I’m in Sydney Australia and looking for a commuter. I am lusting after the 2006 Bianchi San Jose, but was wondering if reality might teach me a hard lesson. $700 is not much of a school fee to pay, but am I crazy?
I’d say get it. What’s the worst that can happen, you have to stand for a few hills?
Just be happy you live in Australia and not the U.S.
I just got back from my ride and it sucked. Last mile we cool down on a little side street with no traffic. Some ladys dog bites me and she tells me not to cycle on her street. I know there are assholes everywhere, but I think I live right next to the factory that makes them.
Now you post and I remember when I backpacked through Fiji, NZ and AUS for six months in 1991. Good times. Sorry to rant on your post.
Go buy your bike and have fun.
ha ha ha 45x16 Today we had wind 20 plus mph . Tough on a ss.Just like a paper route bike. ha ha
Thom
I’ve got an old bike in the garage… It’s not in great shape such tht I’d want to ride it regularly (i.e.: as a winter bike) but maybe setting it up as a s/s… yeah… I bet I could do that pretty easy. Any tips?
Well, plenty of SF messengers ride fixies around town.
Ditto here in Vancouver, lots of s/s and lots of fixies.
talk to Khai he rides a fixe, or just take it to Might Riders on Broadway they do a lot of messenger bikes and the like.
Yeah not sure if I want to go full fixie, save that for the track, but single speed might be ok…
Thanks for all the advice - I’m going to bite the bullet, suck it up, and get the single-speed. I’ll leave the fixed-gear bikes to the nutcase couriers.
Oh, I feel a STer meet at Burnaby in the making!
Forgive me for asking the dumb question, but what is the difference between a fixed gear and a single speed. Is it just the presence of brakes on a ss?
A singlespeed can coast, a fixed gear is exactly that - fixed. So if you want to stop pedaling on a fixie, you get a “kick” from the pedals to remind you that that is unacceptable behavior. Not a big deal until you a) go down a steep hill or b) bonk on a long ride and want to coast to recover. Its a nervous kind of fun.
Basically on the fixie, you have to apply backwards pressure when descending or stopping (if you didn’t install brakes. So yes, one difference is that a SS requires brakes (unless you plan on ejecting each time, which I’m sure some people might see as enjoyable). A fixie does not, but its often a good idea with at least a front brake, especially if you ride in NYC like me sometimes and require quick stopping power. Its a hoot.
Just get a smaller ring. I have a 42x17 on my fixie and its pretty good on most hills. You’ll definitely stand a lot more than you normally do on climbs regardless.
Man, when I read you had a 45 I just winced. Ouch. No wonder you’re climbing so well when unleashed on the Rex.
Set it up for one side fixed the other side free. I just have a old 5 speed wheel with a 17 track gear insted of the free wheel. I redished the wheel per the Sheldon Brown web site. Cheep and fun
Set it up for one side fixed the other side free. I just have a old 5 speed wheel with a 17 track gear insted of the free wheel. I redished the wheel per the Sheldon Brown web site. Cheep and fun
That’s the ticket. I got a wheel with a flip flop hub from Sheldon with a 17 tooth freewheel and a 16 tooth fixed cog. I commuted for a while on the 42x16 fixed but I have fairly long 7-10% downhills in both directions (and uphills, no it’s not all downhill both ways you smartasses 
and the descending wasn’t too fun, I was riding the brakes a lot, so for quite a while I have just been using the single speed side. I tell myself that I’ll do some weekend rides with the fixed side, but it’s rare that I actually get around to that.
Hey bonehead-
Did you hear what the guy named damn lucky did when he read that most accidents happen within 5 miles of the home? He moved.