Max Riffner
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A Rambling Ex-Runner
Last year, I was running five miles every other day. Last night I drank three beers and watched EuroTrip on HBO.
The year of injury has been hard. Knowing I’ll probably never run again is harder.
Biking isn’t simple, not like running, you know? A bicycle has parts and helmets and shoes and padded shorts and expensive frames. Running, well, all you need is a good pair of shoes. That’s it. It doesn’t get much simpler than that.
As running isn’t an option, I’ve been trying without success to get interested in hopping on a bike. My brother gave me his old Trek 820, and I got it fixed and cleaned up. Now it just sits in the garage, waiting for me. Is it the fact that it isn’t simple enough for me? I ask that because in order for me to get into it, I have to own it; I have to know how to lube a chain and which lube to use at what temperature, or at least know where to find the information. And all of that knowledge is intimidating (though despite myself, I know exactly where to find the lube information). I’m learning more and more about the mechanics of it all, even while simultaneously not wanting to.
The last few days I’ve been reading of the virtues of a fixed gear bicycle. A fixed gear means that you have no gears save one, which means there is no coasting. You must pedal constantly. If you are really hardcore, you will have no brakes, either. Brakes complicate things, apparently. The danger involved already is appealing to me besides the utter lack of frills on a bike like this. How much more simple can you get? I thought I could build one, you know, for fun… the instructions are easy enough. I like to build things. However, I then started to think of how you would have to quickly, and with much strength, backpedal to come to a stop on a fixed gear. That couldn’t be good on your knees. Sure enough, a few more websites proved me correct.
I don’t need more injuries.
I may still build one, eventually, with brakes. I think the Chief said it best though when she told me, “you already have a bike.”
Maybe I just got to get in the habit doing something again?
Just shaming you into buying me beer :-)
I liked it, although Omaha is just way to hilly for it to be a street bike. Perfect for our evergrowing trail system though. I had a rear brake on mine and never faced any public ridicule. You do need to make a commitment to ride often if you go single because you’ll get out of shape quickly when you take extended time off from the bike. The multi-speed give you the advantage in that department.
I sold mine 4 years ago to get a road bike, which I then sold a couple years later because my mountain bike was getting way more use.
Wait, can’t you coast on a single? I know you can’t with fixed, but a singlespeed isn’t the same thing, right?
I was thinking that the fixed would be an awesome excercise bike on the trails (go figure since that is what they were built for originally) – but I’m thinking the Trek 820 will be my commuter bike if I ever get up the stones to get on it. That and the Taco Ride. That is definitely a fat tire ride, I’ve heard.
I’d like to get the Volpe for touring eventually. I would love to go on extended tours, but have the ability to go fast by taking the panniers off.
my single was fixed. I called it a single speed and no one ever dissed me for it. Maybe the purists out there differentiate, but I was happy to just call my fixed single speed a single speed.
I might still have my conversion instructions stashed in my tool box somewhere. I’d also loan you my workstand if you want to borrow it. (I believe is is this one)
I rode mine on the taco ride. but then again, mine was built from a mountain bike and I left the fatties on it, with street treads though.
With gas prices going the way they are going, I’ll likely be a 2-wheel commuter when my better half goes back to work from maternity leave.
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Mar 15, 05:38 AM
you will have no breaks, either. Breaks complicate things, apparently
I may still build one, eventually, with breaks
What is your fascination with breaks? I had a fixed gear rig a while back (modifed from a cannondal f400 frame with Bonty rims & pedals – which I hear is blasphemy) and I found I simply could not ride it all the time and needed to take breaks. Breaks for work, breaks to sleep, basically breaks anytime I didn’t want to ride it.