Fixed Gear MTB?

[noise_is_life]

There's been lots of press lately about Single Speed mountain biking, but I was just reading an article about fixed gear road riding in NYC (in Dirt Rag of all places) and they had a reference to fixed gear off road riding, sounds crazy.

http://www.63xc.com/

Anybody here doing this?

[KleinCrazy]

Tried on on a guys bike earlier this year down in KC and about killed myself.

tried to cross a deep rut as if on a normal bike, i.e. coast. no luck. plus he was running ATAC so I was clipped in and geting off was kinda interesting.

It was a very interesting ride, adn felt kinda cool stopping by slowing down the pedaling, but it is not really a bike for technical trails, though he does ride it on some really hairy stuff down that way.

It definitly would take a lot of practice for me to get comfortable riding fixed offroad.

it is very cheap to try, just spin a $15 fixed onto any single speed hub and away you go.

[manual63]

Riding a fixed gear bike is tough. You must learn to bunny hop and do other such things with your pedals in any position. It can be done and I have seen riders who can ride really well with a fixed gear, but it is a very sharp and long learning curve to get used to.

[KleinCrazy]

Not only do you have to do everything with your pedals in any position, you CAN NOT STOP PEDALLING!!! This is what I found the hardest. It is amazingly hard to do things you don't even think about on a freewheeler, when you can't stop pedaling.

[Kingbozo]

Not to sound "judgemental" but that sounds really, really dumb.

[manual63]

Originally posted by Kingbozo
Not to sound "judgemental" but that sounds really, really dumb.

It may seem dumb to most of us, but some people like and need an extra challenge. I would not do it, but if I saw some rider out there rockin' the trails with a fixed hub, I would call him/her skilled, not dumb.

[manual63]

Last night we were talking about some guy who rode Leb on a unicycle. I guess he is really good and can do log rolls too. Now that's a fixed gear and only one wheel. Skill or Dumb?........I say skill.

[Kingbozo]

Originally posted by manual63
It may seem dumb to most of us, but some people like and need an extra challenge. I would not do it, but if I saw some rider out there rockin' the trails with a fixed hub, I would call him/her skilled, not dumb.

Point taken-but still.....

How about "crazy"? :)

[Dr. Guitar]

My friend commutes on a fixed road bike. It adds tons of physical skill to be able to ride one well. Off road fixed, I can't even imagine trying it. Props to those who can.

[Dr. Guitar]

Oh yeah, you would go through tons of tires on a fixed mtb. Your tire becomes what your brake pads were.

[MUni]

Originally posted by manual63
Last night we were talking about some guy who rode Leb on a unicycle. I guess he is really good and can do log rolls too. Now that's a fixed gear and only one wheel. Skill or Dumb?........I say skill.
THANKs for the word, 1ne wheel/1ne gear is definately a challenge. But I still admire the skill I see out there on 2wo wheels. You guys have a lot more machine to move, especially on the rough sections and on corners...I have 1ne line to worry about and I can pivot through a hairpin on a dime, dont have to worry about snaging the bars or the line my second wheel is going to take on a sharp corner! I say kudos to any1ne who's out riding whatever style and not wasting away in front of a tv.

[Kingbozo]

Originally posted by Dr. Guitar
Oh yeah, you would go through tons of tires on a fixed mtb. Your tire becomes what your brake pads were.

I'm no physicist, but wouldn't your tires be going through the same stresses no matter what sort of "braking" system you used?

Rim brakes slow the wheel, increasing friction between the tire and the ground, slowing the bike.

Disc brakes slow the wheel, increasing friction between the tire and the ground, slowing the bike.

Back preasure on the pedals slow the wheel, increasing friction between the tire and the ground, slowing the bike.

[manual63]

Originally posted by Kingbozo
I'm no physicist, but wouldn't your tires be going through the same stresses no matter what sort of "braking" system you used?

Rim brakes slow the wheel, increasing friction between the tire and the ground, slowing the bike.

Disc brakes slow the wheel, increasing friction between the tire and the ground, slowing the bike.

Back preasure on the pedals slow the wheel, increasing friction between the tire and the ground, slowing the bike.

Foot in tire, increasing friction between the shoe and the tire, slowing the bike..........:D and :laugh:

[Kingbozo]

Originally posted by manual63
Foot in tire, increasing friction between the shoe and the tire, slowing the bike..........:D and :laugh:

:D

[Dr. Guitar]

I'm not sure why, but my friend does go through tires much faster now that he converted to fixed. It's a Bianchi raod frame, used to commute. So he isn't riding it more than he did before the conversion.

Maybey it has to do with there allways being torque on the chain, there for the treds are being torqued. Verses being able to coast, where no pressure other than gravity and innertia is pressent.

BTW, he doesn't use his shoe to slow down either.

[manual63]

Originally posted by Dr. Guitar
I'm not sure why, but my friend does go through tires much faster now that he converted to fixed. It's a Bianchi raod frame, used to commute. So he isn't riding it more than he did before the conversion.

Maybey it has to do with there allways being torque on the chain, there for the treds are being torqued. Verses being able to coast, where no pressure other than gravity and innertia is pressent.

BTW, he doesn't use his shoe to slow down either.

This does make sense if you think about it. The tire is either always under acceleration or deceleration and very rarely just rolling free like with a freewheel while coasting. I would guess that this could cause more tire wear on a fixed gear bike.

[noise_is_life]

The more I think about this the more challenging it sounds, even simple cornering would have new problems if you cannot keep your inside pedal out of the way.

And how much harder is it to bunny hop while your pedals are in motion.

Sounds like fun, maybe I'll have to check it out :crazy2:.