Fo’ real. I’ve been cycling for 15 years and didn’t really get into fixed gears until the last few years. I’ve never understood the hate towards them. I love all forms of cycling. I did BMX before my MTB and Road days. Anything new or out-of-the-norm fuels peoples criticism sadly.
Yeah, I’ve raced MTBs for years, just got into road about 2 years ago, and fixed about 1.5 years ago. Speaking of fixies, I should upload a pic of mine
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Ok this is how they are more functional, reliability basically on a fixed gear there are 10ish points of failure total. on my bi
on a geared bike there are around 50ish or more if you use shimano set ups.
they are very nimble, and there is no delay when you need to switch gears because you don’t need to.
I don’t ride in the door zone and neither should you. But when someone does open a door I am outside its range so I don’t have a problem with that. Go read up on the “door zone” and you won’t likely ride in it any more either. Plus when you can ride a fixed gear well you can stop faster, (I have a front brake on mine.) believe it or not stopping with your legs, and a front break will stop you way faster then front and back breaks. since front breaks give you 70% of your stopping power, and you can actually pedal backwards with your legs you can stop faster.
If a kid runs out in front of me I just use them as a killer jump and spit on their mom as I pass. Isn’t that normal? lol
there are a ton more reasons to defend your lane and be in traffic other then turning left, ie when you are in the door zone, its not safe for someone to pass you, when a right turn lane comes up and you have to be left of it to go strait, ect.
Also since you have one gear once you are really used to it, I find it less tiring to ride, you legs and crank arms and back rim chain and all the rotating parts give you a fly wheel effect you don’t get on a bike that coasts. you have to keep moving your legs but over time that becomes effortless and you can “coast” if that is what you want to call it.
I get your point of view and for example would never tour on a fixed gear, or even go out for a group ride, but for quick transport around towns with lots of stop and go and traffic I think they are ideally suited.
Oh once last thing is bike rack damage with a fixed there is almost none. Where a bike with gears have all those cables to get snagged, derailleurs to get bent out of shape, and if the bike is nice all the bike theft you have to worry about. Its hard to get a reliable road bike that is not nice. Fixed gears can be any hoofty with a track hub on the back.
Sorry, I didn’t actually intend to go so far off topic and go to the ol’ fixed vs geared debate.
Just one last reply from me on the subject
While there are definitely more ways a road bike can mess up, like I said, with a quality bike, chances are they won’t. I’m riding with 3 (probably closer to 4) year old 105. I have no idea how much the previous owner rode it, but I’ve put atleast 2k miles on it in the time I’ve had it. Haven’t had to replace anything in that time. (although I would like to change out to a bigger 54/39 crankset over my current 50/34 compact)
With good shifters that are adjusted properly, there’s practically no delay in gear changes.
I try not to ride in the door zone whenever possible, but unfortunately sometimes I have to.
I didn’t know you have a front brake, sorry about that. You can definitely stop faster than I would be able to, I assumed you were talking about riding brakeless like a lot of fixie riders like to do.
And lol of course, kids make great ramps. I know when I ride bmx at a park, I use them all the time.
I sincerely apologize if I came off as rude at all, usually when I’m discussing bikes with people, I kind of get in a pro riding kind of mind set. Like, high cadence, long distance group rides, full cycling kit, etc. But for just casual riding, fixed gear works (as long as you have brakes, and a helmet). Just curious though, can you climb? I live in a pretty flat area, so I can rock the 54-16 gearing without much problem, but I imagine if I were somewhere more hilly, Finding a gear ratio that would work well for flats, climbing, and descending would be nigh impossible.
I definitely agree though, for a reliable road bike, you have to drop a lot more cash than you do for a fixed gear. I got a great deal at $500 for mine, but that’s more than a lot of people would pay. Plus I never ride that without my kit, and I never leave it locked up (I’m pretty sure it would have been stolen a long time ago if I did)
I think I spent ~150 for the old chromoly bike I fixed up, painted, and turned into a fixie.
