I've got me a new Weapon of Mass Destruction!

[Frizz]

Not really. But I did get a new bike. A decent one this time. Not quite as expensive as Will's, but fairly steep, nonetheless.



I've shown you mine, now show me yours.

 

[Will]

Swanky. Though its got gears, which are a crime* on the road.




*Will is probably wrong, but as a city boy, he likes his fixed.

 

[Doomy]

How you supposed to ride that up mountains?

You get a lycra suit with that too?

You did ask...

 

[Frizz]

Hmm, it's just a bit hilly for me to cycle to work with no gears. I've never even seen it done tbh. You really cycle with no gears?

I did strongly consider a mountain bike, but I just don't go offroad, nor do I go up mountains.

I've already got the latex suit Doomy, so I didn't need the freebie.

 

[Rubber Bullets]

Fixed gear bikes aren't as unusual as you might think, Frizz, but their riders are all nutters! The idea is that once you have removed all the gears, cables, changers etc the bikes weight is significantly reduced. The real nutters even remove the freewheel, which means that you can never stop pedalling without the back wheel stopping, which I imagine means you fall off. (are you this nuts Will?)

The real hardcore bike couriers in London etc ride single speed mostly.

RB

 

[Will]

My commuter is a singlespeed, which isn't quite fixed, since I can coast. I'm looking out for a nice frame that fits me to make a fixed city bike. You can muscle it up hills easily enough, though its a fairly aerobic workout.

I'd do you a pic, but its in pieces at the moment, I need to make the brakes work again.

 

[Gumbo]

<--- Nutter then.

It's true, you actually find yourself going up hills faster on the fixed than with gears.

You aren't wasting energy shifting down as it gets harder, you just stomp harder on the pedals, so go faster and it's gets easier...

Does that make sense?

The real fun happens on steep downhills where you're having to slow the pedals down rather than make them go. Everyone who claims to be a cyclist should give it a go, it's totally pure and loads of fun.

My fixed has an old 70's Pinarello steel frame that is far too big for me, wheels that were only 30 odd quid each, and that includes a building fee, (though I supplied the hubs), and I can still lift it over my head with my little finger. It weighs nothing at all.

 

[Will]

Sell me your frame, Gumbo. I can only find tiny little frames, or cyclocross frames.

 

[Gumbo]

Oooh, that's possible.

Though to be truly one of us you need to find the frame in a skip/bottom of a river/given by an ex world champ. They have to have a story attached...

It's just one of those things.

(I bought mine out of a free ads, but if anyone asks, it was an objet d'art in a restaurant blown up by terrorists and rescued from the rubble in Palermo k )

 

[Frizz]

Fooking hell. I can't believe how ignorant I am about bikes.

I'll give this "Fixed-Gear" madness a go when I get mo' money.

Brakeless fixed riding has an almost cult status in a few parts of the world, based on the perception by some riders of the "Zen" like experience of riding in a state of flow where brakes are not needed.

Zen like eh?

 

[Gumbo]

Yup.

Ohmmmmm.

 

[Will]

Specialized are doing a Langster fixed bike this year. Its going all mainstream.

 

[Tom]

What size frame is that Frizz? Looks a bit small

 

[Frizz]

The tag said "54cm". +/- 22" then.

 

[TdC]

that's a nice bike Frizz Orbea you a bad boy hehe

*needs leg to clear up so he can get back on his mountainbike*

 

[Paradroid]

Jesus H christ, fixed gears?!?

The whole point of having gears is to spare the engine (you!).

Do you drive a car everywhere in 2nd gear? You could, but your engine would be fuked. Would you drive up a long steep hill in 4th gear? Then why cycle like that?

It's a balance between travel & exercise, innit?

I haven't cycled for about 3 years btw, I miss it ... (city dweller now).

: (

 

[ECA]

Jesus H christ, fixed gears?!?

The whole point of having gears is to spare the engine (you!).

Do you drive a car everywhere in 2nd gear? You could, but your engine would be fuked. Would you drive up a long steep hill in 4th gear? Then why cycle like that?

It's a balance between travel & exercise, innit?

I haven't cycled for about 3 years btw, I miss it ... (city dweller now).

: (

Because your gearing system weighs an awful lot, and in most situations the added weight of the gearing system and the increased inefficiency by using a gearing system is actually increasing your workload over what a fixed wheel system would be.

 

[Paradroid]

Yeah, I got that. I think the type of tyre used, the surface you're on, and, wind resistance will have a bigger impact than a few ounces of metal on the back wheel.

Dont get me wrong, I think it's a relevant point if you're talking about panniers (or any other useless piece of extra baggage/weight) - but gears are an integral part of a good bike!

 

[Gumbo]

You have to let go of your prejudices man, embrace the freedom, purity is the future, man.

(Need a hippy smiley)

 

[Gumbo]

Seriously though, if I was doing a 10 mile commute I'd use a geared bike, if I was doing a 2 or 3 mile city traffic commute, it would be fixed all the way. There is a reason that the courier guys often used them, you should blag a ride on one one day, it'll blow your mind.

 

[Frizz]

Well, I cycled to and from work today for the first time on a road bike, and by God it's so much easier than a Mountain Bike. I'm not half as tired as I normally am, I actually enjoyed the cycle (It was snowy also) and I can't wait to do it again tomorrow.

Interestingly, I didn't change gears once. Normally I'd be changing left, right and centre.

The only problem is my missus didn't approve the buying of the thing.

How often do you lot get a flat tyre then? With my old bike I had one in about four months. This one, and I'm in constant fear.

 

[Will]

I've never had a flat. Ever.

 

[ECA]

I've never had a flat. Ever.

Me neither, only houses.

 

[Gumbo]

Baddum Tish...

 

[TdC]

Will's lucky But then again, living in holland I tend to use my bike(s) every single day and some of the crap on the roads you'd not believe, let alone sharp rocks in the woods

 

[Doomy]

I get flats all the time. Usually from bombing around the local bike bit.

Or when i decide to test the 6" travel back and front on my bike by riding through curbs as opposed to over them (Happens a lot)

 

[Embattle]

I use narrow tyres on my Mountain bike, does help make it easier to ride on the road. I had to pay for some better tyres this time round as there is a sweeping corner on my journey that has a nasty habit of collecting very sharp smooth gravel that go right through tyres.