Someone finally figured it out. This is what it’s all about…
/M
Very cool 
Actually I wonder what’s the point of riding a fixie, would like to try one.
We use to ride fixies during the winter months when the roads were clear enough, still used cleats, toeclips, drop bars and we often painted the bike flat black or grey to deter theft. I really did it just to have something lite to train on that we didn’t have to worry about as much as a good road bike.
For one thing less stuff to break. Winters are hard on a bike.
Here is an article about Fixed gear bicycles by Sheldon Brown.
There is also the Single speed bike.
I miss Sheldon 
Fixie’s are in vogue. People like the lighter weight, much lower cost, much less maintenance. Riding a fixed gear helps with pedaling technique. Some folks like the rough shod braking style, sliding and skidding to make turns and stops. It reminds some of the popular “drifting” style in cars, but on a bike.
For those that want a fixie for a few bucks, Performance Bike has an in store only deal for a new road fixie for $199. Normally, that price at a bike shop, only gets a person the cheapest mountain bike. If I didn’t have so many knee problems, I’d be tempted. At $199, if it doesn’t work out, a person could turn it on Craigslist for close to that price.
I want to convert an elderly road bike to a fixed gear. It really does help your spin, does wonders for bike handling. BUT, I will put brakes on it, unlike the current fashion of no brakes. When I took the track class at Dominguez Hills 330m track, it was still hard to stop.
Yeah, Sheldon was a great source and the cycling community lost an advocate.
Does it have the right dropout, or will you add a singulator/Chain Tensioner?
I never understood why you wouldn’t at least have a front break, if you don’t want to use it, fine, don’t, but it is better to have and not need than the other way around. The back wheel just doesn’t have the same stopping power. Unless you are on a Velodrome, there is no reason not to have them.
It has a derailleur drop out so, I’ll adjust the wheel closer to the seat tube, fix the chain length accordingly and pick the slack up via the drop out (I hope). Of course, I’ve talked about doing it for the last two years and I’ve put the “pro” in procrastination for longer than I care to remember.
I’d go real fancy and put a disc on the front wheel or your left crank and a double sided hub on the back, a Nitto Moustache bar with a Dia Compe guidonnet lever, and a saddle too.
Some of the old 10-speed horizontal dropouts worked well for this sort of thing. Many of the fixed wheel bikes in my area look like $10 “Goodwill bikes” that have been stripped and refitted. The vertical dropouts seem to be the only ones that have problems. Good luck.
I keep forgetting chain drive is passe for fixies now.
Well I have only seen about two or three belt drive bikes (3 and 8-speeds, I think) and I wonder how easy it is to find a replacement belt when it wears out. Mind you, I would love to see how it feels at -20F to see if it is more or less responsive than a chain, but I think I will be a late adopter of such technology.
I rode the Trek belt fixie at the local shop here. It was super quite and super smooth. But for me the bottom line is a chain would be more difficult to damage by a causal vandal than a belt and I’d hate to come out of the market with a bag full of beer only to find some yahoo has cut my belt. Usually takes a little more effort to remove a chain.
I read a story in the NY Times a while back about NY messengers and their fixed wheel bikes and I had to look twice to see if it was April Fools day. Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t for the life of me understand why anyone would want a bike lacking the simplest of safety devices, eg brakes, and have only a single gear to make pedaling as difficult and inefficient as possible. After I read that story, I tried riding my 21 speed bike in only one gear for a while. It’s hilly around where I live, and there were hills that I couldn’t come close to climbing, and on even mild downgrades I had to pedal like a demon just to avoid freewheeling. Forget about maintaining any type of cadence or pedal pressure. Mystique, schmistique-- I’ll keep my modern bike!
I have had my bike’s derailers lock up on me effectively making my bike a one speed. One thing that I noticed is that I had to plan a whole lot more. See a hill coming up? Better start accelerating or get ready to dismount.
As for breaks, I think in almost all states, the front break is mandatory by law. The “skid test” is sometimes used which some would argue the foot and peddle combination qualifies, but I have wondered what happens if your chain derails? Do you have no breaks until your rear tire seizes?
A new bike I’m thinking about for commuting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cDDBM9gJts&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.piedee.com%2FSite%2F%2FConference_Bike_files%2Fwidget0_markup.html&feature=player_embedded#t=20
Absolutely agree. Modern bikes with nicely thought-out gears are a joy. Mind you, I never had more fun than I did on my double chainwheel, 10-speed Claud Butler Majestic, which I bought in the early 80s (when the Claud name really meant something). Damned fine bike, that one. Gear changers on the downtubes and none of this new-fangled index gear nonsense and steep, but not too steep, tube angles. I could and did lose anybody on that bloody bike, given the right tyres. And fit a well-lubed Brooks B17 seat. No other would do for me and my delicate arse. Modern cyclists understand nothing!
I still cherish Claude Butler, Ron Cooper and Holdsworth… as well as Team Brooks in honey with the large rivets and 853 steel. Although I’m not sure I would give up my Ergo on steep climbs.