If anyone’s interested in it by the way:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/57410_4071149851859_1264531918_o.jpg
That’s just rattle can paint w/ pin striping tape.
Really nice looking ride! I love old 10-speed restorations
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yup I can climb no problem, although on a fixed it is different then on a road bike, if you attack the hill in the same way you end up powering every single stroke and it will be very hard. Remember these bike are very popular in san francisco, and portland if climbing was a problem they would not be so popular. Just don’t over gear(like most do) and you won’t have a problem. The descending is where people who can coast lose a fixed gear rider though, you can coast but there is a limit to how fast you can coast. (with out pulling your feet off the pedals.)
Also what a road bike rider considers a high cadence is normally mid range for a fixed gear rider, your spin gets so developed rotating your feet that fast gets a lot easier, though none of this comes with out some practice. Developing your bike skills, is fun for me. Then there are the people who run to hard of a gear and hurt their knee’s because they can push that gear on a coasting bike they think its cool for a fixed when really they are just punishing their knee’s.
They are 2 different things I think people get hung up.
- hipsters are butt holes and run red lights get dui’s and generally ruin the name of cyclest’s.
- being they think it has to replace something in their stable.
For me we are talking about 7 years of developing my bike from a 10 speed down to a fixed gear. It took time its been about 10 years since then. maybe more.
It was a genital process for me. I didn’t see someones cool fixed gear and ripped everything off my bike to produce one. I in fact had never heard of a fixed gear bike till I was reading about how to make my rear hub a single speed one rather then a casset set up. I knew of track bikes, but thought they where just single speed bikes. In the same info I found info about fixed gears. I was like yes, that single speed would have like 9 engagement palls, and one or two sets of lots of bearing as well as several other things that could go wrong. the fixed gear counterpart had exactly none. all it can do is ware out. So over time I gently acclimated my self to fixed/single speed riding so when it came time to ride fixed it was hardly a jump from what I had already been up to for quite some time.
Basically for some these advantages will be very good, others won’t care about them at all.
Remind you of yoyoing much? lol
I cycled to work daily for two years. It wasn’t far - about an 8 mile round trip. I have a Giant Cypress hybrid. Used to go on some long rides too, I’ve hit 80 miles in a day. Used to love being out on the open road, miles and miles from anywhere, wearing baggy pants and a tshirt and going past hardcore roadies with cleats, lycra and $4000 bikes 
I have a question for you guys though - and there is no easy answer! I have just moved into a smaller apartment and my full size hybrid is just too bulky. I haven’t even used it since I moved two months ago and I need to trade it for something smaller. I now get to work by train - so commuting by bike isn’t such a big deal.
So… to trade in for something smaller, do I go for a folder (Giant Expressway), or a BMX (Giant Method, Avalanche DV8)??
The folder would be the “grown-up, practical” choice. I’d be able to go much further and take it on the train if I needed to get somewhere that was quite a way from the station. I would, however, be worried about trashing it. I didn’t think I was particularly hard on my hybrid, but I used to pop rear spokes regularly and seemed to have to constantly true the wheels. I’m tired of maintenance…
The BMX would be the less practical but more “fun” option. I wouldn’t be allowed to take it on the trains here, but I do think I’d have much more fun riding it. The BMX appeals to me because there are few moving parts that require maintenance (no gears) and it should be able to take a serious beating. I worry I may trash the folder.
Any insight? Any of you have experience riding folders and/or BMX?
I’ve never ridden folders, but I’ve heard good things about them for people with dorms/appartments. I do have ~a year of riding experience though on bmx. It’s pretty terrible for commuting, assuming you’re talking about a traditional bmx bike. (low low low seat, really low gearing, heavier than you’d expect)
But there’s practically no maintenance, and I would say it’s good fun, if you’re actually going to use the bike for bmx. And you would definitely be able to ride it incredibly hard and not trash it.
There are some very good quality folders out there though. You may want to ask the guys over http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php/221-Folding-Bikes there.
