Does a Fixie Have a Larger Drive or Driven Gear? UPDATED

Does a Fixie Have a Larger Drive or Driven Gear?

Variously known equally fixed-wheel bikes, fixed-gear bikes or simply fixies, these are bikes derived from the machines used for track racing on velodromes. Their central feature is that they have no freewheel mechanism, then if you lot're moving you lot have to pedal.

• With no freewheel, a fixed-gear bike forces you lot to pedal all the fourth dimension, which tin can help you stay fit during the winter and develop a fast, fluid pedalling action

• The natural habitat of a fixed-gear wheel is the velodrome where they're compulsory, and don't have brakes

• To utilise a fixie on the route information technology must take at least a front restriction, and a rear brake is a practiced idea

• Considering you lot can slow downward a fixed-bike bike past resisting pedal motion, they requite a unique feeling of existence intimately continued to the bike

• With no gears or freewheel to go wrong, fixies are extremely reliable and a chain running in a straight line lasts ages

For a few brief months in about 2009 fixies were achingly trendy. But now the tragically hip take moved on, it'south time to reclaim the simplest wheel style of all.

Almost all modernistic bikes have a freewheel, the ratcheting mechanism in the rear wheel that means you can stop pedalling and declension forth. The earliest bikes were like mod fixies though, with just ane gear ratio and no freewheel.

Today, the only place where fixies are common — compulsory, in fact — is in the velodrome, where the 'go along it simple' ethos of track racing demands a single gear and no brakes.

While they were trendy it seemed like fixies were everywhere, and large bike makers scrambled to add them to their ranges. But the hipsters speedily discovered that a genuine fixed gear bike is not a little thing to ride, and flopped their wheels over to the freewheel on the other side.

That left fixies dorsum with the riders who've treasured them for years: road cyclists who crave simplicity, and a handful of cycle couriers who love their almost-nothing-to-go-wrong graphic symbol.

A typical fixie set up has a double-sided hub similar this. There'south a single freewheel on the far side and the dual thread nearest the photographic camera takes a fixed sprocket and a lockring to hold information technology in place.

What'due south a fixie anyway?

A road bike with, for our purposes, drop bars and a single stock-still gear, and brakes. By police a bicycle on the road in the UK must have two brakes. Slowing the bike down by pushing confronting the pedals counts equally a restriction, merely in an emergency you're almost certainly going to forget that if yous've been riding regular bikes for a few years. Best to stick with the stopping y'all're used to.

Familiarity is the reason for sticking with drop bars as well, but at that place'due south another. A trendy ultra-narrow flat bar on a fixie marks y'all as someone too daft to realise you withal can't ride through a 12-inch gap because your shoulders or hips will get stuck. Only say no.

What'southward a fixed-gear bicycle good for?

Traditionally, a fixie was the quintessential winter bike, for two reasons. You lot're always pedalling if you lot're riding a stock-still-wheel cycle, so the theory goes that you have to work all the time — no freewheeling means no slacking. Riding a fixie ways yous make the most of your limited winter riding fourth dimension.

The other reason for riding stock-still in the wintertime is that h2o and salt is not exactly adept for bike parts made from steel and aluminium. Derailleurs and freewheel mechanisms are especially vulnerable, then it makes sense to do without them.

Mod derailleurs seem to be more atmospheric condition-resistant than those of the 60s and 70s, and they're substantially cheaper, so this is less of a problem than information technology one time was. Nevertheless, a wheel that doesn't demand much maintenance over the winter is appealing if you lot accept to work on your bike in a common cold garage or shed or outside on the patio.

Fixed-gear bikes make great wintertime bikes, but they're likewise excellent urban rides, provided you don't have to tackle any long, steep hills. The lack of shifters means there's 1 fewer lark, and the ability to control your speed directly through the transmission gives you lot a useful actress degree of command.

Horizontal dropouts enable chain tension aligning. These track style dropouts open up to the rear; some fixed-cycle bikes have front-opening dropouts.

Learning to ride a fixie takes time though. I'd been using a fixie to commute for a few days when I had probably the stupidest crash of my life. Approaching a red low-cal I stood upwards to coast to a halt, set up to track-stand. Well, y'all can't declension to a halt on a fixie, and every bit I straightened my knees the wheel spat me downwards the route on my arse.

Fortunately information technology was moisture, so I slid along the road without leaving besides much skin backside, and there was naught motorised behind me. A salutary lesson, though, and a mistake I didn't make again.

The philosophy bit

The real joy of riding a fixie is the feeling of direct connexion with the bike. Yes, I know fixie enthusiasts tend to wax evangelical almost this, but that's for a skillful reason: it's true.

