Cycling tips – Fixed Gear Bikes

The first or training bike for most of us is a track bike or a fixie. It is such a bike, which has a fixed gear; the real wheel and the pedals spin at precisely the same speed. You cannot expect to coast on a fixed gear bike.

According to the cycling tips by various experts, it is ideal for smooth terrains – the ones where you would not require using gears. When you get accustomed to riding different types of terrain on your fixed gear bike, you will probably develop quite a lot of stamina, riding strength and a stable technique.

Selecting Gear

Before riding the bike on a mountain or other terrain, you have to choose the gear in advance. The choice of a gear on steep areas must be such that you can not only pedal uphill with ease, but also come down the hill without becoming uncomfortably quick. Your pedaling rhythm will improve by selecting a lighter gear on the road. Using a heavier gear will certainly increase your leg strength. One of the useful cycling tips is to get in a heavier gear when going through a busy road, or one with heavy traffic, as the fast speed will allow you to pass quickly between traffic.

Grip and Turning Agility

Try not to scrape your pedals, as you make corners. One of the important cycling tips is not to lean through corners by making wider arcs when you take a U-turn. Whenever you take a turn, or a bump comes in, try to absorb the impact with your knees by lifting yourself off the saddle, and shifting the weight to the pedal. This way you hover an inch above the seat, and not only protect the saddle from breaking, but also avoid pelvic injuries.

Pushing the Breaks

One of the common cycling tips which come in handy when stopping a fixed gear bike is to lock up the rear wheel. This technique saves you, if your breaks fail, and would help in avoid skidding. The simplest way to achieve this is to back pedal. Pressing down on the back pedal will prevent the rear wheel from spinning. The track stand technique requires you to apply increased downward pressure to the rear and front tires. This method can help you balance at a standstill. This way you would save yourself from clipping in, and you would not have to reposition the pedals. The ideal way is to lift the rear wheel off the ground when on a standstill, and use one foot to spin the pedals.

Precautions:

Proper Brakes

You need to have both the front and back brake on your track bike, as it is definitely one of the cycling tips, which come in handy. Many riders do not have a front brake on such bikes, and this is not the ideal safety precaution, as this could prove to be really dangerous. A bike without proper brakes is not street legal.

Horizontal Dropouts

The groove of the bike, with which the back axle is mounted, should have horizontal dropouts. It is one of the most important cycling tips, as having horizontal dropouts would prevent your wheel from completely coming off the bike in the case of a skid. The horizontal dropouts allow you to have the proper chain tension on the bike.

Toe Clips

An important tip is to use toe clips, which help keep your feet in proper position with the pedals.

Tight Pants

One should avoid wearing such clothes, which are tangled in the bike’s chain. Cycling tips requires you to wear proper pants, and to fasten a guard or a partition, which prevents contact between clothes and the chain.