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The folder does seem to be the way forward, but I am desperately trying to convince myself that a bmx would be better 
The idea of no maintenance appeals to me, and the ability to easily hop sidewalks… But I’d still want a bike I can actually use to get around.
There are full sized folding bikes. So you could consider that, although i’m not sure I would go that route.
Bmx’s are cool, if you get a flip flop hub for it, you can run two different sized gears. That way you could have a more long distance gear and then one for faster acceleration. Bmx’s are going to be more fun but not as functional as a transport device I used one for transport from about 2nd grade to adulthood I never had a problem with it, but once I moved to a road bike bmx’s just stopped being an option for me… You can even get folding bmx bikes. Probably wouldn’t want to go huge on one though.
The normal folders have 20" wheels almost always, which means if you brake spokes or bend a rim, you will have options of getting substantially stronger rim and what not since that is the same size as bmx.
You won’t be able to do much more then maybe bunny hop up and down curbs though because normally the frames are just not built for that kinda shock. Not that they will just flat out fail on you, it just isn’t good for them. Also you can get a single speed, or one with internal gears. In those case’s you won’t have much if any more maintenance then a normal bmx. I know people who do full non support touring on folders, thats a lot of miles in the saddle and a lot of weight on the bike. So it will likely handle what you throw at it, assuming you get one that is built well.
I’m not sure I have more to add but if I do I will post again. I hope this helps weight your options.
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^^Thanks! Although my decision isn’t any easier, you have given me some points to ponder.
I’m leaning more towards the bmx for the fun factor, always wanted one and never had one. I guess I need to work out if I’m going to need to travel more than 3 miles in the near-ish future. Really want a bmx, but don’t want to feel stuck
Have you considers a bmx with like 24 inch or 26 inch wheels?
They are less common then there 20 inch wheeled counter parts but I really like my 24 inch bmx. They are a little more like a single speed mountain bike then a bmx but with a lot of the ability to bunny hop, take a beating and what not still in tacked.
I didn’t realise you could get them with different sizes wheels, don’t think I’ve ever come across one with larger rims. That does sound like a good idea though. Are there any particular makes or models that you know of, bearing in mind I’m on a tight budget?
I did actually think of looking into getting an undersized mountain bike and converting to single speed, essentially creating a larger ‘bmx’. That does seem like it could be a bit of work though, considering I could get a purpose built bmx off the shelf requiring no mods.
Well I build up all my bikes normally, or buy used ones with broken parts for cheap then just fix or replace the parts.
So maybe just look for something on the used market. The best bmx bikes are made of cromoly steel., make sure the entire frame is made of it. sometimes they will only use it for the main tubes.
If you don’t plan to freestyle stuff, you could probably look for a racing bmx, those guys tend to sell their stuff for cheap even though it is in good shape. I’m not sure how it works down there for you though. They are normaly made of something other then steel, carbon fiber, aluminum, ect.
you can jump them and stuff but they are way weaker bikes then the freestyle cromoly ones.
Sorry I don’t have a brand to look for.
Thanks! There’s not an awful lot available here and some brands can be ridiculously priced. Giant is affordable, readily available and seem to be good quality (I was thinking of the Method 3 for a bmx, or Expressway 2 for a folder).
I think I need to go down to the local bike shop, have a chat and see what they can do. A slightly oversized bmx sounds about perfect.
giant is a good company to go with. Yeah hitting up a bike shop is a good way to see what you like. good luck man.
I have a fixed gear bike that I ride everywhere… It gives ya a better workout!
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I love bikes , I used to be a bike messenger in Manhattan for years , and I collect schwinn , I have over 30 stingrays . Krates , fastbacks , manta ray , phantom .
Anyone want to trade me their MTB for my track bike?
2008 Kona Cowan Dirt Jumper Customized with new seat, grips, tires, shocks, rims, brakes, and cranks.
http://www.konabikeworld.com/08_cowan_w.htm
2012 White/Red BF 1 Fit Bike Customized with new brakes, Grips, and peddles
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/fit-bike-co/bf1-2012-bmx-bike-ec030625