried about handling London traffic - I used to cycle in London on my audax bike, and got used to it, but I guess I don't feel very in control or nimble, so worry about stopping / starting / weaving around.

These doubts are adding to the sense that perhaps I should just get a geared bike - no worries about hills there at all - freewheel if it's too fast, and low gear going up if need be. Only concern is that there's a lot of wasted stuff - I don't need 28 gears, and I love the simplicity of no front or rear mechs, plus the decrease in weight (although given that I'll be carrying 10+ kg of stuff on the rack, perhaps that's negligible). I also sense that at the same budget a Tricross Single is just going to be better quality than an equivalent priced tourer or audax.

Maybe I'm scarred by my last experience, and I should just get over it - I just don't want to spend £500 on a fixie + kit, only not to ride it much because I don't enjoy it, when I could spend the same on a geared bike that I know I will enjoy, but might wish it were faster and lighter and simpler - somehow more elegant.

Reassurances? Advice?

I had worries about going downhill but can now spin pretty well but I do have to use the brake sometimes to keep it all under control. One by one I have got the hang of the local hills - you can measure your progress by how much brake you have to use.

Can't advise on carrying weights. Would a messenger bag be better than panniers? When the big boys wake up they'll advise you on that!

I'm off for my Sunday 10 before breakfast.

Can't advise on carrying weights. Would a messenger bag be better than panniers? When the big boys wake up they'll advise you on that!

Not sure - historically I've not liked riding with stuff on my back. I tend to carry my laptop, some books and papers, a lock, and some clothing. That's quite a lot in a rucksack, hence proposing panniers. Open to suggestions and advice, though.

Pannier are a good idea if you're carrying a lot of stuff. It always takes a bit of getting used to riding fixed, particularly if you've been riding with gears for a long time. I assume you've got at lease one brake on the fixed. Use it to slow you down to a comfortable speed when going down hills before you start to spin out. Also, you'll soon get the hang of resisting the pedals with your legs when you are at hills to make the ride down more manageable. I ride both geared and fixed, but for commuting around London, I find fixed to be a lot more efficient: essentially the bike does exactly what i want it to do. instead of a courier bag, look into a decent rucksack as the weight will be distributed more evenly.

It takes a while to get used to riding fixed if you're used to riding gears so bear with it.

Don't buy the Tricross if you don't like it. I bought a bike once because I wanted to like it but it was a love that was unrequieted. I sold the bike 6 months later at a loss. Try a few others, like the Genesis Flyer, the Lemond Fillimore and maybe the Pearson range as they are of similar ilk to the Tricross, before parting with your cash.

There's no law that says that you have to ride fixed. If you don't want 28 gears and are nervous of riding fixed, buy a single speed with a flip flop hub. That way you get used to the bike and can then try fixed. If it's not for you, flip the hub back. I did it that way but never went back.

I personally wouldn't ride fixed with a significant amount of weight, esp panniers. I'm not surprised you came off, it sounds like it was inevitable. And in the long run not good for your knees.

You could go singlespeed with a slightly relaxed geomentry (maybe a path frame?) which'll help you balance the weight.

But for town riding, fixed with a tight frame is best - you'll get the agility you need amongst the traffic.

Presumably you don't commute from the cotswolds, so have you thought about 2 bikes?

n+1 = FTW

n+1 = FTW

+1

Try a few others, like the Genesis Flyer, the Lemond Fillimore and maybe the Pearson range as they are of similar ilk to the Tricross, before parting with your cash.

The Pearson looks glorious, but is out of budget - the others also look to be expensive when I factor in mudguards, a rack, and a dynahub.

There's no law that says that you have to ride fixed. If you don't want 28 gears and are nervous of riding fixed, buy a single speed with a flip flop hub. That way you get used to the bike and can then try fixed. If it's not for you, flip the hub back. I did it that way but never went back.

+1 I agree. Maybe ride ss until you get used to no gears. You can then flip the wheel and try out riding the bike fixed when you feel like it.

I currently am riding ss. I am doing so because I moved here 2 years ago (this month) from the US, and just recently purchased my first bike in the UK. I moved from a town that had far less traffic, and wanted to get used to riding in London traffic before switching to fixed.

Cope, what will be your daily route?

I personally wouldn't ride fixed with a significant amount of weight, esp panniers. I'm not surprised you came off, it sounds like it was inevitable. And in the long run not good for your knees.

That's strangely reassuring! I wonder what counts as a significant amount of weight - I will always be carrying a laptop, papers and a change of clothes - but maybe that's not very heavy. Sometimes it'll be more.

You could go singlespeed with a slightly relaxed geomentry (maybe a path frame?) which'll help you balance the weight.

What's a path frame?

But for town riding, fixed with a tight frame is best - you'll get the agility you need amongst the traffic.

Presumably you don't commute from the cotswolds, so have you thought about 2 bikes?

I live in Hampshire - the commute is 5 miles to the railway station, then a journey into London, then on from Waterloo.

2 bikes is a good idea in the long run, but for now the budget is fixed at about £500 - so it's a case of which to get first.

Cope, what will be your daily route?

5 miles from home to railway station - fairly undulating. Then usually to Kentish Town from Waterloo - but could be to anywhere. I've not worked out a route from Waterloo yet - maybe worth a separate thread.

