First Fixed Ride

What do you think about 46 x 16?

I will get cages then, and I am so glad I had brakes, I would have been screwed without them.

46x16 is 75 gear inches thats fairly high for a newbie you could swap to 46 x 17 and it would be a little better to begin with.

... it felt like my pedal lifted my leg and whole body, then pushed me over my handlebars ...

I don't think this would have happened if you had relaxed your knees properly? Seems to me you are riding with very tense legs. And rest your body weight on your ass, not the soles of your feet.

This happened to me the first time I rode fixed. Just gotta get back on the bike and balance your weight properly.
It will all sort itself eventually.

I am actually not so sure about the cages advice. Of course foot retention is an absolute must if you ride brakeless. But it might be a bit much at a time to get used to the fixed gear and cages at the same time. If fixed gear gives you a hard time at the beginning, I would ride with two brakes (and use them!) and no foot retention until you feel perfectly comfortable with the fixed gear. Then put on cages or straps and try braking with your feet. Once you're good at that, you can take of your rear brake if you want. Just a suggestion of course, all roads lead to Rome I guess.

^ This.

I wouldn't advise cages until you are comfortable with riding fixed.
Don't even think about trying to skid until you've been riding fixed for a while.

One thing to remember really, just do not stop pedalling. As I'm sure you've heard it will improve your cadence pedalling and will make your pedalling on your road bike more efficient.

Out of interest, is the bike okay?

Good luck getting used to it! It's not too hard just takes some time getting used to,
**
don't

stop

pedalling**

:)

You must become one with the bike. If you find you cannot become one then become two and give it time. Remember your legs. Never forget your legs. Forget your hands, your arms, your heart and your soul but never forget your legs. You should have two of them. Become one with your two legs.
Let the bike ride you. Submit to the bike. Let the bike own you, posses you, control you and take you where it wants to go, even if where it wants to go is not where you want to go but somewhere else entirely, perhaps down a side street or to a West End matinee.
Remember, skid is just kid with an s in front of it. The inner child is not easy to find. The search can very easily be misunderstood and lead to arrest, trial and imprisonment. Remember, always, it is the *inner *child you are looking for. The inner (s)kid that will lead you, with the help of the bike, down the path of knowledge, around the garden centre of enlightenment and finally in to the cafe of contentment.

I hope that clears up a few things for you.

My first time out fixed, got to the top of a long hill, stopped pedalling to take a moment's break, wobbled like a muthabitch. Only my mad skillz saved me. Not quite as dramatic as OP's experience I grant you.

Try taking it off some sweet jumps...

csb

EDIT - My mate broke his arm first time out, forgetting to pedal, so you got off lightly - EDIT

I forgot to pedal the first time I rode fixed (trying to catch a breath after overtaking a car doing something homicidal and spinning faster than I could handle), but all that happened is I looked a bit of a tit going down the road with my legs stuck out to the side until I caught the pedals again. What are you all doing to go over the bars or break arms or whatever?

I also forgot at the first junction I came to fixed after spending two days riding gears for the first time in ~18 months; I hope I can get used to switching between the two without forgetting to pedal/being scared of coasting.

down the path of knowledge and finally in to the cafe of contentment

Down Hipster Spice Route to LMNH?

No; LMNH is the Bistro Of Bankruptcy.

Thankyouww for lulz on way to an 8am meeting.
Top form.

Just ride the bike.

You have to be fixed in the core, but smooth and loose in the hips. That 'kick' you talk of is you trying to prevent the cranks from turning during the upstroke. Just let it happen and your foot will pass over the top of the crank, with you seated firmly in the saddle. Good luck

You must become one with the bike. If you find you cannot become one then become two and give it time. Remember your legs. Never forget your legs. Forget your hands, your arms, your heart and your soul but never forget your legs. You should have two of them. Become one with your two legs.
Let the bike ride you. Submit to the bike. Let the bike own you, posses you, control you and take you where it wants to go, even if where it wants to go is not where you want to go but somewhere else entirely, perhaps down a side street or to a West End matinee.
Remember, skid is just kid with an s in front of it. The inner child is not easy to find. The search can very easily be misunderstood and lead to arrest, trial and imprisonment. Remember, always, it is the *inner *child you are looking for. The inner (s)kid that will lead you, with the help of the bike, down the path of knowledge, around the garden centre of enlightenment and finally in to the cafe of contentment.

I hope that clears up a few things for you.

I was just marvelling that everybody was being helpful and friendly and actually giving good advice without being a bunch of cunts, then I read this.

I wish I could rep and neg at the same time.

I think it was fixedwheelnut who said, many moons ago, "just let your legs go gumbly". I think he may have been describing how to do 200rpm on a descent, but it might work for getting started as well. Oh, and if you feel you're spinning out of control, get the legs spinning more, otherwise you're likely to start oscillating wildly.

It's fun though - I think it took a couple of days of commuting for me to get used to it.

It's "gumby".. http://www.lfgss.com/thread1274-2.html#post75434

I was just marvelling that everybody was being helpful and friendly and actually giving good advice without being a bunch of cunts

Same here! I thought it was going to be a proper flamefest!

My top tips for riding fixed are:

• realising/remembering that you sorta CAN coast, just relax and let the momentum move your legs
  
• It's still a bike. You can ride a bike right? It's just a bike that you need to keep pedalling on, and surely that the most obvious/natural thing in the world on a bicycle, right?
  
  

Whenever I get on a polo bike it takes me ages to remember I don't need to keep pedalling and stop being shocked that the bike is still moving when I'm not pedalling!

You must become one with the bike. ... Let the bike own you, posses you, control you and take you where it wants to go, even if where it wants to go is not where you want to go but somewhere else entirely, perhaps down a side street or to a West End matinee.
Remember, skid is just kid with an s in front of it. The inner child is not easy to find. The search can very easily be misunderstood and lead to arrest, trial and imprisonment. ...down the path of knowledge, around the garden centre of enlightenment and finally in to the cafe of contentment.

I hope that clears up a few things for you.

Where have you been Will? I missed this.

Fixie Fixie Fixie

Wow, 2007. That's more than four years ago. Maybe my memory is not shot to pieces after all.

It's "gumby".. http://www.lfgss.com/thread1274-2.html#post75434

It is a joke. Ignore it.

Jkz iz srs bzns.

^ Trying to keep up with the times.

Where have you been Will? I missed this.

Wigan, I guess.

im building my first so im practising on my gears by peadaling into the brakes to train myself for the inevitable (mind you at the rate of not being able to find a back wheel to finish my ride i should be a master at it)