Taking the plunge and flipping to my fixed

'evening all'

always used to go fixed for the winter-i think the secret is to go 'one smaller' in the gears-about a 72" if it's not too hilly where one rides. if you are reasonably fit/young/keen. thereafter regress into bigger rear cog as you age! - 'twiddle', it's good for yr legs!

cheers!

RIght this afternoon some one saw my bike and said I really should get some foot retention, and get rid of my back brake!

So after fighting to remove on grip from the handle bar, one back brake lighter quick stop at the bike shop, and equipped with some straps, I set of on my commute home. and WOW did I fly what a difference foot retention make!!! Also to resist the pedals everything just great, a little scary to start but still great.

It was like rediscovering the joy of cycling for the first time again. Scary but really exiting all at the same time. I even tried to skid a little when I got home on a parking lot. They were pathetic little wannabee skids, but hopefully a bit more practice and i'll get there!!

You took your brake off just because someone told you too?
2 brakes + fixed is ultimate win, don't understand why more people who ride drilled frames don't do it. I've never had a flip/flop hub so when I went fixed that was it. Don't think, it's a piece of piss.

Glad you're enjoying life on the flip side of things. Enjoy tomorrows commute.

What if you use your rear brake to skid at speed, like, down a hill or something, and then you want to start going again, and you release the brake and then all of a sudden your pedals start spinning at 150rpm and they detatch your tibias from your femurs and then your detatched tibias are fucking spinning around and slapping bloodily into the bitumen at the bottom of each revolution. Sounds a bit shit to me.

your tibias aren't attached to your femurs.
there's a knee in between. and some cartilage.

oh wait.
they are. but not by bone.
did you mean by bone balki?

I dont fuckin know Damo... bone sounds fine.

no, I mean by knee, not bone.

but anyway, its not the fucking point. Your knees are probably sitting on the side of the road where you released your brake.

knee has bone.
either way. it sounds a bit shit. and bloody. and that the legs might not be useless.

but i think the way to use a brake on fixed, on a hill, is to help scrub off speed.

not for skidding.

don't hold me to that though, those of you who want to test how shin is attached to thigh.

You took your brake off just because someone told you too?
2 brakes + fixed is ultimate win, don't understand why more people who ride drilled frames don't do it. I've never had a flip/flop hub so when I went fixed that was it. Don't think, it's a piece of piss.

Glad you're enjoying life on the flip side of things. Enjoy tomorrows commute.

Yep certainly am enjoying, also was told by a person on the forum to take of the brake, and then later by the mechanic in my local shop when they saw I had switched to fixed. But before I was riding fixed with 2 brakes (lucky i haven't been near any BIG hills eh) I feel ok without the back brake though, plus I still have the front brake for emergencies, and I will keep the back brake so if I want to I can put it back on.

I mean as long as my chain doesn't brake i'll be fine.

*note to self go and buy strong chain...

knee has bone.
either way. it sounds a bit shit. and bloody. and that the legs might not be useless.

but i think the way to use a brake on fixed, on a hill, is to help scrub off speed.
not for skidding.

don't hold me to that though, those of you who want to test how shin is attached to thigh.

Its like this:

http://www.lfgss.com/picture.php?albumid=739&pictureid=7638
[URL="http://www.lfgss.com/picture.php?albumid=739&pictureid=7638"][/URL]

repped.

Thanks for the visual Balki, am now glad I have removed my back brake...

I've got no idea what Im talking about, Digby...

this back brake. can you draw that balki?

^ stupedist and possibly convo for a while

also skidding my advice is to practice on grass its well easy and you get the feel for it makes it easy on road

being the least sporty and most clumsy person i have ever met, i was stunned at how easily and quickly i took to fixed riding. i didn't forget to pedal once!! i'm pretty sure it's not as difficult as people think it will be. that, and i'm a bit of a nodder...

Even Mrs Brave took to riding her first fixed this weekend. 5 minute ride up and down our road Saturday afternoon. Monday AM she's off on the commute run into central London.. AND she's French..

But she's brave too...

Trudat

also was told by a person on the forum to take of the brake, and then later by the mechanic in my local shop when they saw I had switched to fixed.

^ these people are stupid, and you are also quite stupid for listening to them.

Wait till you are confident riding fixed before you start taking off brakes. If you ride around for a couple of months never touching your rear brake, then fine - whip it off. Don't do it when you are still at the practicing-in-car-parks stage.

but don't apply it when going down hill. your legs will snap off.

Even Mrs Brave took to riding her first fixed this weekend. 5 minute ride up and down our road Saturday afternoon. Monday AM she's off on the commute run into central London.. AND she's French..

I must show this to my french girl friend, still haven't even convinced her to ride a bike in London, et alone go fixed.

surely a back brake skid and leg brake skid will result in the same thing when released, i.e., just spinning happily...

you can keep your knees thank you very much.

Back brake is for long decsents innit?
Mines set fairly slack so it doesn't lock the wheel. Just takes the edge off of leg braking on long rides. Don't need it in town at all though.