First Fixed Ride

Saddle height are generally straighforward, when the pedals is at the lowest with your calcaneus on it, it should be straight as illustrated on the left;

then raise/lower if necessary (I liked mine slightly lower than recommended).

quickest and easiest way of sorting out your height.

I've just started commuting fixed and had the same issues as ffm.

Really achey! Which I put down to mainly using the pedals to slow down as opposed to brakes. Getting into the straps took a while to get the hang of too but got there in the end.

What I have found awkward is riding with drops! I think I am just not used to riding in this position. Or it could be that the bike is a touch on the large size for me and I need to revert to risers. I caught sight of my self in a reflection and my body was pretty much horizontal - can't be right.

You're allowed to ride on the hoods, you know.

If you've got them, that is.

If you haven't then you're also allowed to ride on the tops.

Yeah, I switch hand position a bit to give my arms a break but seems pretty pointless having drops if I'm not going to use them. They're track handlebars too so seems like a double waste!

Well, it's all part of the learning process I suppose.

Saddle height are generally straighforward, when the pedals is at the lowest with your calcaneus on it, it should be straight as illustrated on the left;

Only if you have boring-sized feet.

Bought my bike 2 years ago and tried the fixed gear but after a couple of outings quickly flipped it round to a SS. I live at the top of a hill that has lights at the bottom and found that I had to ride with the breaks on all the way down to stop the pedals spinning to quick. Do you tend to ride slower on your fixed gear or are you with practice able to let your legs spin at an alarming rate? I took my legs off the pedals and then had to almost come to a stop before I could get back on them again. I also got caught out trying to filter through the cars and the curb to get to the front of the traffic. I guess the answer to this is just don't do it.

You only went out on a short ride before you flip the wheels, how are you so sure it's not for you when you didn't even give it a proper try?

You were caught out because you forget you're not on a freewheel bicycle, one doesn't immediately get used to something new, it take time, much like trying to figure out how to make your new girlfriend orgasm.

I also got caught out trying to filter through the cars and the curb to get to the front of the traffic. I guess the answer to this is just don't do it.

Never undertake. Especially when it's a large vehicle.

Be careful when undertaking cars, avoid large vehicles.

Was looking for info and found this thread.
May as well add to the first timers as there is good info in here.

Tried it briefly years ago, didn't get on with it. Now years later and knowing a bit more it's time for round two on fixed.
Stats, running 42x18 on 28c tyres on bikecalc that equates to 62.2 GI been running 42x18 for months on the commuter was going to drop to 42x16 but had the 18t sprocket so it made sense to try this with an 18t freewheel as backup if i need to swap over..... and remember to carry a spanner and pump as i need to deflate the tyre to clear the brake pads.
Bought a proper lockring tool this time.

Had a quick play last night, trackstanding is harder than it looks. Practice.
Riding backwards more than 1 foot is harder than it looks. Practice.
Locking the back wheel through the pedals. Lots of Practice and body english/technique, forgetting that for now.
A pootle about and getting bounced off the pedals a few times as i feel my way around the fixed system.
Changed some things on the bike.
Today went for a 5mile ride on flat quiet roads and some gentle offroading to get a feel of lean angles and finding the pedals, and rolling off from a standing start.
Bike has both brakes and will continue like this.
My 42x18 gave a gentle 10mph low spin, causal 15mph cruising speed and around 20mph things got uncomfortable for me. With drops and swapping things about, better fit, i reckon sprinting to 25mph for short burst would be doable for me.
At the moment not enough technique to be comfy/safe at higher speed as used to sprinting up to speed and then coasting.
Cruising at 15mph is nice and steady.
Tried some offroad, muddy singletrack was fine, roots and gentle cambers was fine, fallen trees to get over not so fine.
Road riding is quite pleasant, pick up is nice as the wheels turn faster it sort of pushes you along (remember legs spin) only the gentle rattle of the freewheel over bumps and rumble of tyres for noise.
The feedback from the chain when resissting the pedals is unerving.
Pedals need work as the toeclips i have are too small for work boots, and straps on flat pedals didn't work so well.

So far so good. All the high speed hacking through citys on brakless fixed videos i have watched so far..... you must be Wizards or Aliens that can slip sideways through time or something, i will be keeping both brakes and slower.

Doing the SS thing of keep pedalling don't coast on the commute has helped with keeping legs spinning. 5 miles rides seem to be ideal as further than my commute, but not to far so as to cause me problems. No hills to worry about, did consider playing in the big flat supermarket carpark down the road.
Ultimate goal is try a taster session at a Velodrome, so really want some fixed riding under my belt first.
:)

Nice write up. Don't Stop Pedaling is a good mantra, very practical at this stage and its philosophical.

When it comes to speed and gear ratio it's just a bit of maths - you're probably pedaling around 90rpm-ish, so you're spinning to win with only 65gi to work with so until you really get the smoothness from the full fixed pedal stroke (riding fixed is great training to employ every part of the pedal stroke for its energy) then you'll be bouncing around a bit and I'd expect you to feel uncomfortable at that cadence. For example if you want to cruise at 22mph 80gi is a very comfortable ratio and would feel similar to 15mph on 65gi (except obviously more fun).

Keep on but I would really really avoid watching online "sick" "fixie" videos for inspiration.

I would really really avoid watching online "sick" "fixie" videos for inspiration.

Says the king of skidders...

Skidding in the woods is totally different! It's like...pastoral or something.

get the smoothness from the full fixed pedal stroke (riding fixed is great training to employ every part of the pedal stroke for its energy)>

It's actually not ... As the fixed drive train pushes your legs past the top of the pedal stroke. On a freewheel you actually have to pedal over that part of the stroke.

