San francisco fixed gear

Surprisingly, an idea to ride in San Francisco spontaneously spawned and I wanted to keep to my word. So I purposely cancelled my precious weekend sleep-in time on Saturday, dusted off my bike, and took the BART up to the city with a buddy. This was the first time in a while I threw my leg over the bike, and the first time in a very long while that I participated in a ride of a sizable magnitude.

We got off the Embarcadero station and rode along the Piers up to the Golden Gate Bridge, through the bluffs, and down into Ocean Beach in the Sunset district to meet up with the rest of the party. There were moments when I felt cold, but that was not my main concern.

It was after… when I realized the back of my shoulders and arms were devastated by the mostly cloud-shrouded sun. Oh well, the ride was worth it and I hope to repeat it again, but with better preparation. San Francisco is too scenic to ignore. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Search Search for:. Some, like this rider are so skilled they can balance in place and slow and stop even without brakes.

What's more, because fixed-gear bicycles, and those who ride them, tend to be quirky and unique, this trendy type of cycling has taken on a fun countercultural aspect. But remember, anyone can have fun on a fixie. You don't have to be a tattooed bike messenger to enjoy and appreciate the ride though, if you are, so much the better! Track versus road fixies Many people think of fixed-gear bikes and track bikes as the same, but they aren't.

Track bicycles image, left are designed for use on velodromes indoor and outdoor oval bicycle tracks designed for racing.

They do not have brakes because they aren't necessary due to the uniform direction of travel, lack of corners and the fact that no one can stop any faster than you can.

In fact, most velodromes forbid the use of brakes for safety. Because velodrome surfaces are usually super smooth and uniform and because the racing events are usually fast and demanding, track bicycles boast frames that are built quite stiff for maximum efficiency.

Plus, to promote better high-speed handling, the track bike's frame geometry is tighter and more race-oriented. While some fixie fanatics prefer to ride track bikes on the street, especially those who are or were into track racing, it's generally not the best option for real-world fixed-gear riding due to the unforgiving stiff ride and lightning-quick handling, which respectively, beats you up a bit and forces you to pay close attention when riding. A better choice for most riders are fixies designed for the street, such as the ones we sell keep in mind that we can easily convert any fixie to allow coasting should you prefer that option.

It's also possible to build your own fixie starting with a bike with standard road geometry and clearance for wide tires and even fenders. These rigs are available complete and can be built from older road bikes, too. We carry a full assortment of components and accessories and can help you with advice and the right parts should you want to take this approach.

Only one gear? Which one?! Since there's only one gear on a fixie, choosing the best one is important. You'll need to weigh how you like to pedal how fast you pedal , where you enjoy riding the hills or flats, or both , and have a feeling for how fit you are stronger riders can handle higher gears and vice versa.

Another way to determine which gear to use is to select one that is easy enough to get you up the hills you need to climb yet one not so easy that you lose control on the way down.

When you buy a new fixie we can help you choose the perfect gear. And, you'll have the opportunity to ride the bike and feel if it's right for your fitness, terrain and needs.

Hub hubbub One of the most important parts of any fixie is the rear hub. It's a bit of a special animal that incorporates two opposing sets of threads on the right side, one for the fixed cog and one for the lockring. Some hubs have two sets of these opposing threads or standard freewheel threads on the left side so that you can install a different-size cog on the other side, or a one-speed freewheel to that side. This allows flipping the wheel around in the frame to change the gear or allow the bike to coast.

An interesting detail of fixie rear hubs is that they usually feature threaded axles and high-quality threaded axle nuts rather than the quick releases you see on standard road and mountain bikes. This is because most fixies feature horizontal dropouts on the frame, which make chain tensioning possible, but also don't lock the rear wheel in one position.

The threaded axle and nuts are necessary to prevent the wheel from changing positions under the additional torque on the rear wheel and drivetrain of fixed-gear riding. Do I need a special chain? So, these are more frequently used on fixies.

They're lighter, too. What frame to use? You can convert any frame to fixed-gear use providing that it has horizontal dropouts because these are essential for tensioning the chain. These adjustable dropouts were common on steel road bicycles built around 10 to 20 years ago and more. And, as a bonus, these stalwart steeds of yore were typically hand brazed of great-riding quality steel tubing and used attractive lugs to join the tubes. If you can find a fine second-hand road frame or bicycle like this, it's a great place to start your fixie project.