Welcome

Er - Hi everyone!! Noob Nursery post..............blah..............er use gears again - does that count???

when i saw your name thought your bicycle was going to be a one of those ones that were named after the critically-acclaimed New Jersey hip hop group that rose to
fame in the mid-1990s, whose repertoire included elements of soul and Caribbean music.
welcome along.

Hi everyone, just checking in while I think about rescuing my old Dave Russell track iron from the attic and cleaning it up. Might have to invest in a smaller ring and larger cogs though.

Cheers, Gareth.

Hello all...been riding in London for over 25years but have only just started on a ss! What a revelation...

Hi there, im new on here. Only just learned how to ride about a month ago and im getting into bikes and how they work. Seems like i could learn alot from you guys as im thinking of making my own fixed gear bike in a couple of weeks. Seems like a very nice forum.

when i saw your name thought your bicycle was going to be a one of those ones that were named after the critically-acclaimed New Jersey hip hop group that rose to
fame in the mid-1990s, whose repertoire included elements of soul and Caribbean music.
welcome along.

Ha - nice thought!! It's always the name I use on message boards - a bit of a photographer and use a Fuji Finepix SLR so it's a play on that!! Besides it makes for an easy email address as well!!

Oh I did mean to ask a question but can't start a thread yet so I'll ask it here:

I have only had my OTP fixie for a week and as I said earlier in that short time I already know that gears are gone for me. But when I got the bike the fixed sprocket was missing so I'm riding freewheel at the moment until the replacement arrives. Now - I have a bad knee injury from a motorbike accident 10 years ago and I have no cruciate ligs and damaged cartilage in my left knee. Riding my previous urban hybrid thing used to make my knees quite sore (I do ride quite hard) and I've already noticed how much less this is since riding the fixie (and very surprised by that). So if I switch to the fixed how much strain does that put on the knees or am I better off sticking with freewheel?? Im using a 46/16 ratio which is perfect for my commute.

Your thoughts appreciated.

I don't think fixed v's freewheel will make any difference to your knee. Interestingly I suffer a bit with knee pain but find that jumping on the bike after a day at work, feeling tired and with sore knees, all pain disappears after a few minutes pedalling and I can comfortably ride 15 - 20 miles and feel fresher afterwards than when I set off.

I was thinking more about the braking side of things since I try not to freewheel at all, apart from one small downhill on my ride that out guns my legs!!

Just use brakes. There is no law against it. Braking with your legs may cause problems with your knees. try it out.
Try a flip flop hub, you could then try fixed on one side and freewheel on the other and alternate weekly etc.

Just use brakes. There is no law against it. Braking with your legs may cause problems with your knees. try it out.
Try a flip flop hub, you could then try fixed on one side and freewheel on the other and alternate weekly etc.

Thanks for that. The bike has a flip flop but the fixed sprocket was not fitted and I did not notice that when I picked it up. The shop is sending me a new one so will fit it and give it a go - guess that's really the only way to find out!!

Also use a lower gear ratio for kindness to knees, something around 66" is good.

finepics, gearing is a personal thing, but riding anywhere between 65" and 70 GI, gear inches, is generally the norm for town riding, and its usually best to gear down from what you find comfortable freewheel or geared to fixed, 46x16 works out to be 77" so 46x18 69 GI or 46x19 65 GI would be better for you and your knees, if you went fixed.
But only you would know what would be best for you...

Yes. Welcome, stop for a pint next time you pass. I'm sure most of the london dwellers won't bite.

grrrr!!!

finepics, gearing is a personal thing, but riding anywhere between 65" and 70 GI, gear inches, is generally the norm for town riding, and its usually best to gear down from what you find comfortable freewheel or geared to fixed, 46x16 works out to be 77" so 46x18 69 GI or 46x19 65 GI would be better for you and your knees, if you went fixed.
But only you would know what would be best for you...

Thats very interesting. Got to start learning all this terminology. I only ended up with a 46 chainring cos the bike came with an unrideable 39, so last monday bank hol the only ring I could get was 46 - I already really like this ratio so wondering how the 18 rear would translate in laymans (noob) terms!!

As for biting - I make teeth for a living - make of that what you will!!

Hi everybody

Belgian rider here - long-time lurker, although I'm a geared rider myself.

Got a knackered Peugeot with a bent chainring and a Colnago Master Olympic on which I just pulled 7 teeth off the 14t cog (during "démarrage" - not cool)

Maybe not the right thread to ask, but is it possible to get a single cog to replace the broken one instead of buying a whole cassette/drivetrain? It's a Campagnolo Record cassette.

Cheers

Hiya,

Newbie here... in the nursery and DYING to talk about important stuff such as my 35 year old Bob Jackson 531 frame.

So, err... anybody home? :)

It's late man, sensible people already tucked up for the night. Is BJ really that old??? - which area are you in??

Wotcha.

Should say hi really. Broke my collarbone on a singlespeed Marin in 96 (home made tensioner - chain slipped on a downstroke at a busy bus station in Chester) and have been away from SS and last year started single again. Heading in the fixed direction so will see what ensues...

Hello Guys,

Trying to fight my way out of the nursery so I can ask for some frame advise ... some bastard has wrecked mine trying to twist of the lock ...

Just a quick post to say hi to everyone. Ive been a lurker on here for a couple of months, but as I have finally decided to buy myself a fixie I thought I should be a bit more proactive.

Have been a keen cyclist most of my life, in virtually all disciplines of the sport. I think riding a fixed bike could be fun though. Especially as I live in a fairly hily area :-)

Noob 1st post, looking to build my first fixed, found the site while looking for info.

Does anyone know if this ding in the toptube is terminal?

I lurke......

evening...been lurking for a while, signed up a little while back but didn't have much to post....some may know me.

Rode BMX years back, haven't owned a bike for yonks. Put in order for a Pearson Touche on the C2W and very excited.....

pajamas also secretly subscribes to the advice of "just use a lighter gear" alledgedly.

I make teeth for a living - make of that what you will!!
i'll swap you some rocking horse shite for a set of hens teeth?

Greetings!

I'm a new convert to fixed-gear cycling, having two months bought a Specialized Tricross single-speed after my Marin flat-bar hybrid was stolen from under the noses of doughnut-scoffing police officers. I faffed about for a month with the freewheel, and last week switched full-time to 42:18 fixed.

I'm still a little nervous on the road, and well aware of my current limits. But I'm thoroughly enjoying the experience, and spending all my free time cycling at a conservative speed up and down the hills of Kent. I work from home as a freelance journalist.

Francis