At that place's something almost mystical well-nigh beingness intimately connected to the manual and rear wheel on a fixie. Y'all're physically engaged with the cycle in a way that simply doesn't happen with a freewheel. That unavoidable pedalling imperative focuses your attention on staying polish and fluid, especially as your speed increases. Y'all tin can't afford to be inclement if y'all're doing 25mph in a 65-inch gear.

Information technology's debatable whether developing a smooth pedal stroke is an aim worth pursuing in itself, just if it's important to you, riding a fixie is a great way to get shine.

Three classic fixies

There's a school of thought that says the greatest road-going fixies commencement life as archetype steel route bikes with horizontal dropouts, establish on eBay, Gumtree or the dusty backrooms of long-established cycle shops, or as similarly vintaged track frames with brakes added. But if you don't have the fourth dimension and patience to observe a vintage frame to build up, in that location are plenty of brands that will sell y'all a fixie that's ready to roll, or a modern road-going fixie frame. To give you a taster, hither are three of them.

BLB City Classic — £599

London's Brick Lane Bikes has long been a driver of Britain fixie civilisation. Their own-make fixie has a double-butted chromoly steel frame and a handsome parts option in mostly plain aluminium for a classic look.

All-City Thunderdome — £1,000 (frame & fork)

You'll have to build it up yourself — or get a shop to do and then — but the reward is wheel with a fearsome reputation in the fixie and singlespeed cloak-and-dagger. Made from All-City's ain Alumisonic tubing to keep the weight down and the stiffness up, it features thoughtful details similar stainless steel inserts in the drop-outs and All-City's own tidy seatpost clench.

Cinelli Tutto Plus Pista — £one,199.00

I of the more than eccentric bikes to come out of Cinelli — whose bikes are always a bit entertainingly off-beat — the Tutto Plus Pista can be a fixie, or a singlespeed or a geared route cycle, and the frame has room for tyres upwards to 45mm wide for gravel or pothole-bashing.

Buffet wisdom: road.cc readers counterbalance in on fixies

Our readers are ever a bang-up source of data. Hither's the pick of what they had to say about fixed-bicycle bikes in the previous version of this commodity.

BarryBianchi: "Ridden one for years.  They are a pain in the arse when:

"Y'all go uphill much
Y'all go downhill much
Yous get a large headwind
You get a big tailwind
You lot are tired
You ran too far the twenty-four hours before
Y'all effort to cycle at someone else'south pace
Yous have to carry a heavy load
Your achingly ironic facial hair blows in your face.

"Only they are fun when all that doesn't happen, and the silence is nice."

doodlydiddle: "Love my stock-still gear bike. All steel frame and forks, lovely smooth and quiet ride. Perfect for winter preparation and commuting. I think I bask riding this bike the most out of the ones I own.

"I understand it isn't for anybody, but I've never struggled with my knees through riding ane. I typically ride a 72" or 75" gear, and can attain 36mph downhill before it becomes a struggle to stay on summit of the gear. Uphill is not too hard, it just requires decision.

"It is really skillful fun to ride, requires very niggling maintenance (I exercise run brakes front and rear on mine) and the chain lasts ii-3x the miles that the chains on my geared bikes do."

wycombewheeler: "I always idea fixed gear bikes were for masochists that were into cocky damage, simply couldn't afford to show scars."

sneakerfrfeak: "I've been riding a Dolan FXE fixed for the last three winters and strangely look forrard to excavation it out of the garage over again each year around October. Running a 48X19 which gives  around 20mph at 105 cad, y'all practice accept to choose your routes a little more carefully though. Honey the simplicity and near silence from the drivetrain.  At beginning it felt like information technology was turning my legs downwardly steep descents instead of me turning the pedals, but after a while y'all get the confidence to just let your legs become and get on meridian of the gear, maxed out at 184 cad down one local descent. I originally congenital it after getting fed upwardly of replacing chain, bb, freehub etc. afterward every winter on my summer bike.

"Would def recommend the Dolan FXE for anyone tempted to go down the stock-still route, I picked the frame-set up for around £200 and built it up as I already had other parts kicking around the garage, y'all tin can pick upward the complete wheel for around £750 with a pretty decent spec."

cyclisto: "I had bought a used SS/Fixed bicycle at less than half its RRP which I rode as a single speed. It was very, very, very beautiful only akward to ride. With its skinny tires and no name caliper brakes, it only couldn't brake and a unmarried speed bike is not plenty on uphill and downhill. When I bought information technology the previous owner had done less than 100 miles judging from its immaculate condition and I did fifty-fifty less. Hopefully the 3rd owner will ride it more."

s_lim: "I've a Gazetta in a very lovely red, and accept been commuting/training/club riding on it for years; even raced a club crit on information technology.

