Fixie back to Geared

Mr. Skeffington

Question in relation to going back on my normal geared road bike after cycling a fixie for a few months. Just wondering if anyone else had the same experience.

Bought a fixie about 3 months ago and found it quite unusual at the start but got the swing of it after 2 - 3 weeks and I really enjoy cycling it now. I take it all the time over my regular geared road bike.

So I decided to take my normal bike out a few days ago as I didnt want it to feel neglected but I had a very unusual feeling when I was riding it after being on the fixie for so long. The only way I could explain it is that when I was pedalling the bottom bracket felt like it was siezing up at the lowest point of my pedal stroke, has anyone else had a similar sensation when going back to a normal bike from a fixie.

niceonetom

Mr. Skeffington wrote: »

So I decided to take my normal bike out a few days ago as I didnt want it to feel neglected but I had a very unusual feeling when I was riding it after being on the fixie for so long. The only way I could explain it is that when I was pedalling the bottom bracket felt like it was siezing up at the lowest point of my pedal stroke, has anyone else had a similar sensation when going back to a normal bike from a fixie.

i know exactly what you're talking about. switching between fixed and free is bloody unnerving. i find that fixed to free is much stranger than the other way around. my first thought as i coast for the first time in months in generally, "oh no, i've broken the chain, and now i'm fúcked...:eek:" then "oh wait, i have proper brakes now, i'm ok :cool:".

at the bottom of each stroke there is a 'dead spot' where the cranks are totally vertical. on a fixie the momentum of the rear wheel powers the cranks through this so it's basically imperceptible. with a freewheel the wheel doesn't power the cranks at all (obviously) so that 'dead spot' is left entirely to your legs to deal with.

TinyExplosions

I too know the feeling... switched my Paddy Wagon from fixed to SS the other day, and the first time out felt so weird to freewheel... muscle memory is a weird thing

Itsfixed

I'm in an interesting situation where I cycle to my local train station on my singlespeed bike, get the train to heuston, then cycle my fixie to work in Ranelagh. when I first started this, the transition between the two bikes was a bit funny alright although I wouldn't have been able to put my finger on why it was so strange in quite the eloquent way that niceonetom has just done. So nice one, er...tom It makes complete sense now.

unionman

Well explained niceonetom.

Yeah, it's weird getting back on a geared bike. I got rid of mine shortly after my fixed conversion, and my flipflop hub is banjaxed on the freewheel side (ball bearings all over the M7, long story), so I'm proper 'fixed' now.

fish-head

I find the best way to get over it is to not switch back at all!