Should I ride my first fixie back from the shop (in London)?

One trick when riding fixed for the first time is to keep saying to yourself:

"pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal,..."

It helps.

Clive, I for one am really glad that your conversational skills with other people are considerably more interesting than your conversational skill with yourself. ;)

You keep telling yourself that Oliver ..

:P

Huh! What was that?

Oliver, it is entirely possible, when reciting a mantra to have other thoughts. Think about monks reciting decades of the Rosary or signing Gregorian plain chant and contemplating or otherwise praying while doing so. Saying "pedal, pedal...." does not preclude other thoughts and internal conversations and may, indeed, prompt deeper ones.

Or when riding over those Wicklow mountains eh clive? :P

The only thing on my mind at that stage was "how does the wind blow through the mountain?"

Oliver, it is entirely possible, when reciting a mantra to have other thoughts. Think about monks reciting decades of the Rosary or signing Gregorian plain chant and contemplating or otherwise praying while doing so. Saying "pedal, pedal...." does not preclude other thoughts and internal conversations and may, indeed, prompt deeper ones.

The only thing on my mind at that stage was "how does the wind blow through the mountain?"

.

Yes Oliver. I was not in a higher level of consciousness at that stage. Survival mode had kicked in. Five days into the wind and three mountains to climb...

I can't even begin to imagine. I love riding my bike, but keep it flat, please. :)

Slope of the downtube??? WTF?

Just grab the caliper and pull it side to side and you will centre it.

I've always been under the impression you had to unscrew the allen bolt at the back of the brake to centre it?

you can, any sub-surface line allowed bike, it's only when it's rush hour you're not allowed completely.

I thought so, too, when I first got here but apparently not. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/bicycle-tube-map.pdf

But I messed up, I said circle line and I meant central line.

Just take the brakes off and be done with it, no more fucking around with cables, levers, and having to centre stuff bollocks, sorted ;)

No, it's just you that's doubled in price. Frankly I'll have to take my business elsewhere from now on...

No need to be hasty, got a 3 for 2 promotion starting in June, you know you'll be back.

I don't think you get how this forum works Mr.PHer...it's not about bikes, its about ravenously taking the piss out of each other using sarcasm. The london fixed gear and single-speed part is just a cover up.

At what? Because you obviously think my question was hilarious and I don't find you equally funny?

I don't have any beef with you, I was asking a genuine question considering a. I don't live in London and b. Have never ridden a fixie, and then you just proceed to take the piss out of me. Fair enough it may be funny to you but I was just looking for some helpful answers (which I have got, in fairness).