Keep the Pedaling Smooth
This goes hand in hand with muscle endurance. You know that feeling of tiredness at the end of a long training ride or race? Fixed gearing helps you stay relaxed in those situations. You find that even though you may be fatigued, your pedaling is smooth because you have no choice but to be smooth.Transition Pedaling
Bike racing is a lot of transition pedaling, which includes cadence and torque variations—slow cadence (and high torque) to super fast cadence (and low torque) over and over again. When riding a fixed gear, you can go from 50 rpm to 120 in a matter of seconds while going over the tops of hills. It trains the legs to react to those situations. From a physiological perspective, this helps train your body to clear lactate.
More: Should You Train at a Non-Optimal Cadence?
Bike Setup
Here are some tips on setting up a fixed gear bike:
- Since specificity in bike fit and biomechanics is so important, make sure your crank length is the same as your main road bike. It helps make the transition easier from bike to bike.
- eBay! You don't have to spend a lot of cash on this machine. Go to eBay and, under cycling, do a search on "fixed gear." There are always bikes and parts available. The beauty of a fixed gear is that there are not many moving parts, so it's great for bad weather days and easy to clean. You can get an old frame and get a bike built for around $300 to $400. There are also many you can buy new and modify to your specific needs, like the Bianchi Pista, or check out IRO Cycles. A lot of companies are now adding fixed gears to their line-up.
- Most important is the back wheel. Not a bad idea to get one of the reversible hubs where you can have two cogs. Make sure they are close (i.e. 17, 18), so the chain length is not affected. Also, if the wheels you use have quick release, this will eliminate the need to carry an extra wrench when you have to change a flat.
- Some feel more comfortable with two brakes. In my experience though, one strong brake on the front allows stopping in pretty much any situation, as you use the force of your legs to backpedal and slow down.
- One of the best things you can add to your fixed gear bike is a road version of the Rock Shox seat posts (aka—prostate saver). This one speaks for itself. One of these, combined with a comfortable seat and good shorts or bibs will save you from the discomfort caused by constant pedaling.