I've been back and forth about taking the plunge and buying a fixed gear/single speed bike to play around with and see what all the fuss is about. Keep in mind, I already have a pretty lightweight road bike, an around town beater hybrid bike and a mountain bike. I found a single speed bike that needs a little work and got the seller down to $100. Do I pull the trigger or just play with my bikes?
Is it a fixie or a single gear, or does it have a flip hub that you could do either with? Does it have brakes you could use until you get the hang of the fixie thing?
I've never ridden one (I have enough of a hard time finding time to get my fat ass on my Jamis road bike) but IMHO they're more of a trendy thing - I vote just play with what you've got.
When you say it "needs a little work", what are we talking about here? Also, does it have horizontal rear dropouts? If not, keep looking.
In reply to EastCoastMojo:
Here is the link to it: http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/bik/984624348.html
It needs a seat and the front brake needs to be hooked up. I think it does have the dropouts and the person would include the cog ring needed for the fixie conversion..
I bought the base for mine for $20.
early 80's Fuji 10 spd. steel with really nice butted frame
disassembled the crank down to the middle chain ring.
swapped in a single speed hub in back.
remove rear brack and derailers.
flipped the drop bars over and cut down to track bike style.
result? one very light, very quick, very comfortable road bike. for $30 + Elbow grease.
Speaking as a former road and track racer, messenger before it was a "lifestyle", many-year bike industry professional, and current avid road cyclist of a couple thousand miles a year (Though sculling has put a dent in that)...
Fixies are for Be Capables (what Burger King calls their "differently abled" employees)
I have an early 80s actual track bike, and a late model Raleigh Rush Hour "Urban-Tard Fixie" with a flip-flop hub and brakes. They're a huge pain in the ass to ride, unless you live someplace thats completely flat.
You're in the wrong gear 100% of the time. If you want something cool to ride doewn to the bike fashionista cafe to pull alterna-messenger-devil-fixie-girls, then OK. They're a fine fashion accessory, but I guarantee my 1981 GT 26" wheel BMX cruiser is cooler, and not every crusty messenger tard has one.
Oh yeah, go to some city where the messengers ride 'em and watch the poor f$@kers try to go around corners faster tha 10mph when the can't coast. Ha!
motomoron wrote: Speaking as a former road and track racer, messenger before it was a "lifestyle", many-year bike industry professional, and current avid road cyclist of a couple thousand miles a year (Though sculling has put a dent in that)... Fixies are for Be Capables (what Burger King calls their "differently abled" employees) I have an early 80s actual track bike, and a late model Raleigh Rush Hour "Urban-Tard Fixie" with a flip-flop hub and brakes. They're a huge pain in the ass to ride, unless you live someplace thats completely flat. You're in the wrong gear 100% of the time. If you want something cool to ride doewn to the bike fashionista cafe to pull alterna-messenger-devil-fixie-girls, then OK. They're a fine fashion accessory, but I guarantee my 1981 GT 26" wheel BMX cruiser is cooler, and not every crusty messenger tard has one. Oh yeah, go to some city where the messengers ride 'em and watch the poor f$@kers try to go around corners faster tha 10mph when the can't coast. Ha!
I'm admittedly a non-bike guy* but that post is hilarious. I think every sport that uses rubber tires must have their contingent of "cooler thans". As in "I'm cooler than you because I use something everyday that tortures me. That's what makes me cool..."
I've talked to a few bike people about fixies. They're response usually is "They're so hard to ride..."
But hey, whatever you're into right? Life is all about experiences. I just can't see riding something that makes riding more difficult and dangerous. I never got choppers either.
*I do have a mtn bike but due to it's commonality I doubt that makes me any kind of bike person.
I ride my road bike singled speed with a single brake.
Everyone thinks I'm a fixie rider...until I coast into the bike rack.
I think Fixie bikes are more about the clean looks, lack of brakes, and Aero-V wheels in bright colors.
Well, admittedly, I do have 2 of the things. But, one was to race at the velodrome in Trexlertown PA, when I was a racer, decades ago, and which I can't sell 'cause it's got a full Campagnolo Nuovo Pista component group, which is way cool, and the other, a Raleigh Rush Hour was a $350 purchase from a former bike industry colleague.
I got it specifically for the 8 mile commute to my office when I worked in downtown DC. 1/2 mile down my street, left onto the rails-to-trails bike path for 7 miles downhill, path becomes K St. NW, 1/2 mile to the office.
I had it geared to make it back home uphill in the rain after a really bad day. Subsequently, commuters on their $299 mountain bikes with screechy drivetrains would go steaming by me both to and from work. When I did the trip on my regular carbon/Dura Ace road bike i'd be like 10 miles an hour faster.
There is an undeniable purity to fixed gear bikes, and I still do some of my base mileage in january and february on one, but as anything other than a novelty?
Nuh-uh.
Unless you're on very flat terrain all of the time, it might not make much sense (singlespeed, that is--fixed is still nuts to me, despite all of its proponents).
