Rode the fixie home yesterday. When I left work it was 35C (95F) with a tail wind for ½ and a head/side wind for the other half. There’s something about riding a fixed gear bike that is beautiful. On the flats it seems easier than a geared bike. The pedals complete the circle without your force. Make spinning seem more nature and easy. Down hills aren’t too great. If I ran a brake it would be different. I can’t get going too fast, and must keep regulated back pressure on the cranks to maintain a sustainable speed. Spun up to 45kpm (27mph). Running 45/17 makes for about 127 rpm on the cranks. Maintained for several minutes, until the bumping out of the saddle was controlled. All legs. Good training. 
Hammered the hills. At the top of the 3rd and final big hill I had chills. Sign of heat exhaustion. Too bad my water was gone already. Still 12 miles to go. Eased up a bit for the rest. Average speed was 30.5kph or 19mph for the whole ride. Not bad for 26 miles on a fixie on one of the hottest days of the year so far.
I keep wondering why I don’t ride the fixie more, and after rides like yesterdays I really wonder. That’s it, more fixed gear for me. Wheels spin, legs must also. Need another gear up that hill? Forget about it. You’ve got no choice. Makes riding a lot easier. Less time thinking about the bike, the gears, etc, more time thinking about life, the beauty around you and the way you can feel your legs and lungs. There is beauty in riding a fixed gear bike.
Like that 2L pop bottle shrink-wrapped to the seat post? It's the new style. Or simply the makings of a wasp trap. Being as we drink zero soda in our house, I had to steal and empty from work to make the trap out of. Kind of got me thinking about home made hydration systems though. Especially after my camel back ran dry.
Hammered the hills. At the top of the 3rd and final big hill I had chills. Sign of heat exhaustion. Too bad my water was gone already. Still 12 miles to go. Eased up a bit for the rest. Average speed was 30.5kph or 19mph for the whole ride. Not bad for 26 miles on a fixie on one of the hottest days of the year so far.
I keep wondering why I don’t ride the fixie more, and after rides like yesterdays I really wonder. That’s it, more fixed gear for me. Wheels spin, legs must also. Need another gear up that hill? Forget about it. You’ve got no choice. Makes riding a lot easier. Less time thinking about the bike, the gears, etc, more time thinking about life, the beauty around you and the way you can feel your legs and lungs. There is beauty in riding a fixed gear bike. 
Like that 2L pop bottle shrink-wrapped to the seat post? It's the new style. Or simply the makings of a wasp trap. Being as we drink zero soda in our house, I had to steal and empty from work to make the trap out of. Kind of got me thinking about home made hydration systems though. Especially after my camel back ran dry.
2 comments:
I have a hard time putting the feeling I get on my fixie into words to non-fixie riders, but you got it right in this post.
Thanks Doug. Even when words try to come close, it's still better, deeper than words can really say. Just have to try it to know. Cheers.
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