Fixed Gear 101
by Greg Goode

 

This is a set of introductory lessons on handling your first fixed-gear bike. No matter what style you ride, track, street, or offroad, these pointers will help.

These instructions unavoidably display the New York City background of my fixed-gear riding. NYC has its own fixed-gear bicycle culture. Messengers dart through Manhattan on their brakeless street-fixes, national-level track racers compete at Kissena Velodrome in Queens, road racers crank up their cadence on fixed training rides off season, and "Old Skool" track riders cruise the streets and gather in Central Park to muse about the beauties of their sport. The cycling culture in other locales will differ, but I hope you'll find the basic techniques helpful no matter where you ride.

Part One--Safety Measures
Part Two--Equipment
Part Three--Riding the Underside of the Pedals
Part Four--The Handlebar Mount
Part Five--The Handlebar Dismount
Part Six--Kicking In
Part Seven--Pedaling Technique
Part Eight--Riding Downhill
Part Nine--Slowing and Stopping!
Part Ten--Balance Drills
Part Eleven--Trackstands
Part Twelve--Emergency Stops
Tips and Links

 

Writer
Greg Goode lives and works in New York.

Date
v1.0 written July 2002

Related
Greg runs his own site, Old Skool Track, and writes on this site about chains.

Legal
As always, you ride your bike at your own risk. 63xc.com and Greg Goode will not be held liable for any damage or injury arising from use of these lessons.

©Greg Goode 2002

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