What are Fixie Bikes?
WHAT ARE FIXIE BIKES?
Fixie Bikes are a type of “single-gear bike,” a type of bicycle with a single gear ratio. There are two types of single-gear bikes; the standard single-gear bikes, and the Fixies. Standard single-gear bikes use a freewheel system, which means that they share a lot in common with the types of bikes you may be used to. Fixies, by contrast, utilize a “fixed cog” system, locking the wheel to the pedal. This means that only the crank gear engages the fixed cog mechanism, so less energy is lost to separate moving parts. It’s a subtle distinction, but one that’s quite evident when you’re behind the handlebars.
Single gear bikes do not need a derailleur or hub gearing; all they need is your feet on the pedals. What differentiates Fixie Bikes from run-of-the-mill Single Gear Bikes is a simple change that gives the bike a lot of versatility.
On a Fixie, the wheel can be locked to the pedal, “fixed” in place with a switch (or with the rear wheel flipped). The wheel turns and stops in direct relation to the pedal turning or stopping, offering a quick and steady acceleration from zero. This change makes Fixie Bikes both easy to pick up for beginners and rife with possibility for the intrepid adventurer.
Single Gear Bike's fixed-cog system make it the most simple and easy-to-handle bike.
The Single Gear Bike Trend
Whether you are brand new to the world of bikes, or you’ve been biking for as long as you can remember, you may already be fed-up with the boring design and complicated handles of multi-gear bicycles. Riding a bike should be breezy and fun. What could be less breezy than clicking through gear after gear in an attempt to find a comfortable amount of resistance?
As a Canadian living in the city, we are all too overwhelmed by the complexities of work, life, and everything crammed in between. All we want and need from life is simplicity. Riding a bike in the city, enjoying the breeze and the fresh air, requires no great amount of effort in learning to ride. It’s a simple pleasure that anyone can enjoy. Why bother learning how to shift gears and maintenance of the gear parts? Why worry about breaking your chain or your brakes or some other fiddly little gadget for changing gears in bad timing?
A single-speed bike may seem like a weird trend, suitable only for extreme enthusiasts. We don’t think that’s the case. The truth is, single gear bikes are tons of fun and have many advantages that multi-gear bikes don’t. Try one out; we’re sure you’ll love it.
Your Bike. Your Style.
Building your bike is half the fun. Your fixie bike can come with a wide variety of colourful parts and components, making for a striking vehicle all your own. You can choose the colour combination that matches and represents your character and style. Nothing is better than riding a unique bike on the street and receiving pedestrians' admiration.
Try it out!
Maintenance and changing parts for Single gear bikes are easy, and everyone can do it!
Photo Credit: Bike photo by pressfoto - freepik.com
We at xFixxi can do more than just fine-tune your bike. Other than changing the parts for you, we also teach you the skills and knowhow on how to do that fine-tuning yourself! Many of our customers love to change their parts, showing off their character and style throughout the year. Try it out! Fall in love with your own custom Fixie!
Your City Ride. Unlimited.
City ride requires frequent stopping and fast initial acceleration. A multi-gear bike is quite clumsy for most of the people to ride in the city, its many features and functions often surplus to requirement. After all, how often do you need to shift gears on a flat course?
Contrast this clumsiness with the elegance of the Fixie. For a typical combination, a fixie bike has a 2.875x gear ratio, with a 46-teeth paddling gear leading to a 16-teeth rear wheel gear. For non-gearheads, that means your bike is always in a fast-going mode!
It’s just as easy to stop on a Fixie as it is to build up speed. No fiddling with gears required; just squeeze the brake levers (or stop or backpedalling while in advanced “fixed” settings, or “Fixie Mode” as we like to call it), and you can go from quite fast to a smooth stop in seconds.
It may take some getting used to for cyclists more used to their gear-shifts, but the satisfaction of being able to slow down smoothly is definitely worth the adjustment.
Fixie Mode: Fix the gear & show off your skills
Skilled bike lovers can fall in love with fixie bikes in just one ride. The defining feature of a fixie bike is to fix (lock) the paddle with the rear wheel. With the lock in place, you will not be able to stop your bike with the hand brakes.
You will, however, still be able to brake. All it takes is your own two feet! To bring a Fixie to a smooth stop, simply slow down pedalling until you’ve reached a satisfactory stop. To make a hard stop, stop pedalling and lock your knees. Note, before you get used to the advanced skid-stopping, if you backpedal, it can give you a real hard and dangerous stop.
That sounds weird to most of the bike riders, however, with that setting, skilled bike lovers are able to play tons of tricks with their fixie bikes, like the signature skid-stop, jumping, one-wheel ride, and other such techniques.
This is our most beloved trick, and one you can pick up pretty quickly:
Can't wait to show off your skills? Build your tricks-enabled xFixxi Bike now, and hit the streets!