Gear ratio effect on stopping/skidding

I am loving all this FIxers out on the road approaching junctions at walking speed and pulling this whole elaborate convulsion with matching full facial expression to “bust a skid!” Elbows knees and head everywhere like a epileptic MS sufferer front stage at the End

It’s as if the journey between skids is exactly that! Time to think how you are going to nail the next skid, lay down that rubber, the reason for going fix, impress the crowds.. or whatever..

There should only be one skid patch and that should sit between your gusset and belt band when you have realised you were going to fking fast to take that gap.. but fuck it you are going to take it anyway!

wait a sec, really want to clear this up.

Fujiboy - are you actually jamming your foot on the rear tyre, a la Ted Shred?

YouTube - Bomb Bay! With Ted Shred

yup thats precisely what i do

"brakless and branless innit".

branless... shit.. what a way to go! fuck constipation man.. specially the bad stuff

No Graham, apparently you have to step forward with your front foot and then follow with your back foot, honestly.. hipster footballers these days......

then shake it all about.. no?

yup thats precisely what i do

REALLY?! Then you are being pretty damn stupid doing that on fixed, I can't emphasize this enough, PUT AT LEAST ONE BRAKE ON until you can confidently control the bike without it.

I am loving all this FIxers out on the road approaching junctions at walking speed and pulling this whole elaborate convulsion with matching full facial expression to “bust a skid!” Elbows knees and head everywhere like a epileptic MS sufferer front stage at the End

It’s as if the journey between skids is exactly that! Time to think how you are going to nail the next skid, lay down that rubber, the reason for going fix, impress the crowds.. or whatever..

There should only be one skid patch and that should sit between your gusset and belt band when you have realised you were going to fking fast to take that gap.. but fuck it you are going to take it anyway!

WOHWOH
chill mate i am epileptic so allow taking the piss.
i do have a front brake that i mainly use.

This thread has made me smile start to finish.

you lot, let this guy wonder in the dark, nooooobody told him the stick_in_the_spokes_of_the front_wheel method to face_plant_skid to get_the_bikein 'ya_neck_off
or for the skill_rats
to front flip off. both to be executed with half open eyes and a burning ciggi bud in the corner of your mouth.

Haha, quality fred - I mean 'thread'

its no critisim Fujiboy, just an observation. these folks probably get massive kicks out of skidding..
IMHO its better to build up your body strength and keep you body in line with more control.. this is how its done

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDThbgvMQZI

and think of the GI....

I think I remember you're quite young, yeah Fujiboy? I'm not trying to be rude, it's just that you probably don't have the leg strength yet to skid on concrete at speed at 48/18, not straight away. Hell, I've been riding pretty good miles on and off for a year and I don't have the strength to deal with 48/19 and am switching to 47/19. I can JUST about skid on grass and get like a little hiss on concrete, that's it. 46/16 is a nice gear ratio, 48/19 is supposedly the same (did I get that wrong?) I was going for 45/16 when that bike was stolen and forgot what I'd been at.

Anyway, go out on grass, get out of the saddle (you don't have to go as far as that chick, I'm also afraid of flying over the front end), and OH! another big bit of info - tighten your pedal straps. If you have too much give between the pedal and the cage you won't get enough power in time (ie. when you're at 9 + 3 or 10 + 4) to effect the skid.

What else...can't think of anything else. Right, feathering the brake while trying to skid will give you the response more quickly, at least enabling you to feel what it's like when it happens.

and think of the GI....

Gastro-Intestinal ....?

Gastro-Intestinal ....?

Hoy's GI is good - He eats the Bran Flakes.

it was a tweaking of the bowels that locked those legs to skid.. works like a charm every time

lucky he didn't cough or it would have been silver medal and bronze bib shorts

1. Retro-Thrusters
   
2. Hyperspace Button (only to be used in emergencies)
   
3. Forward firing foam canisters
   
4. Rear deploying parachute
   
   

that's how i learnt, works a treat.

okay thanks all for the help.
so rear ring at 18 or 19.

now i wont have to risk dying.
thanks

1. if you do manage to skid, you will at least have 19 skid patches, not 3.
   

REALLY?! Then you are being pretty damn stupid doing that on fixed, I can't emphasize this enough, PUT AT LEAST ONE BRAKE ON until you can confidently control the bike without it.

Take his advice he breaks bikes, apparently.

[serious reply] [/serious answer]

I think you missed backward pedalling.

But honestly, skidding with a fixed bike is just as childish and pointless as with a freewheel bike.

Rely on brakes for stopping, its a no brainer. Youll figure out stopping/slowing using legs by riding more, but best to always keep a brake on there.

What happens on a long descent where you cant keep up with the spinning, or want to slow because there is poor grip (rain drains etc) you gonna do skids every few metres?

Its not very hard to engage a skid even if your going really fast and the road is dry and grippy, but if you are going fast and it is a downhill. Do not expect to stop, do expect to ruin tyres and potentially be thrown from the bike depending on how prepared you were.

What happens when you are going too fast round a corner afraid of pedal strike/slipping on drain. If you try to skid while turning sharply you will easily spin out.

What happens when you are stuck in traffic and have to continually accellerate and stop abruptly - very tiring without a brake.

What happens in any true 'emergency stop' ? how many long time experienced brakeless riders can say they could stop suddenly for something they really werent expecting (with two brakes, or one brake + fixed wheel, stopping is very fast & controlled)

What happens when you get a rear flat when going at speed?

And a big one, what happens if your chain snaps?

You (the OP) should know that riding without brakes for fashion/style is stupid. And that for even very experienced, skilled cyclists who have a lot of confidence in traffic. Riding brakeless fixed is still much more dangerous than having a braking function for each wheel.

In my own modest way I have been teaching myself to skid- and being lazy/stubborn I've kept the 49/15 that the bike came with.

I can now execute small skids pretty well- but having to wait for your legs to be in the 3 O'Clock/9 O'Clock is an irritant.

This is a serious question- what do you do when you need to stop now and your feet are in the wrong position?

I kind of throw a quick skip in, move my feet round to the necessary position whilst the back wheel is in the air, and then put it down into a skid, I can skid with either foot forward though so its rare that I resort to doing that, unless its a real urgent/emergency stop.
I would recommend learning to skid with either foot forward first, that will make a big difference.

I then try and whip the back wheel out as hard as I can to scrub off speed, and divert away from the situation, whilst keeping your weight central on the bike so you are creating more friction with the back tyre, I would seriously think about lowering your GI on that bike, you'd be amazed at the difference it can make to your bike control.

I kind of throw a quick skip in, move my feet round to the necessary position whilst the back wheel is in the air, and then put it down into a skid, I can skid with either foot forward though so its rare that I resort to doing that, unless its a real urgent/emergency stop.
I would recommend learning to skid with either foot forward first, that will make a big difference.

I then try and whip the back wheel out as hard as I can to scrub off speed, and divert away from the situation, whilst keeping your weight central on the bike so you are creating more friction with the back tyre, I would seriously think about lowering your GI on that bike, you'd be amazed at the difference it can make to your bike control.

Hmmm, think I'll stick to brakes ta very much!

It is, to be honest, sheer bloody-mindedness that has seen me keeping that gear- I always used to rock around on 48/18.

In a way it's a nice challenge trying to control the bike with a bigish GI, especially as I am really just learning to skid etc- my theory is that if I learn on this then anything else will be easy.

approaching junctions at walking speed and pulling this whole elaborate convulsion with matching full facial expression to “bust a skid!” Elbows knees and head everywhere like a epileptic MS sufferer front stage at the End

I do this.