I see a singlespeed as a simple, "grown up" BMX bike. Granted, motomoron's cruiser sounds infinitely cooler. 
The simplicity is very appealing to me.
At some point, I'm going to build a singlespeed--it's constantly on my back burner. I scored an early-70's Garlatti 10-speed that will make a really neat singlespeed setup. I just need to collect the parts and to it.
Sadly, it's taking a backseat to my Civic's need for pads, rotors, tires and stainless lines 
motomoron wrote: ... I guarantee my 1981 GT 26" wheel BMX cruiser is cooler....
Speaking as someone who was racing BMX bikes in the early 80s, I agree wholeheartedly.
Here is a quick update: I passed on the bike since I already have too many. My beater Schwinn is going to go under the knife and become a single speed..
I like single speeds for town cruiser bikes.. but fixie's scare the crap outta me.. Hell, I can barely ride clipless without crashing..
living, riding, and working at a bike shop here in flatorida, a single speed makes sense. our store assistant manager (doesn't really have a title but that's about what he is) doesn't own a car. he uses a single speed with some sort of extendabike conversion (adds a wood rear rack about twice as long as usual and a double rear pannier set while stretching the wheelbase about an extra wheels worth) to commute with most days.
the other thing is, you can't be in a rush with a single speed. so it usually only makes sense if you have a faster bike you can grab if you need to.
fixie makes sense if you need absolute simplicity and reliability or if you want a weird workout. that's about it.
My big wheel taught me when I was 4 that I don't want fixed gear. It delivered the message by way of my shins.
Riding fixed is only hard if you don't like it. I started riding fixed three months ago and have loved every minute of it since the moment I jumped in the saddle. I do run a front brake but only use it in emergencies because 95% of the time I can stop quickly by either backpedaling or skidding (seated). There's almost nothing to go wrong on a fixed gear and they require very little maintenance, which I think draws the messenger crowd. Right now they are so big because for some reason some kids somewhere thought it would be cool to ride bright colored bikes with no brakes.
Don't rule out fixed until you try it out, if you have been riding for a long time then you probably won't like it, if not then there may still be time for you to be saved. 
My commuter bike is fixie. It's not much slower than my geared road bike over the same 12 mile commute. On the former, I average 16-18mph. On the later, I average 18-20 mph. The geared bike is faster over a longer ride, but I don't race on the tarmac, so it's really a non-issue (and bth are way faster than my mountain bike). Much of the speed difference is tire selection - the fixie has heavy, fat touring tires - the gearie has lightweight, narrow training tires. The gearie also weighs a bit less - aluminum/carbon frame, lightweight wheels (vs steel frame and cheap wheels on the fixie).
Shins are a non-issue on an adult fixed gear bike - you're feet will be clipped in or strapped down.
I also rode a rigid, single-speed mountain bike for years. But, when I hit 30, my shoulder and wrists didn't like the pounding, so I bought a front suspension bike that also happened to have gears.
CrackMonkey wrote: Shins are a non-issue on an adult fixed gear bike - you're feet will be clipped in or strapped down.
I also can't ride a bike I'm stuck on. I've tried. Just feels too weird.
our local bike club (off road) has a few guys that roll fixie... the thought of it especialy off road freaks me out...
i want to go SS on my surly here soon... but no fixxie for me
Here's the best hipster/fixie spoof yet.. Fix push
Riding fixie is definitely a different experience, it's a love / hate thing.
I BMX'ed for 10 years, and could never get pass not coasting. Also fixies lack in ground clearence when turning, so be prepared to eat sh!t if you lean over too far.
My vote is for a single-speed, but you should really try them all out before you make a decision.
I built one. I rode it twice. I really see no reason for a fixie outside of the circus.
To each their own, and if you want to be different for sake of being different(just like all the other different people)then more power to you. To me, it just seems masochistic. You might as well ride around with no tires, or barefoot on platform pedals, eh but whatever. Maybe I'm just too old to get how cool it must be.
Monkeywrench wrote: Here's the best hipster/fixie spoof yet.. Fix push
I nearly pissed myself when I saw this via a skate site last year. Absolutely brilliant.
Fixed Mountainbike seems useless. I don't even understand singlespeed moutainbikes. I need me some gears if I'm going to climb.
If I ever upgrade my bicycle click-in pedals are definitely the next step. I rode in the rain today and it was terrible; my feet kept slipping off.
gamby wrote: Fixed Mountainbike seems useless. I don't even understand singlespeed moutainbikes. I need me some gears if I'm going to climb.
Yeah.. move to the low country. I have a 9 speed and geezzz.. I don't use but one or so...
gamby wrote: Fixed Mountainbike seems useless. I don't even understand singlespeed moutainbikes. I need me some gears if I'm going to climb.
Where do you live? Here in the mid-Atlantic, the terrain is rolling with not much in the way of sustained climbs until you get to the Blue Ridge. Single-speeds work very well here - you just have to learn to conserve momentum and pick good lines.
You'll need to log in to post.
