WHY RIDE FIXED? 10 GOOD REASONS

1. Less is more

Riding fixed puts you into direct contact with the bike. To go faster, you pedal faster. To brake, you pull up on the clips. To climb, you stand on the pedals and push. When you've only got one gear, you learn to work it ten different ways. 

2. Quality where you want it

Half the price of a new multispeed goes on bits. When you buy a fix, you put your money where you can see and feel it: frame, wheels, bars, saddle. Pick the components you really want. Likely the total package will still cost less than your old gearie. 

3. Fitness

You can't just sit there and pedal. A fix takes more--especially at the start. Pulling on the pedals and out-of-the-saddle climbs will exercise muscles you might have forgotten about. A daily fixed commute is a great workout! 

4. Zero maintenance

A fix is always ready to go. Maintenance means pumping the tyres, keeping the chain oiled and tight, and replacing sprockets as they wear. Five minutes a week should do it. 

5. Control

Skidded recently? Nine times out of ten, it was because something shocked you and you grabbed the brakes. On a fix, you do most of your braking through the pedals. It's hard to lock the wheel up that way. Skids are unusual. 

6. A fix is forever

Fixed gear bikes are highly evolved. They hardly change from year to year, or from decade to decade. Why do you think so many couriers use them to earn a living? A fix is yours for life, if you want it. 

7. Spin

You get smoothness from coping with long downhills. You learn to power every part of the stroke to keep from wearing out one group of muscles. A fixer gets a good spin: it's part of the package. 

8. Winter

Fixes hate to skid, and their transmissions are unaffected by cold and damp. Constant pedalling keeps you toastie warm. A strong fixed gear bike is your best winter mount. 

9. Pose quotient

Strange but true: a fix has more 'wow' factor than any other bike. Try it if you don't believe us. 

10. Fun

Lots. Really. A multispeed makes you into an engine. A fix lets you be yourself. It just feels better.

F.A.Q

Starting from scratch

If you are really starting from scratch, buy a dedicated fixed gear frame. Read up on gear ratio's for your style and area, LFGSS and Sheldon Brown should keep you busy. You need to find the right hub and find a local bike shop you trust to do the build, you'll be on the road in no time.  

Can my current bike become fixed? 

Yes. With the right cassette conversion kit or hub (latter preferred) An old 10spd is a classic choice. A fixed gear MTB makes a bombproof all-weather commuter. We even know of fixed gear recumbents. Use your imagination! But it's true that some bikes are better suited than others to fixing. You really want a frame with horizontal dropouts, not the vertical ones that you find on most modern multispeeds. That's because you need to be able to slide the rear wheel to snug up the chain   

My Bike has Vertical dropouts can i fix it anyway? 

Yes. At your own risk, you can do a bodge known in the trade as magic gear. There's a How To on 63xc.com, though we don't recommend it. A better approach is to install a so-called eccentric hub like the White ENO, which is a Hubjub stock item

Anything else I need to know?

Well, on a fixed gear bike, you want good chainline--that is, you want the chainring and the sprocket to line up neatly. Perfect chainline may not be achievable with your old multispeed chainset--although a replacement bottom bracket sometimes helps.