19 Sep 2008 15:16
andymakesglasses wrote: how can people only use one gear on bikes with 24+?
one low gear would leave me wanting to go faster all the time
one high gear would piss me off getting away slowly from traffic lights
you can choose your own gear. most people have a quite low midle gear. too low for me, but you get used to it. fixed gear bikes (rather than just any old single speed) do have some definite advantages over normal bikes, and once you are used to it, i think they are supposed to be more efficient in the end.
id be happy with a 3 gear bike, maybe 5
19 Sep 2008 15:16
if I didn't have brakes I would have had 3 (bad) crashes this week already, and that's "just" in Edinburgh, never mind London
19 Sep 2008 15:19
of course, a single front brake would do
Best
9900 posts since 21/10/05
19 Sep 2008 15:20
yeah but the purists like it simple, from what i've read its acceptable, just, to have an emergency front brake
i see the aesthetic appeal fixed gear bikes but i just don't see the point, im happy with my bmx
moog
577 posts since 18/3/07
19 Sep 2008 15:21
project skoolyard - £300 for a Charge Plug, retail is £400 but I got a oner off in the evans cycles mega sale because it had a few scratches on it. It's not a particularly light bike but it is bombproof, a new wheelset on it should make it bags lighter though if you really want a light bike.
Andy - I was always in top gear and you don't get away that slowly at the lights, just need to push a bit harder.
19 Sep 2008 15:28
moog wrote: just need to push a bit harder.
I'm aware of that

I just meant that when you have more than one gear why not use them? it's easier, more efficient, and gets you in front of the buses / cars quicker
berk
2118 posts since 24/3/08
19 Sep 2008 15:31
ooooooooo i love bikes ooooooo wankers
19 Sep 2008 15:32
get back in the drugs thread
19 Sep 2008 15:38
andymakesglasses wrote: I just meant that when you have more than one gear why not use them? it's easier, more efficient, and gets you in front of the buses / cars quicker 8
apparantely, on a fixed wheel bike you are forced to cycle better - more efficiently, using more of the stroke, and with a better cadence i suppose. as awkward as it feels, once you are used to it, its supposed to be better.
19 Sep 2008 15:47
when you're up and running it's more efficient, yes, but surely moving through the gears while moving off is a more efficient use of energy?
19 Sep 2008 15:50
moog wrote: project skoolyard - £300 for a Charge Plug, retail is £400 but I got a oner off in the evans cycles mega sale because it had a few scratches on it. It's not a particularly light bike but it is bombproof, a new wheelset on it should make it bags lighter though if you really want a light bike.
looks sweet as mate… will prob pick up one of these, did yours come with back brake as standard?
will prob get a re-spray, new wheels, handlebars and stuff…
out of interest anyone know the best place to sell a bike? apart from ebay….
19 Sep 2008 15:53
fixed is bollocks, it was just an extension of the singlespeed revolution that happened a few years ago, i rode singlespeed a few times on epic Peak district loops, while managable it was shit and hard work
gears are not for queers
seenmy
6627 posts since 17/6/06
19 Sep 2008 16:07
sell on gum tree i sold mine in like 10 mins on there a month ago
19 Sep 2008 16:08
i couldn't even ride a fixed up hampstead hill, what's the point of riding it in the peak district?!?!
project skool - take a few road bikes on a test drive, they can look as good as a fixed.. plus you're not limited on where you can go and what you can do. i bought a bad boy urban recently, shaved the handlebars down to 18", wacked some blue continental 4000s on them, sprayed the fizik seat cuffs and seat clamp and mudguard blue, put some blue odyssey pedals and blue grips on and it looks pretty bad ass if you ask me.
19 Sep 2008 16:10
so the back brake is pretty easy to take off then?
im just gunna put on a 1/2 meter handlebar…