So I just started riding a fixie bike. I’m dong this for a few reasons:
- I wanted a faster, easier commuter than my 36er uni, for at least some of the time.
- I’ve had my father’s 1979 all-chrome Japan-made Schwinn sitting in my garage with a worn-out drive train gathering dust for a long time, begging for attention.
- I had my third and final surgery to remove metal from my leg after breaking it last year, and the doctor told me I can ride a bike, but “nothing like rugby or similar impacts on the leg” for another 7 weeks. I’m not at all interested in re-injuring the leg, so 36er and muni aren’t happening for a while.
As I figured, all the stuff about how difficult and dangerous it is to ride a fixie really just doesn’t apply to a unicyclist. The fixie bike is pretty no brainer, it really is basically a geared up uni with a training wheel. But it is still fun. Nice advantages vs uni are speed and ability to clip in (yeah, I know people do it on unis, but not for me thanks). The fixie maintains some of the direct connection with the cycle that you get on a uni (but not as much as the fixie crowd make it out to be), and it’s pretty satisfying to zip past people on geared bikes.
So at the risk of being a traitor on this forum, I do recommend fixies to those who might want some variety in what they’re riding, and also a good switch out for commuting when more speed and less effort are desired.
). Tried going backwards once, almost fell, decided not to push it, particularly while I’m clipped in. Part of the point here is to avoid falling. 