Of course if you're amazing (like me) and can pedal downhill very fast then you get used to moving over that dead spot. But if you ride a big gear on the flat then you don't necessarily get the 'souplesse' as your legs are simply pushed past that deadspot for you. The bouncing around at high speed is your legs being knocked over the top of the pedal stroke, as you said.

Well you're obviously right. I guess from my perspective it wasn't until I first started riding fixed that it occurred to me that I could use the whole pedal stroke to generate power so it's maybe less to do with fixed than me being more interested in cycling technique. Still, riding fixed surprised/woke my brain and legs up to power (unavoidable or otherwise) on the upstroke as opposed to spending my whole life mashing down.

Keep arguing i am learning :)

Knees ache slightly now, could be many reasons, not ridden for a week or so due to a cold, poor fit on bike/pedal stroke length, or just the kickback when forgetting to spin, which is where the back brake is handy.
I am used to toe clips (been a while though) and flats, never done SPDs and have no interest in them. Have found that MKS do a deep fit clip which should be better for when using work boots, may have to get some to try.
First gentle go was without straps, 5 miler today was with ghetto straps which needs some tweeking, remove pins from pedal and maybe stiffen the strap loop as did faff around trying to get a foot in while moving. Going back to proper toe clips will sort that.

Trying to pedal all the time on SS to simulate Fixed, i think you still get to be slack as you don't have the direct drive pushing the cranks you can still spin but it's not under load, i think that's what has caught me out, your either fighting the drive (slowing down/forgetting to pedal) or powering the drive on fixed, on SS you have to try to keep up with freewheel but don't get it pushing you.

Will try and ride to work in the morning (day off but go off peak time) and ride back again, see how it goes on fixed, traffic, couple of roundabouts and lights.

Day 2.
Kness haven't exploded and the earths rotation seems unaffected by my attempts at reverse pedaling.
Did around 9 miles, in live traffic peaked at 21mph, average was 13-15mph cruising speed on my 42x18.
Broke forum Golden rule of riding without foot retention, my home made strap attempt needs work, but after rummaging through boxes i have found another 2 pairs of plastic toe clips one of which looks big enough to take work boots, so a pedal swap and back to toe clips tonight.

It is a strange sensation when you feel the chain tension and feedback, first thoughts are like when pawls/freehub fails/skips or ruined bearings, it feels like something is about to let go.
Using brakes a lot to control speed, but able to time run up to junctions and lights, gentle changes in speed are getting easier, but no where near capable of braking the rear with cranks. Again running dual brakes is on the cards for a long time yet.

Swapped stem and bars last night.

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Had a flick through Urban Cyclist magazine while in town, i guess at £6 it's aimed at hipsters, or people with more money than me, it's reviewing budget fixed bikes, FUJI track seemed to do well, some other cheaper bikes and the forum fave of Offa......
Went next door to Greggs and got a cheese and bacon wrap and fancy frothy coffee for £2 instead of the mag, quite certain i fail the grade of fixie hipster skidder :)
Going to run with big blue Raleigh until the weekend then swap back to the smaller Gold Raleigh. Keeping a small gear and taking time to learn how to ride it and brakes is a good move.

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I've yet to make the jump to the darkside but interesting about small gear. Might have to try that first, not much difference in GI between my freewheel and fixed cogs on current chainring.

A lot of sense talked here, including don't start with a massive gear and don't install brakeless.

Greggs is shit though.

Greggs was cheap and tasty :)

Brokebroadbeat, it's easy to get lost and wrapped up in whats the best gear ratio.
I just happen to have 52/42 front rings and an 18t rear, the 42x18 was going to kinder to my knees and easy to get rolling on.
It works for me as my commute is shorter than i expected (dug out an old speedo and measured/timed today) but it's mostly flat with some fairly gentle gains/drops in elevation, and i am not in a massive hurry. youramericanlover reckoned about 90rpm@15mph i think i can work that out on bike calc, but it gets spinny at 20+mph.
Will look into that later.
But 42x18 may not work for you, so my basic guide of 10mph pootle or 15mph cruising, comfy to 20mph but spinny beyond that but sprint to 25mph with foot retention and a well fitted bike, i hoped the rough guide to speed may be helpfull.

It's been a couple of hours and knees don't hurt but i can feel the workout they have had, the brakes are protecting them i think.
Hardest thing so far is getting feet on pedals when pulling away, so i think track type pedals over normal flats will help there. Getting the clip strap fit right is the thing.
So far....... but riding carefully foot retention hasn't been a problem, years of racing Downhill on flats most likely helping me there, years of being bounced off pedals :)

Speed 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0 35.0 40.0 Speed Gear
42x16 24 48 72 96 120 144 168 192 42x16
42x18 27 54 81 108 135 162 189 216 42x18
42x20 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 42x20
42x22 33 66 99 132 165 198 231 264 42x22
52x16 19 39 58 77 97 116 136 155 52x16
52x18 22 44 65 87 109 131 153 174 52x18
52x20 24 48 73 97 121 145 170 194 52x20
52x22 27 53 80 107 133 160 187 213 52x22

That was easy, loving this calculator, so 42x18 is similar to 52x22
Ok speed across the top, 5mph through to 40mph.
RPM figures in the chart.
So my 15mph equates to 81rpm on 42x18 or 80rpm on 52x18 good guess by youramericanlover of around 90rpm.

48/17 - ratio of the Gods.

Isn't it 48/19?

wrong