The Trendy Fixie Bike

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Trendy, flashy bright colored bikes called fixies are the go to bike for urban bikers. Fixies are known for their simplicity, look and lightweight. Of course, having flashy bright colors does not make one bike a fixie. Fixie is short for fixed-gear bike which does not have the drivetrain and a free wheel that a normal bike has. Because of this, on a fixie bike you have to keep pedaling in order to move forward and cannot coast it or, move without applying power.

Fixies are simple and lightweight because the usual components of a normal bike are stripped away, even the brakes, bringing us back to the first generation of bikes. Most bikers choose fixie because of their minimalistic look. Having fewer parts allows a fixie bike to be cheaper with relatively low maintenance. However, the general price matters on how you customize your bike such as frame, handle bars, gear speed, saddle, stickers, cranks and wheels. You can buy a premade but many bike lovers choose to have their own unique style. And because fixies have a single gear choosing the right speed is important.

Some bikers prefer to not have handbrakes as it ruins the simplicity and the brake cables make some tricks such as spinning the front wheel not possible. Handbrakes are not necessary for fixie bikes because there is another method to stopping. For fixie the pedals are directly connected to the rear wheel. As a result holding the pedals in place will put the bike to a stop while pedaling backwards will reverse the bike. Though, in some countries handbrakes are required due to the law.

Many people like fixies because of their ability to maintain speed, energy efficiency and are pretty enjoyable to ride. Using a fixie bike, one could go from stop to start with minimal effort which is great for urban bikers against street traffic. It’s also great for flat lands. Riders comment about having a smooth feeling and control over the bike when riding. Riding fixie is also an extra work out because you need to exert yourself just to maintain speed.

A multiple gear bike would easily out race a fixie in the long run. But even so, a special type of fixed gear called the track bike is the type used in indoor biking competitions called velodromes that has a banked track.

To summarize, a fixie bike is a bike with a single gear, no drivetrain, no free wheel and most times no brakes. Great for flatlands and cities and are fun to try out.

http://bicyclehabitat.com/buyers-guides/buyers-guide-to-fixed-gear-bikes-pg606.htm

http://www.halfords.com/advice/cycling/expert-advice/what-are-fixie-bikes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed-gear_bicycle