What is it like to ride a fixie?

The real joy of riding a fixie is the feeling of direct connection with the bike. There’s something almost mystical about being intimately connected to the transmission and rear wheel on a fixie. You’re physically engaged with the bike in a way that just doesn’t happen with a freewheel.

Is riding a fixie good training?

Fixed gear riding works three major aspects of your cycling abilities that are important to both road mountain riders: Endurance, Leg Speed/Efficiency, and Strength. Depending the length of your ride, you’ll get in a solid Endurance workout and work on your Muscular Endurance as well.

Are fixies hard on knees?

A fixie on the road should have brakes for safety reasons. If it doesn’t and you must slow or stop by resisting the crank with your legs, it puts a large strain on the knees. Too large a gear. If a fixed gear makes you muscle over hills with a cadence below 70 rpm, it’s hard on knees.

Does riding a fixie burn more calories?

though a hilly course would take longer on a fixie, so even if total calories burned were higher, calories/hr might not be that much more than on a geared bike.

Can you lose weight riding a single speed bike?

You’ll probably burn a few more calories in less time on a single speed, but if you can ride twice as long on a geared bike, the overall burn on single speed may actually be significantly less.

Is a fixie a bad idea?

To be sure, getting a fixie is a bad idea for many riders. Most people benefit from gears and the ability to coast while riding on long tours or commuting in cities with lots of hills. Riding a fixed-gear takes time to get used to. It’s also not for the out-of-shape, and if you have bad knees, riding fixed may make them worse.

Are fixed-gear bikes dangerous?

Your body and your riding technique stand in for the missing parts. Your legs are your gas and your brakes. You spin hard for speed, and resist the motion of the rotating cranks when you need to slow down. When you get tired, you can’t coast or shift to an easier gear. Skeptics see fixed-gear bikes as antiquated or dangerous.

What is a fixie bike?

A fixie is a bike without a freewheel—think: no coasting—that’s often ridden without brakes. It’s a simple concept that provokes some serious emotion in the cycling world: Bikers either love fixies or loathe them.