We probably reached the zenith of fixed-gear culture and popularity in circa 2008, but here at BikeRadar, we remain ardent fans of the freewheel-free life.
Sure, the cool kids might have given up pretending to be couriers and gone bikepacking or riding gravel instead, but fixies still offer an irresistible draw for many.
Here are five reasons your next bike should be a fixie.
- Cycling's most hardcore bikes: buyer's guide to fixies and singlespeed bikes
- Riding a silly fixed gear gravel bike has given me unexpected freedom
1. Riding fixed makes you stronger
There’s no bailout gear on a fixie. If you want to get up a steep hill, you’re going to have to grit your teeth and get on with it – or walk.
Riding fixed will force you to work harder at times than you would on a geared bike, and you’ll get stronger and fitter as a result.
Pedalling at disgustingly low cadences as you try to crest a double-digit lump also requires a more forceful and dynamic pedalling style than a geared bike, possibly improving your overall strength. That's not to say fixed-gear gurning is a replacement for proper strength training, but it certainly doesn't hurt either.
2. Fixed feels like nothing else
There is something uniquely amusing (if occasionally alarming) in being bound to every turn of your wheels.
You may not find spiritual enlightenment on a fixie, but it is a very pure form of riding.
With only the murmuring buzz of tyres on smooth tarmac, the pleasant whirr of a well-maintained chain chittering over time-worn cogs, and the safe knowledge that you can't really go any faster even if you want to, riding fixed is oddly freeing.
3. Fixed teaches you new things
Want to ride down a big hill on a fixie? You’re going to have to keep up because coasting is not an option. Riding fixed forces you to adapt to riding at a huge range of cadences.
At the top end, it’s not impossible to hit 200rpm and a steep ascent can have you grinding down in the twenties – it's horrible and brilliant all at once.
We don’t endorse riding brakeless (because it’s exceptionally silly and very illegal), but you can certainly brake less on a fixie, modulating your speed with a bit of leg control. That sounds horrible, but trust us when we say it's satisfying.
You have to adapt your cornering style too, because leaning over too hard carries the risk of pedal strikes.
It’s sometimes claimed that riding fixed makes your pedal stroke smoother. We’re very sceptical about that – if anything, we’ve found the opposite – but the way you’re forced to keep your legs turning does give you a pleasant feeling of momentum.
It can feel as though there’s no dead spot in your pedalling because the motion of the bike pulls your feet over the top of the stroke. However, you'll be claiming otherwise as your knees scream for mercy when an unexpected rise appears around the corner of the climb you could have sworn was nearly over. We promise it's fun…
4. Fixies are pretty, tough and super-low maintenance
Fixies are perfect for riders who hate looking after their bikes. You still need to lube and tension your chain occasionally, but there are no gear cables and derailleurs to get gunked up or go out of adjustment, and there’s no vulnerable hanger to get bent at the bike racks.
The simplicity of a fixed-gear drivetrain can make for truly beautiful bicycles and they can be cheap to run, too. There aren’t many parts to wear out, so they’re perfect for commuting and winter riding.
As with anything in cycling, it's possible to spend fearsome amounts of cash on boutique fixed-gear components. However, as a general rule, consumables such as chains, cogs and chainrings are much cheaper than their geared equivalents.
5. Fixies are fun
Ignore all the nonsense about achieving bicycle zen and becoming one with your machine. It was rubbish back in 2008 and it’s rubbish now.
That doesn’t change the fact that riding fixed is a hell of a lot of fun.
Some days, gears are a godsend and freewheeling is where it’s at, but we love variety and the novelty of riding fixies has never worn off.
That's not just a view held by attention-seeking cycling journalists – "Fixed gear bikes are stupid and pointless, and I freaking love them", as one BikeRadar commenter succinctly put it.
You probably don’t want one as your only bike, but if your marriage to cycling is in trouble and you need to spice things up, climb aboard a fixie and glory in the absurdity of pedalling everywhere, all the time. Do a skid, get a knuckle tattoo, and party like it’s 2008 – you won't regret it.