I wouldn't worry about the weight, if it is well balanced between the pannier, but the weight would be significantly reduced by leaving your laptop at the end destination.

I would definately recomend getting used to riding fixed before loading yourself up as well.

A path frame is a frame with track ends but a more relaxed geometry, bigger gaps between the frame and wheels and a longer headtube giving you a slower handling bike and a more upright
Position.

Definatley don't by a bike you don't like, for you budget and a bit of time you could make youself a half decent conversion, or by routing about at bike jumbles, here eBay and your local bike shop you could cut a lot of the cost of racks, guards and panniers.

go for gears! 2009 is the year of the gear revival. I can see all the hoxton hipsters selling their 'fixies' in desperation for a 10 speed.

In the countryside its much more joy to ride gears and I somehow can't see panniers on a fixed.

5 miles from home to railway station - fairly undulating. Then usually to Kentish Town from Waterloo - but could be to anywhere. I've not worked out a route from Waterloo yet - maybe worth a separate thread.

Silly question but can you take your bike on the train? I thought you could only take folding bikes on commuter trains?

Silly question but can you take your bike on the train? I thought you could only take folding bikes on commuter trains?

i think most lines allow bikes on trains if it's not rush hour. they may also have specific bike carriages.

bikes can also be taken on certain tube lines:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/9049.aspx

There's no law that says that you have to ride fixed. If you don't want 28 gears and are nervous of riding fixed, buy a single speed with a flip flop hub. That way you get used to the bike and can then try fixed. If it's not for you, flip the hub back. I did it that way but never went back.

No one's going to know what's best for you except you :-) If you haven't got a clear idea of how things are going to pan out, as suggested above, go single speed with a flip flop hub, then you're covered either way. I was in a similar situation to you and got a Genesis Skyline (Flyer with mudguards). I ran freewheel for a few months, then fixed for a few months, but have now gone back to singlespeed - I just prefer it (for now). I've been using a pannier (so I can pick up a bit of shopping and the nipper's stuff when I collect him from school). However, I'm doing more training (and less shopping) at the moment, so I'll probably lose the rack for a while. I have mudguards coz i don't like cr@p up my back. The point is, if you've only got one bike, get something flexible and you can adapt it as you need. On the other hand, if you're choosing a bike coz you want to be a hipster, then you will probably suffer for it - like birds and high heels? Just be honest with yourself about what you need from the bike.

Silly question but can you take your bike on the train? I thought you could only take folding bikes on commuter trains?

Yes - there's no restriction on my line.

S.

The point is, if you've only got one bike, get something flexible and you can adapt it as you need. On the other hand, if you're choosing a bike coz you want to be a hipster, then you will probably suffer for it - like birds and high heels? Just be honest with yourself about what you need from the bike.

Definitely not interested in fashion. What do I want... good question - I think what I want is a bike that is efficient, fun to ride, and reliable, that I can use as a realistic replacement for a car for most of my travel needs.

It's all about taking things one step at a time. When I first joined the forum, I got myself a bike with a flip-flop hub, and ran it singlespeed for a good few months, getting used to having just one gear, especially on hills. Then I got some clipless pedals, got used to them. Only then did I feel confident enough to switch to fixed - and realised quickly I needed to lower my gear inches on fixed to feel comfortable with that.

Your experience at the moment combines unfamiliarity with one gear, toe straps, fixed PLUS the complication of panniers - it's no wonder you feel uncomfortable.

As others have said, get a flip-flop hub and try SS for a while, get used to your straps, then think about flipping the hub - if you want to. I have never tried riding fixed with loaded panniers but I imagine it could be a bit unnerving going downhill!

Your experience at the moment combines unfamiliarity with one gear, toe straps, fixed PLUS the complication of panniers - it's no wonder you feel uncomfortable.

Hehe - good point! I'm out of practice on fixed, and am used to SPD pedals, which are easy to get on/off, so toe clips were very unpleasant.

As others have said, get a flip-flop hub and try SS for a while...

I imagine that would be hard work! My experience of fixed has been that the momentum helps one climb the hills in a gear that is otherwise too high on a geared bike. Without the fixed wheel, I imagine going up hills could be very tough on, eg a 70 inch gear.

I have never tried riding fixed with loaded panniers but I imagine it could be a bit unnerving going downhill!

Yeah - it was/is. Maybe I'd get used to it, or maybe that's science's way of telling me to do something different.

Things like toe clips and downhills just take a bit of getting used to. On my first few rides with toe clips I freaked out a couple of times - couldn't get into them off the lights crossing a big dual carriageway so I panicked and pulled over. Once your develop the 'muscle memory' for it though, you don't even have to think about it - same goes for big hills, you just learn to spin and use your brake if necessary. I also couldn't deal with weaving in traffic when I first started riding fixed, but actually you have so much more control at low speeds I think I'd find it harder on a freewheel now.

Give it another go - if it doesn't feel any more comfortable then go with gears. You want to be confident with what you're riding on London streets given the amount of dirtbags on the road.

Cope, my 2p: switch back to SPDs if that's what you're used to, and drop a few gear inches - you're riding about 73GI at the moment which is probably just higher than average compared to most on here (there's a thread with a poll somewhere on here). I started off at about 73GI but found when i dropped a few inches i was much more confident about controlling the bike.

Small adjustments like this, and in the riding position (try different bars, seat height adjustment) can all make a difference to how confident you feel and how well you ride.