Fixies?

Papa Tom wrote:

When I had my bicycle recycling program, we used to come
across tons of these [Sturmey Archer 3-speed hubs]. *The
hubs always seemed to be in good shape, but the cables
and adjuster screws were always rusted beyond the salvage
point. *I'd usually end up switching the hub to a comfortable
gear and giving the bike away as a single speed.

Was there something about the material used to produce
the cables and adjustment barrels that caused them to rust
easily?

They were made of steel. They rusted not because they were made of
steel, but because people left them sitting out in the weather for
years with no maintenance whatsoever.

Chalo

Chalo wrote:
[...]
Fixed gearing, though, is like manual spark advance on cars-- there
were good reasons that it was superseded a long time ago, and there
are no good reasons to consider bringing it back. [...]

Coaster wrote:
So why Sturmey-Archer/Sunrise does not think so, and is going to
introduce S3X Fixed Gear 3 Speed hub?http://tinyurl.com/cf73n6
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++
"More experienced cyclists learn to "get light"
for a fraction of a second while going over rough
patches; newbies tend to sit harder on the saddle,
increasing the risk of pinch flats."
Sheldon Brown: 1944 - 2008
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++

wrote:
Other than the non coasting fixed gear aspect, which I am not fond of
anyway, how does this contraption differ from the 3 speed internal
hubs that have been produced for about 60 years now? Has Sturmey
identified another dumber than a rock group to relieve of some of
their excess money?


Sturmey produced the fixed three model ASC gearbox in the late
forties/early fifties. Its reputation is probably more glowing than the
actual product (one of which I happen to own) warrants.

No one knows what the sales potential for the redesigned model will be
which I suspect is why they are a few years late on delivery. (is there
demand for these features? or only the coffee shop bragging rights? what
is either worth? who knows?)


--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Mar 2, 4:33*pm, A Muzi wrote:

No one knows what the sales potential for the redesigned
model will be which I suspect is why they are a few years
late on delivery. (is there demand for these features?
or only the coffee shop bragging rights? what is either
worth? who knows?)

Maybe this hub will be coveted 50 years from now,
as a model that had only been produced for a short time.

In any case, this new one has ratios 62.5%, 75%, 100%,
and the fixed-gear ASC was 75%, 90%, 100%.

Tom Ace

On 2009-03-03, A Muzi wrote:

No one knows what the sales potential for the redesigned model will be
which I suspect is why they are a few years late on delivery. (is there
demand for these features? or only the coffee shop bragging rights? what
is either worth? who knows?)

Coffee shop bragging rights have allowed companies like Rapha to
flourish, and have given the NJS moniker a new raison d'etre, so Sturmey
Archer has that to bank on at least... :-)

--

John )

In article , Papa Tom says...

I just got the new Nashbar catalogue, which appears to be pushing fixed gear
bikes as the hot new technology.

First of all, is a "fixed gear" bike the same as a "single-speed" bike?

Next, is anybody out there riding one of these? If so, what's your feeling
about using one for a moderately hilly area with only moderately strong,
46-year old legs? I've got some old single-speed cruisers around that serve
me fairly well for riding around the block. I wouldn't take one much beyond
that, though.

Are the new fixed gear bikes anything more than glorified beach cruisers?




There's an interesting four page article today in the Washington Post on fixies:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...092703241.html

Is it just me or are these people nuts?

elfa

elfa wrote:
In article , Papa Tom says...
I just got the new Nashbar catalogue, which appears to be pushing fixed gear
bikes as the hot new technology.

First of all, is a "fixed gear" bike the same as a "single-speed" bike?

Next, is anybody out there riding one of these? If so, what's your feeling
about using one for a moderately hilly area with only moderately strong,
46-year old legs? I've got some old single-speed cruisers around that serve
me fairly well for riding around the block. I wouldn't take one much beyond
that, though.

Are the new fixed gear bikes anything more than glorified beach cruisers?




There's an interesting four page article today in the Washington Post on fixies:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...092703241.html

Is it just me or are these people nuts?

elfa


A single speed may or may not be a fixie. A fixie is a single speed
(unless you have multiple cogs, or a flip flop hub, but you still can't
shift on the go, you have to stop and move the chain and rear wheel.)
There are single speed freewheels, so you can have a single speed bike
that coasts.

I don't know about nuts, but I don't see the appeal. I think it'd be
fun to ride one for a while, but not enough for me to actually go to the
effort of building one. Of course, I might change my opinion if someone
lent me one and I found it was more fun than I anticipate it to be.

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

Papa Tom says...
I just got the new Nashbar catalogue, which appears to be pushing
fixed gear
bikes as the hot new technology.
First of all, is a "fixed gear" bike the same as a "single-speed" bike?
Next, is anybody out there riding one of these? If so, what's your
feeling
about using one for a moderately hilly area with only moderately strong,
46-year old legs? I've got some old single-speed cruisers around
that serve
me fairly well for riding around the block. I wouldn't take one much
beyond
that, though.
Are the new fixed gear bikes anything more than glorified beach
cruisers?

elfa wrote:
There's an interesting four page article today in the Washington Post
on fixies:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...092703241.html
Is it just me or are these people nuts?

