Why ride fixed gear

Your legs become your accelerator and brakes. Pedalling rhythm improves and gets more even. Fixie bikes require a very steady rhythm if you want to go faster. Many muscle groups work together , more than would be the case if you were riding a conventional bike. Peak strength increases due to the absence of gear shifters, which demand a bigger effort when starting to pedal from standstill or when riding on uneven ground.

Not only lower limbs get stronger, but also upper ones. As fixie bikes have no gears, high peak strengths are achieved not only in both legs but also thanks to the gripping and dynamic traction that come from the torso and arms. They can also be used as a way to strengthen all muscles after competitions, intense training sessions or after having hurt yourself, as they encourage blood circulation and constant flexibility of the muscle fibres that work while pedalling.

The effort is actually quite similar to that of track runners, whose muscles contract eccentrically. Riding a fixie bike will improve your instincts, anticipation and concentration abilities.

Your riding technique will also get better. Once you are riding you are forced to become more stable. Telemark is also harder than alpine. Or how about running in minimalist shoes?

As for brakes, most fixed-gear riders I know have one on the front wheel. But you can ride without brakes once you're used to the machine.

Putting back-pressure on spinning cranks slows you effectively, just like a brake handle can. If you need to stop faster, you can skid to a halt by taking some weight off the rear wheel and locking your legs.

After six years of using them, I ditched my brakes in But despite what freewheelers think, stopping without them is rarely dramatic or dangerous. My current fixie is built off a scandium frame from boutique Wabi Cycles of L. During the snowy months here in Minneapolis, I commute on a winterized fixie with a mountain-bike frame and studded tires.

Fixies excel as training tools, too. I sweat more and try harder, pushing a big gear on hills with no other way to get up, then spinning fast or resisting the pedal force as gravity again takes hold on the descent. In the end, fixie haters are gonna hate. But fixed-gear is not a trend to me.

I've been enthralled for years, ever since that bike tried to buck me off in I got back on the horse, and I haven't let go since. Hating on fixed-gear bikes is almost too easy.

At their finest, bikes are efficient, safe, and eminently enjoyable means of transportation. However, strip away a couple key components—namely the brakes and freewheel—and they become dangerous and impractical. You feel attached to the bike which you are, sort of. Since your pedals are directly tied to the movement of the wheels, you're much more a part of the bicycle than you are on a single speed cruiser or something of the like. Another advantage of riding a fixed gear bike, besides the increased maneuverability and lightness, is its efficiency.

Fixed gear drivetrains are more mechanically efficient than any other bike, with the most direct power transfer from rider to the wheels. Efficiency means energy and highly efficient means our bikes require less energy from you, the rider. Some people may ask, why do we see a lot of fixies without brakes? Well, this goes straight back to the simplicity point. Our riders take their brakes off because they think it looks cooler. It may look cooler, but safety should be a priority, dudes.

Also, since you're directly connected to the drivetrain of the bicycle, you can stop the bike by resisting on the pedals. There are other methods of stopping, like skid-stopping. Care to learn? We've got a video for that - " How to stop your Fixie. Not comfortable riding in this 'fixed gear' mode? Additionally, riding a fixed gear helps with cadence as generally when you are on a fixed gear you are forced to pedal a lot faster.

We might tear around the London streets at the Red Hook Crit, but safety is number one when it comes to riding fixed. You need to be confident riding a fixed gear as it takes a lot of getting used to, so the track is a great way to do this before going onto the road. Your local velodrome will have hire bikes that you can use.