Fixie debut

Got the fixie back last night and took it out for a little cruise. I thought I would share a couple of observations.

You don't know how much you coast until you have a fixed gear bike. When I was approaching the end of the driveway, approaching a stop sign, moving my hands on the handlebar, signaling a turn, slowing down, drinking water are all times I would normally coast but I can't anymore. I didn't really think I coasted that much. It's interesting having to relearn how to do these things while still pedaling and not make a spectacular show hitting the pavement.

I LOVE the simplicity of the bike and how quiet it is. I was churning away down the road last night and I couldn't hear anything but the wind in my ears. That is a really nice feeling, and it's totally intoxicating. Way better than hearing a noisy derallier (sp??).

The hills will be a little challenging but not as hard as I expected. I ended up with a 40-16 ratio on the bike and I think it was about right for my legs, terrain and total bike weight (including fatty). I haven't tried any really killer hills yet, and I expect I won't be able to climb some for quite a while, but for my commute I think I picked the right gears.

Braking with the pedals is much more difficult than I expected. Those pedals just do not want to stop. I'm glad I left both sets of brakes on. Right now it's easiest to use both brakes to slow down while I also lightly push back on the pedals. Hopefully I'll get better at this so I can use less braking but for now that's what works.

If you don't have one you should get one. It is like a totally new biking experience.

FGLB