Why they 'feel' better

I found a really interesting link on fixed gear gallery. Maybe some of you have seen this...perhaps all of you have seen this, I would gather that most of the readers of this site also check FGG. Ether way, this is an artical discussing the physics of riding fixed. Now, I don't know all that much about classical phisics, I'm more of a quantum guy. But, I do know that John and I were on a ride today, both of us on a fixie, and about midway through we were passed by a dude on a pretty standard road bike while making a sustained push into a headwind. I was in the lead at this point, so I tucked in behind our 'benefactor'. After a mile, I slacked off a bit, but we still hung within twenty feet of the freewheeler. Coming back into Bozeman from the East on Frontage, there's a pretty good climb up what turns into Main Street. It was here that DNA and I blew past the guy on his high end carbon road bike using good old fashioned American muscle (just not the kind you find in a '69 Chevelle) and even though I was dying on the downhill, we never saw the guy again.

So when you reach into the quiver, remember, not only do you look like a badass on that fixie, but you have a ninja-like advantage as well because you and the bike have a spiritual connection not afforded by other 'technologies'. Also, the 'laws of physics' are on your side, although I'm not sure what advantage that is.

C-Note

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

wow, you guys are awesome.

SingletrackM1nd said...

If by awesome you mean complete nerds that care about the physics involved with riding bikes...then yes. I mean, you can lead a pig in sheep's clothing to water, but you'd just be putting lipstick on a sleeping dog...

Anonymous said...

Did he know where the finish line was?

"dominating the unwitting" as the sage says.

Mr DNA said...

Dear Anonymous 2:
I fear you're reading too much into the piece that C-note wrote. Dropping someone on a (very nice) geared road bike while riding a fixed gear is fun. If you read the article linked you'd get the point of this piece. Believe me, it takes a lot more than just dropping a guy to get us all geeked up.

[snark]Oh yeah, we'd a been a force to contend with on the Five Boro. Watch out next year![/snark]
I assume by sage you mean Bike Snob.

Anonymous said...

it is always a race right? i don't care if you are on a cruiser...if you are in front of me i am going to work to pass you. it is just more satisfying when i do it fixed without any lycra on.

SingletrackM1nd said...

it is always a race, and more importantly I don't care if I'm the one on a cruiser. But alas, to be redundant, that was not in fact the point. The point was to reiterate Mr Lee's complex physical explanation for the feel of a fixed gear with a real world anecdote.

Anonymous said...

Hi there,

Oh, that was you guys on the fixies that passed me the other day?

What you didn't mention in your post is that my 2.31653798 pound racing mo-sheen is equipped with a 49-57 up front and a block of 6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13 in the back.

I had just been motorpaced from Billings behind a FedEx truck. And as I pulled onto mainstreet (at a speed of 62.45643km/h) you can imagine my fatigue having left my drafting buddy on the highway only to encounter the slight rise into town.

Dropping below 61.45665 km/h I dumped the chain to my not as big ring for a cadence of 90 revolutions per hour.

So yes, this time you got me, but without my shaved eyebrows and rubberized skin suit, you guys would be no match for me when I'm going downhill. Behind a FedEx truck.

Mr DNA said...

What, you couldn't push that 57x6? Poseur.




Welcome to BZN. Hope ya have fun riding around!

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