"I love it - the simplicity of it just appeals to me. I ride it freewheel, for equally much as I bask climbing, fixed just doesn't allow you bask a long descent.  Alter the chain  and the freewheel every few months, and you're skillful to go. I ride information technology 48/16 which is more than capable of coping with nearly terrain. It's genuinely my favourite bike, and wouldn't swap information technology for the world."

Farr:"I ride a fixie (I'll call information technology what I desire) round London and I dearest it. Commuting on a road bike isn't the aforementioned anymore. I started off buying a unmarried speed and so when that was gear up for an upgrade, went fixed (although I could have but swapped the wheel on the first bike) for my new bike and haven't looked dorsum. It's got a front brake and narrow bull-horn bars. Yous know the type.

"A new chain and a pair of pads every year is all it needs. I've had schwalbe durano plus on it for about 3 years and they're nevertheless going. 23s though, I'll go for 25s when they habiliment out.

"Had a few moments when my thigh basic appeared to exist trying to escape through my armpits when I first started, just you get used to not being able to coast chop-chop. Helps with leg muscles and getting used to pedalling smoothly, or at least in my case. I had visions of riding MashSF style, skid stopping at high speed betwixt traffic. That doesn't happen, I but use the brake."

ocean-level: "I started riding fixed for my commute in Brighton last October, and am and so glad that I did.  Previously I could just freewheel down the colina into piece of work in the morning, with barely a turn of the pedal, and riding fixed forces me to spin, which is good.  And somehow, riding fixed is but fun - particularly in the urban environment.

"Some things I have found out:-

1. Sheldon Brownish was a real fixie enthusiast, and his website has a lot of great material on riding fixed.
2. Information technology'due south all-time to practice at the local park or runway before going anywhere near a road.
3. Foot retention - so many web manufactures stress the importance of using foot retention when riding fixed, and I have plant that it is so.  I ride with normal everyday shoes, and so use special pedals ("Stolen Thermalite") combined with human foot retention straps ("Hold Fast").
4. Brakes - I'll stick with my front and back caliper brakes, thank you.  When you're at speed, the fixie is a beast of momentum, and resisting the motion of the pedals seems ludicrous and I'thou not going to try information technology.  Hence the brakes.
5. The 1 and simply gear - worth getting right for your riding environment.  My fixie came with 46 / 16T, but that proved a little too tough for the stop-start of Brighton'southward North Laine...  my LBS swapped the 16 for an eighteen, which has proved to exist just correct.
6. While it's true that you tin can fit no smaller than your shoulders (a point Emily Chappell makes in passing in her book on her courier days in London), I prefer riser handle bars of moderate width for both the look and the ride.  I recall they fit the fixie riding style amend.
7. Knees - my knees can become sore, and overall riding fixed has helped improve their strength, and reduced the soreness.  Just you've got to build upwardly to it, and being overambitious on the steeper hills (and also before long) tin lead to extra knee problems.
8. Hills - if it's a steeper i, I'm happy to get off and button.  At that place used to be a few places where I had to get off and push on my commute dwelling house, but this number has reduced over the last few months.
9. The fear - the first time I rode fixed on the roads to work and dorsum, I arrived home red in the face, shaking like a leaf, and swearing that I'd never practice that again.  Only I persevered, and now ride around with happiness and confidence.
10. Stock tyres - when I got my off-the-shelf fixie, the first thing my LBS did was ditch the flimsy-looking tyres and put on some decent, durable, puncture-resistant tyres (Continental Chiliad Sport Extra @ 25mm).  I think it'south a skilful and necessary investment.
11. Chain tensioning - over time the chain will slacken, and there is the risk that information technology will jump off the front cog.  It needs a bit of tightening every so often (only not likewise tight), and having some form of chain tensioner on the rear dropouts can make this really easy to do.
12. After some months, riding fixed becomes an integral role of your riding life.  I can't imagine being without it now."

themuffle: "I commuted into London - 10 miles in, 10 miles out on a route bike which gradually destroyed itself. Then I bought a Dolan Track Champion, changed the fork, stuck a front restriction on. My legs got bigger every twenty-four hour period. Not but did my legs go a workout getting up to Crystal Palace but they they got a conditioning going downward the colina into Dulwich as well. Get 1! There is of class the no maintenance bonuses every bit well..... I cannot recommed going fixed enough."

rix: "Why your next bike should be a fixie..."

a. You want to damage your knees.
b. Yous do not have knees.
c. You accept plenty of spare knees."

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Does a Fixie Have a Larger Drive or Driven Gear? UPDATED

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