Nate Nagel wrote:
A single speed may or may not be a fixie. A fixie is a single speed
(unless you have multiple cogs, or a flip flop hub, but you still can't
shift on the go, you have to stop and move the chain and rear wheel.)
There are single speed freewheels, so you can have a single speed bike
that coasts.
I don't know about nuts, but I don't see the appeal. I think it'd be
fun to ride one for a while, but not enough for me to actually go to the
effort of building one. Of course, I might change my opinion if someone
lent me one and I found it was more fun than I anticipate it to be.

After a few years of watching your beloved bicycle slowly
rust to a pile of crap despite endless hours of maintenance,
building a basic fixie may have more appeal for you.
Handling/control in salt slush is better, too.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

In article , AMuzi says...

Papa Tom says...
I just got the new Nashbar catalogue, which appears to be pushing
fixed gear
bikes as the hot new technology.
First of all, is a "fixed gear" bike the same as a "single-speed" bike?
Next, is anybody out there riding one of these? If so, what's your
feeling
about using one for a moderately hilly area with only moderately strong,
46-year old legs? I've got some old single-speed cruisers around
that serve
me fairly well for riding around the block. I wouldn't take one much
beyond
that, though.
Are the new fixed gear bikes anything more than glorified beach
cruisers?

elfa wrote:
There's an interesting four page article today in the Washington Post
on fixies:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...092703241.html
Is it just me or are these people nuts?

Nate Nagel wrote:
A single speed may or may not be a fixie. A fixie is a single speed
(unless you have multiple cogs, or a flip flop hub, but you still can't
shift on the go, you have to stop and move the chain and rear wheel.)
There are single speed freewheels, so you can have a single speed bike
that coasts.
I don't know about nuts, but I don't see the appeal. I think it'd be
fun to ride one for a while, but not enough for me to actually go to the
effort of building one. Of course, I might change my opinion if someone
lent me one and I found it was more fun than I anticipate it to be.

After a few years of watching your beloved bicycle slowly
rust to a pile of crap despite endless hours of maintenance,
building a basic fixie may have more appeal for you.
Handling/control in salt slush is better, too.


What I don't understand is the appeal of NO BREAKS (for some) and no
freewheeling. It must be a Zen thing.

http://gawker.com/5369578/real-newsp...ars-these-days
---pic

On 28 Sep, 23:33, elfa wrote:
In article , Papa Tom says...



I just got the new Nashbar catalogue, which appears to be pushing fixed gear
bikes as the hot new technology.

First of all, is a "fixed gear" bike the same as a "single-speed" bike?

Next, is anybody out there riding one of these? *If so, what's your feeling
about using one for a moderately hilly area with only moderately strong,
46-year old legs? *I've got some old single-speed cruisers around that serve
me fairly well for riding around the block. *I wouldn't take one much beyond
that, though.

Are the new fixed gear bikes anything more than glorified beach cruisers?

There's an interesting four page article today in the Washington Post on fixies:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...09/09/27/AR200...

Is it just me or are these people nuts?

Track nuts.

AMuzi wrote:
Papa Tom says...
I just got the new Nashbar catalogue, which appears to be pushing
fixed gear
bikes as the hot new technology.
First of all, is a "fixed gear" bike the same as a "single-speed" bike?
Next, is anybody out there riding one of these? If so, what's your
feeling
about using one for a moderately hilly area with only moderately
strong,
46-year old legs? I've got some old single-speed cruisers around
that serve
me fairly well for riding around the block. I wouldn't take one
much beyond
that, though.
Are the new fixed gear bikes anything more than glorified beach
cruisers?

elfa wrote:
There's an interesting four page article today in the Washington Post
on fixies:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...092703241.html
Is it just me or are these people nuts?

Nate Nagel wrote:
A single speed may or may not be a fixie. A fixie is a single speed
(unless you have multiple cogs, or a flip flop hub, but you still
can't shift on the go, you have to stop and move the chain and rear
wheel.) There are single speed freewheels, so you can have a single
speed bike that coasts.
I don't know about nuts, but I don't see the appeal. I think it'd be
fun to ride one for a while, but not enough for me to actually go to
the effort of building one. Of course, I might change my opinion if
someone lent me one and I found it was more fun than I anticipate it
to be.

After a few years of watching your beloved bicycle slowly rust to a pile
of crap despite endless hours of maintenance, building a basic fixie may
have more appeal for you. Handling/control in salt slush is better, too.


I live just outside of DC. People here don't know how to DRIVE in snow,
much less ride in it.

On the upside, when it does (rarely) snow for real, I can throw the snow
tires on the Fabulous BeaterPorsche(tm) and have the road all to myself.
Who's up for a winter autocross in the Target parking lot?

nate

(I'm kidding, really. Cops in NoVA have no sense of humor.)

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel