I had to retire from competitive racing last Fall. Since then, other than on the trainer, I have only ridden my Kestrel road bike 1 time on the road. I have been out since then, including during the Winter, mostly on my fixed gear bike.
I’m actually considering selling the Kestrel to fund a really nice, really light Fixie (Wabi Bikes). Could you live with just a fixie if no racing?
Live with it? Sure.
Enjoy it? Probably not.
No, just got one, don’t love it…yet
.
No more racing != no more joy with my bike.
So survive: yes. Enjoy? Big No.
To me “Fixies” or “Single Speeds” on the road = castrated bikes.
Maybe an age thing, I dunno…
I don’t understand the question.
I would race said Fixie at the velodrome and probably have way way more success than I do at endurance racing.
heh
I can’t race anymore = can’t ride my road bike fast = don’t like riding my road bike slow = might as well tool around on a fixie to get exercise
.
I can’t race anymore = can’t ride my road bike fast = don’t like riding my road bike slow = might as well tool around on a fixie to get exercise
I think you just answered your own question…
I can’t race anymore = can’t ride my road bike fast = don’t like riding my road bike slow = might as well tool around on a fixie to get exercise
ah … so it’s an excuse you can use when your old roadie 'mates pass you on the road. “I’d ride with you except I’m on the fixie”. Good plan!
I could yes, but would not want to do a lot of hilly rides even if just tooling around
.
I can’t race anymore = can’t ride my road bike fast = don’t like riding my road bike slow = might as well tool around on a fixie to get exercise
I’d go single speed personally.
Actually not even that, too hilly here.
I’d just use a road bike =)
i did it for a while when i didn’t have a roadie. its fun, i liked it. but after a few weeks, I got burned out.
around here, 10 miles = 1k of climbing and no climb is more than 4 minutes. so i was able to keep up on the uphills but would get dropped on the downhills. working hard on the flats and uphills to catch back on to riding buddies made every ride a huge effort. i couldnt do that all the time.
You can survive without gears for 2-3 days.
Yes. That is one of my tri “retirement” scenarios. Get a single speed cross bike for commuting and weekend riding mainly on multiuse paths but also on dirt/gravel roads and the occasional trail.
Absolutely, and happily. My mountain bike is a single speed, commuter is a fixed gear, I train and race on an aging road bike. I definitely have the most fun on the single speed and fixed gear but the best quality training is miles spent on the road bike.
When I ride with D’Wife, I hardly shift at all, so … I certainly could
Of course, South Jersey is* not *very challenging, topographically
Go for it. Fixies are great. That’s all I ride apart from training/racing.
Of course, if I had the dough, I could just as easily go the other way and get one of everything…
Eitehr way get rid of the Kestrel and get something worth riding.
I had to retire from competitive racing last Fall. Since then, other than on the trainer, I have only ridden my Kestrel road bike 1 time on the road. I have been out since then, including during the Winter, mostly on my fixed gear bike.
I’m actually considering selling the Kestrel to fund a really nice, really light Fixie (Wabi Bikes). Could you live with just a fixie if no racing?
Mmm…no, because the requisite garb for riding a fixie properly just looks ridiculous.
John
My ss MTB 29er and ss CX bikes are my two favorite bikes to ride.
Definitely. Sold my car and all my bikes to pay for grad school and just bought a steel single speed (tried a fixie, but I can’t stand having to time the pedal stroke going around corners). I’ve been commuting on that beater single speed for years, and only recently bought a car and started adding more bikes as I decided to start racing.
Other than cleaning the chain, there’s minimal maintenance. No gears to worry about, and I don’t run quick releases on the wheels so I don’t worry when I lock it up.
Nope. There are hills all over here. Short steep hills. I live on a hill. Every ride ends with a 2 or 3 mile climb back home. Also, I like to push big gear when I’m in the flats. There I’d be spinning out a fixie. So no way that would work for me.