Fixed Gear

[DirtyOldTown]

Anyone ride fixed? I started a little over a year ago and I'll never go back - best way to ride a bike in my opinion.

[budomove]

Yep, I actually got hit by a car last year while riding mine. I started in '00, and I just recently began running a front brake, since it would have saved my back if i had been able to stop within a five foot range of the car that ran a stop sign through the intersection i was crossing. Herniated a disc that'd gotten messed up before. But, yeah fixed is the only way for me, even though my back keeps me off mostly. I now live in a rural area, and I love riding my track bike on the roads around here.

[DirtyOldTown]

I'm getting ready to build another one. I found an old frame that I think will make a decent beater - I'll probably run a brake and risers, put a basket and fenders on it, as my other bike is pretty much a track bike (though I've never even seen a track). I like the process of working on the bike, collecting parts etc. as much as I like riding. I guess it's the same way with cars.

[kickflipjr]

I rode a single speed last year (it helped me figure out how to ride up hills better). I never have tried using a fixed gear but going down hills seems like it wold be very hard.

[Ryland]

I have a few friends with fixed, and found them rather hard to learn to ride, and to start out on, altho fun to ride once you are going, I however would never build one for my self.
my current bicycle is a racing frame with flat bars, and a 3 speed inturnal geared hub, I had the full derailer set up for many years, and finely put a 3 speed hub on, and I don't think I would be able to go back to derailers.

[DirtyOldTown]

I'd like to get ahold of an old two-speed kickback hub - I guess I shouldn't have said never go back... I do think it would be fun to put one of those on a cruiser type bike. I do have a hard time going down hills - not that it's physically that hard, it's just hard to restrain because it's so fun to go fast. I find that when I ride with friends on road bikes I pass them going up and they pass me coming down. You guys get on fixedgeargallery.com? I'm an addict.

[Joe Gardner]

Both my GF and I ride fixed, I have converted 3 bikes, and bought one off ebay. I dont know what it is, but I *love* riding my fixie. I rarely put any miles on my other bikes now days. I put a front break on after rear ending a truck that cut me off. No more brakeless days for me.

DirtyOldTown, are you on bikeforums as well? http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php?f=178

[DirtyOldTown]

I'm on there - I get on the gallery more though, for the pics. I don't spend too much time on there because I'm on a couple other car forums and I'd end up on the computer all day if I kept up with all of them. What do you guys ride? I've got a KHS Flite 100 that I've been replacing parts on as money will allow. I got it locally and so far i've added Sugino 75s, Nitto B123s, MKS Sylvans w/Toshi doubles, and an eighth inch chain. The bike I'm putting all my old stuff on is a Steyr Clubman (cheap). I plan on putting both of them on the gallery when I'm finished with them, but who knows when that will be. I'd like to try building some wheels for the KHS at some point.