Fixed Gear Bycycle

[sendbaht]

I am in Bangkok for a few days and stopped trice now at Pro Bikes. Nice store.

Wish we had a store like this in Chiang Mai. Reminds me or Helens Bike store in Santa Monica.

Anyway, I own a full suspension mountain bike a hard tail bike and a road bike, the bike I do not have

yet is a FIXED GEAR.....I find them so beautiful to look at. The colors and the lack of cables

running all over adds to their beauty.

They work well here in Bangkok and of course I would not take it or could for the matter up

DS and any big hill but on the flat I bet there are fun to ride.

I see them around sometimes in CM does anyone have one here on TV? If so, do you like it?

I used to ride a unicycle kind of the same concept but with 2 wheels.

[ianf]

I first rode a fixed wheel bike in 1960 when I was 14. I have loved them ever since. At home here in Chiang Mai I have 4 fixed wheel bikes, one with brakes I use for the road, and three that were built for various disciplines on the track.

I have a: Harry Quinn (about 30 years old); Condor velodrome bike; Condor pursuit/kilo bike and the road fixed (an Echelon) built this year. At my home in France I have a Gillot road fixed which I have owned for 35 years.

VeloCity is doing a roaring trade in fixed wheel bikes - they have suddenly become very trendy. Indeed one rider told me the other day that fixed wheel bikes where a new invention and did not believe me when I told him I've been riding fixed for nearly 50 years!

I just wish VeloCity would advise the riders to put a front brake on the bikes he sells. Thoroughly irresponsible to sell to guys without brakes. Wonder what he's playing at?

[sendbaht]

Get ‘Fixed’ in Chiang Mai maybe VeloCity might be a good idea for me Ianf.

Yes you are so correct Fixed Gears have been out for 50 years or even much longer. I was reading about them yesterday and read a quote form a man about his fixed gear bicycle vs a muliti gear bike dated something early 1900s.

Ianf, what do you think about a belt driven fixed bike. I saw a belt drive fixed gear in light blue with orange wheels, SWEET!

[ianf]

Get ‘Fixed’ in Chiang Mai maybe VeloCity might be a good idea for me Ianf.

Yes you are so correct Fixed Gears have been out for 50 years or even much longer. I was reading about them yesterday and read a quote form a man about his fixed gear bicycle vs a muliti gear bike dated something early 1900s.

Ianf, what do you think about a belt driven fixed bike. I saw a belt drive fixed gear in light blue with orange wheels, SWEET!

I love all these little quirks with bicycles. The bike must be one of the greatest inventions. And what is interesting you can use different bikes for different purposes.

Fixed for city riding with front brake

Fixed for track racing, no brakes

Pursuit track bike no brakes

Road bike, lightweight for racing

Road bike for training (similar to above)

Touring bike

Mountain bike downhill

Mountain bike cross country

Mountain bike four x

BMX

Bicycle Polo bike

Sit up and beg shopping bike

Tandem, bike for two

Adult tricycle

Kiddie tricycle

Small wheel utility bike

Folding bike

Le oon oon .................................................

[el jefe]

sendbaht wrote:

"FIXED GEAR.....I find them so beautiful to look at. The colors and the lack of cables

running all over adds to their beauty."

I've got a fixed gear bike here in Chiang Mai too, but you definitely wouldn't like it. It's solid black and it has two sets of cables for the brakes.

Before the invention of the derailleur, all bikes were fixed gear bikes.

[SomchaiCNX]

El Jefe, I think the fixed gear Ian is talking about has no freewheel (I hope you understand what I mean), once in motion it will coninue to turn.<BR><BR>I hope M. is happy with his frame.

[el jefe]

El Jefe, I think the fixed gear Ian is talking about has no freewheel (I hope you understand what I mean), once in motion it will coninue to turn.<BR><BR>I hope M. is happy with his frame.

Somchai, I can't figure out what confused you. There was a brief period of time between the invention of the freewheel and the invention of the derailleur when there were single-speed bikes. Before that, all bikes were fixed gear bikes.

I did 80 kms today on a Specialized Langster. I can flip the wheel to the single-speed side, but I didn't. Despite the fact that it has brakes and is not rainbow colored, it's still a fixed gear bike.

Who is "M."?

[sendbaht]

"I've got a fixed gear bike here in Chiang Mai too, but you definitely wouldn't like it. It's solid black and it has two sets of cables for the brakes."

el jefe, they had 1 solid all black one with brakes at Pro Bike, it was great looking. Even gave some thought to buy it. I do want brakes at least a front brake.

I watch bikes ride by even if it was purchased from Tesco. Love to see them roll.

One of my bikes is a Trek Modone road bike which that year was all dark, still a pretty bike. Last week i did change the handle bar tape from black to red to give it a little color.

Do you ride your black fixed gear a lot around town or where?

[sendbaht]

I just looked up your bike el jefe, does she look like this? She is a beauty if so.

Not the best at posting photos, how this works.

[SomchaiCNX]

@ El Jefe

1.Technical English.

2. M. is the person you maybe know as J.M. who had problems finding a large frame in CNX.

[el jefe]

I just looked up your bike el jefe, does she look like this? She is a beauty if so.

Not the best at posting photos, how this works.

I'm not sure which bike that is a photo of. mine is a 2011 with standard components exactly as listed on the Specialized website. Different wheels and, obviously, mine has brakes -- front and rear. Frame decals are totally different too. Not sure what model or year your photo is. But yeah, they're both black. ;-)

I have no interest in riding around town on it in traffic. When I do ride around town I have enough to think about without remembering that I can't coast. I've taken it out on the 8:30 coffee shop ride from Hang Dong a few times. For me that's the perfect place for a fixed gear bike. YMMV

[el jefe]

Ooops. I mis-typed above. Mine is a 2010: http://www.specialized.com/gb/en/bc/SBCProduct.jsp?arc=2010&sid=10Langster

More black, less silver. Not that I care about color.

Funny that the photo of the 2011's on the website don't show pedals or brakes.

[T_Dog]

I was sitting up Wat Doi Suthep last week and saw a Thai rider ride past with either a Single Speed or a Fixie. Looked like he was headed up to Doi Pui and yes, he was out of the saddle the whole time I saw him.

So what is the advantage of a Fixie (No Freewheel) over a Single Speed (with Freewheel)? Downhills on a Fixie must not be a whole lot of fun!

[sendbaht]

"Downhills on a Fixie must not be a whole lot of fun!

I laughed and laughed at the possibles of answering this T_DOG. Like, who cares if it is fun or not while your headed down DS at 75k with no brakes who cares if it is fun or not as long as you look good is all that matters in your rainbow colored bike.)

Then I though, would it be better to have you feet strapped in while descending, (think how fast you feet would be rotating) or just have your feet out of the stirrups and let it fly, all the while a big Thai smile on the face.))

You and I need to talk about this over a coffee, I'm sure we well be laughing so hard with tears running down our cheeks.

[el jefe]

Riders have done Paris-Brest-Paris on a fixed gear and RAAM on a single-speed. As long as you're on a bike, it's all good.

[coldfusionPaul]

did they finish those rides?

[el jefe]

did they finish those rides?

Yes.

A quick google search shows that in 2007 a rider finished solo RAAM on a single-speed and in 2008 there was a 2 rider team and a 4 rider team that both completed RAAM on fixed gear bikes:

http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/raam/raam2.php?N_webcat_id=51

[coldfusionPaul]

pretty respectable that they finished (though no one seems to have tried again since) but no fixie rider i know could do more than 20km, their hair or their hipster clothing might get mussed up ;-)