Well, it means that the cog is directly tied to the motion of the pedals. Let me explain. Do you know that little gear thing attached to the back wheel? It has a bunch of ‘teeth’ on it and the chain rotates around it? That’s the cog. On a fixed-gear bike, that piece doesn’t have a bearing in it and it is fixed to the back wheel. Typically, these cogs would have a ball bearing system to allow the wheel to spin independently of the cog. On a fixed-gear bike, this isn’t so.
So, on our bikes, if you pedal forward, the bike moves forward. If you pedal backward, the bike moves backward. You might ask, why would I want to do something like that?
Well, riding a fixie has grown in popularity because of its fundamental simplicity. Let’s just say it would be tough to build a bike with fewer parts. You might know where I’m going with this, but fewer parts mean…lighter!
Fixed gear bikes are significantly lighter than 9-speed all-terrain bikes, etc. It’s not all for a show, either. Riding fixed allows you dramatically improved maneuverability. Riding fixed, in many people’s eyes, is the most fun part of their day. You feel attached to the bike (which you are, sort of). Since your pedals are directly tied to the movement of the wheels, you’re much more a part of the bicycle than you are on a single speed cruiser or something of the like.
Another advantage of riding a fixed gear bike, besides the increased maneuverability and lightness, is its efficiency. Fixed gear drivetrains are more mechanically efficient than any other bike, with the most direct power transfer from the rider to the wheels. Efficiency means energy and highly efficient means our bikes require less energy from you, the rider.
Some people may ask, why do we see a lot of fixies without brakes? Well, this goes straight back to the simplicity point. Our riders take their brakes off because they think it looks cooler. (It may look cooler, but safety should be a priority, dudes.) Also, since you’re directly connected to the drivetrain of the bicycle, you can stop the bike by resisting on the pedals. There are other methods of stopping, like skid-stopping. Care to learn? We’ve got a video for that – “How to stop your Fixie.”
Not comfortable riding in this ‘fixed gear’ mode? Not to worry. Our bikes feature a flip-flop hub. That means the bikes ship with the freewheel engaged. So, you can coast, freely. Also, all of our bikes ship with a front radius brake. If you’d like a rear brake, you can always add one to your order at the product page of any bike.
Maintaining a fixie is easy because it has so few parts. That and because we’re happy to help with any problems you may run into.