Over the course of the last year or so I have really started to take my bike riding a bit more serious. I don't have any plans to race or anything of that ilk, but I am spending a good amount of time on top of a bicycle lately. It has gotten to the point that I don't like riding my road bike when I am out with friends, because I think it's over kill. I mean lets not kid ourselves, Memphis is a very flat town. You don't really have to have a ton of gears to get around.
These thoughts and various other motivations* are leading me down a path to get a second bike. Now I am certain the new bike will be a single speed. there is no doubt about that at all. However the only question left is whether or not it will be a fixed gear. I have friends on both sides of this, but everyday I lean more and more towards a single speed. I don't really see the point in fix gears. I mean there cool, but I don't really see them as all that practical. If I was to get into doing tricks and such mayhaps, but I don't really see that happening either.
Is there something I am missing as to why fix gear bikes are so cool? Is it because you can run them without traditional brakes thus creating a much cleaner looking headset? If so I get that, but I just don't think it's worth it. I dunno maybe I am over thinking this whole thing.
*Frankly I just love pretty bikes. What Can I say.
Friday, September 25, 2009
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Fixies make you keep turning your legs over. I like mine quite a bit for riding with friends and since putting on a fixed cog I've not gone back to the freewheel side of the wheel. My opinions are as follows.
Positives:
People say it improves your peddle stroke, ability to maintain a cadence, and recognition of what's going on in your path. This leads to more supple muscles and a better feel for the road and how to avoid situations that would lead to emergencies. Trackstands are super easy. My fixie makes zero sounds except for tire noise. That's cool.
Negatives:
Even with brakes, they're substandard on safety. You can't really bunny hop obstacles reliably and swerving is unnerving. Think being intimidated by trolley tracks all over again.
Cornering clearance is reduced quite a bit and if you do drag a peddle, you're probably not going to recover.
If it's a go-to-the-pub bike, you're probably not too coordinated on the way home and the challenge isn't always welcome.
If you go brakeless you're an idiot or will be after you dent your head. You can always run a brake and try not to use it unless you have to. There is no legitimate reason to forgo a necessary safety precaution. It only takes once.
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