Why Ride a Fixed Gear Bike?
A fixed gear bicycle is a bike with only one gear. It is distinct, however, from a single speed bike. A single speed operates just like a bicycle with gears. It has a freewheel, which facilitates coasting. A fixed gear does not use a freewheel--when the wheels are moving, so are the pedals. You cannot coast on a fixed gear bike. This is only the beginning of a "fixie's" appeal.
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Types
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Fixed gear bicycles, as the late Sheldon Brown's website explains, tend to come in two forms. Track bikes have a frame geometry conducive for use on a bicycle track, known as a velodrome. For many technical reasons--readily noticeable only to a bike geek's eye--the design and feel of a track bike's frame makes them less than suitable for road use. Fixed gear bikes manufactured for road riding tend to use frame geometries similar or identical to traditional, geared road bikes. In most cities, however, you will see people riding both styles on pavement.
Features
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Some fixed gear cyclists ride brakeless. On the track, brakes are not needed since there are no obstacles and everybody is riding in the same direction. On the street, not using brakes has become somewhat of an urban fashion statement. To stop a brakeless fixed gear, use your legs to progressively resist the bike's forward motion, or employ a combination of technique and force to skid to a halt when an immediate stop is required. Not having a brake also adds to the bike's sleek and minimalist look. Some fixed gear riders use only a front brake.
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Benefits
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As Brown notes, since you cannot coast, fixed gears are ideal for fitness and efficiency. The fitness part is obvious. Just try riding a bike with one gear up a hill. From an efficiency standpoint, you simply cannot take a break on a fixed gear, which makes it ideal for commuting. Even if you are unaware that you do it, you likely coast at times, if the bike will let you. By not coasting, your average speed is higher, your pedaling motion smoother. Plus, if you try to coast on a fixie, it--like a horse--attempts to "buck" you over its front end.
Significance
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Originally a staple for bike messengers, fixed gears exploded in popularity just after the turn of the 21st century. As articles on Wired.com and in the Los Angeles Times illustrate, in cities from San Francisco to Los Angeles and to the east from Boston to New York, the number of fixed gears on the road has grown exponentially. Riding "fixed" may no longer be a fad.
Warning
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If you want to hop on the fixed gear bandwagon, use brakes, at least to start. Some police departments cite cyclists who ride without brakes. Many cities have no laws regarding brakes or they choose not to enforce them. Either way, unless you know what you are doing, riding brakeless on a fixed gear elevates the already inherent dangers associated with riding a bicycle in traffic.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Get it in gear! image by John Saxenian from Fotolia.com
