Started riding fixed at 54. After 9 years in a mostly flat city no knee issues. I just go easy from from time to time and push it when the time is right. Never been stronger. Front brake only, used for long downhills. I call it the knee saver.
i work at a bike shop and it is absolutely true that demand has increased while supply has not kept up. pre-pandemic we sold maybe 10 bikes a week. during the pandemic we sell about 10 bikes a day. sh*t's crazy rn
Some feedback from a 53 y/o m, if you are interested. Till 5-6 years ago I use to ride 94 gear-inches on a flat city, Bucharest. Since then I switched preventively at 72 gear inches. I ride about 20-25 km/day in traffic conditions except wintertime. No knee problems so far. Cheers and all the best to this channel. I like it a lot.
I recently rode my 40 year old classic road bike over the same 50 mile course I did on my track bike. The hills were laughably easy. I prefer the track bike for the flats. Slaughtered the other riders up steep hills with track, but suffered mightily trying to get 30mph the others were doing downhill!
A chain will stretch around a quarter to half an inch before it needs to be replaced. Half an inch makes the difference between way too tight and so loose its coming off the moment you pedal. So yeah, you absolutely need to retension your chain as it wears. Use a wear tool to measure when it is time to replace it.
It's not a myth. This happens when you ride without brakes. How do you stop a bike without touching your foot to the ground when you don't have brakes? How do you skid? When you don't have brakes or a freewheel/freehub, you have to use your legs all the time. Have you ever heard of RSI? If you take a look at professional track cyclists, *none* use fixed gear bikes for training outside the velodrome.
Zach, Made it up the 101 Torrey Pines climb today. Yes, it sucked (it's effing Cat 4?). But, it confirmed that a reasonably dangerous person stuck in 46/16 can do it. Many a sympathetic roadie gave encouragement as I passed. Very kind. There is technique -- if you go too slow, you'll fall out of the powerband & you will die. Go too hard and you cook off & you will die. Since you pick your max flats speed (gear pair) WRT your lurking max climb, choose wisely. I've ridden geared all summer and going back today was a chuff. Totally digging it.
If you're snapping the chain stop rejoining it with a chain tool. Walk up hills you've broken chains on. Get a Wipperman connex 108 chain, use the master link to join it. Stop using Walmart chains!
Supposedly some 5/32 chains are stronger than 1/8 because there's more work, quality control and engineering put into them, unless you buy ultra fancy 1/8.
@@justineaves1977 It was specifically to the issue of someone snapping chains. A BMX specific chain might be a better balance than that type - they're more pricey than ones made for cruisers. Though you're right and that using a bad chainline could be part of it. A quality 3/32 would compensate for more misalignment.
Have done a metric century on my bike 49x17, 28s and drops, need to do a full century now! I will say that keeping my legs spinning reduced the opportunity for my legs to get cramps due to lack of pedaling and then hitting a power stroke- but hey thats just my experience! Keep it reasonable dangerous!
Been riding fixed in SF since 2006 and had major knee surgery in 2016 due to a skateboarding accident. Still riding fixed in SF and have zero issues with my knee. 49/17 is my golden gear ratio for climbing hills and hauling ass on straight aways. Ijs.
I started to use fixed gear almost a year ago. Only had knee pain for the first few weeks, never had any knee problems since and I use my bike almost every day. You can kill your knees by just walking or on any kind of bike, if you are stupid.
Hm, although I could probably revisit my gear ratio I'd have to disagree. Going up hills hasn't really been my problem. It's going down. The strain from back pedling has begun causing the beginnings of bakers cysts. If I take a week off to heal, I'm good.
I'm 45, been riding bikes my entire life, and fixed gear since 2005. At some point you will meet hills that are hard for your gear ratio and it is harder on your knees than a traditional bike, from my experience (constantly spinning, braking, climbing big hills and spinning fast downhill). My knees started really hurting riding a fixed gear as my primary bike after I passed my late 30's. I'm sure this is different for others, but this is my perspective. I can definitely still ride my fixed gear bike, but in limited amounts (20 miles a week or so) and the rest of the time I welcome the comfort of my geared bike!
The question you should ask anyone complaining of knee problems on a bike is first "do you have any previous issues?" and then "how is your bike fit?" Bike fit is the number 1 reason people will have problems. If your bike fit is bad, you aren't able to push all the power into the drivetrain. On a fixed gear you are stuck in one... fixed gear, so you cannot move to an easier gear if you go out and realize "hey, something aint right here" 30 minutes in. You just keep pushing that hard gear and the power that isn't going into it is going into your soft tissues. Couple that with foot retention preventing you from compensating by heel pedaling and how breaking goes the opposite direction, you have a recipe for disaster. On the bright side - dialing in your fit is easier than buying a bunch of chainrings and cogs and having to swap them all the time. After you get that right then start looking at your gearing, keeping in mind your terrain, tire width and wheel size (52-14 or 13 or heavier CAN work, if you're strong, in a flat area and have skinny 20mm or less tires... else try a bit lower - 46-16 or so for some hills and 32mm+)
I have ridden 100 miles once. After that my knees and I looked at each other, and they said "you ain't riding next month". But damn, I'm proud of myself.
Same here, after my first 150km ride i made the dicision to go for a proper road bike for longer distance rides. Anytime I have a strong headwind in open terrain or encounter a hill when doing these kind of distances my knees are happy with the option of proper gearing :).
Ppl gotta lube their drivetrains, take care of their components(hubs, crankset) and the hills will be a lot easier. 23 mm - 20 mm tires are great for uphill, anything too big will make them tougher. Just gotta check the pressure more often so you don’t flat out
I had an MCL injury on my right leg from wrestling, i was on crutches but as soon as i got off them i was on my batmobile, i had no problem biking a moderate speed the only problem was skidding/backpedaling. My knee would hurt for days. But all i did was use my shoe to brake, that was two years ago and after about 6 months of healing i was whipping mini skids. Now two years later i have absolutely no pain! I was depressed during that time since i was unable to do the sports i did, my bike kept me smiling whenever i was on it
You , Sir, have a great taste in literature. Those are my favorite books about cycling. Highly recommend them, especially the one by BikeSnobNYC, since the other one is a little outdated.
Single speed and hills is fine on your knees if you lean forward when stand pedalling. Until I learned that on a YT video I was having problems. That made huge difference in riding single on hills.
You will need re-tension every once and a while because the force of padeling will pull the wheel forward dropouts aver slightly. Small changes there has a pretty big effect on tension. Getting a chain measurer is advised. Or the LBS can measure it for you.
I ride a singlespeed bike with a freewheel just fine. if I ride the same gear combo fixed, it destroys my knees due to trying to control the bike's speed with my legs, especially going down-hill. I tried several gear combos, 39-17 being one of them, and the result was the same. I used a front brake with this setup and it was still murder on my knees. I'm glad to hear that some people can manage that, but physical therapy got too expensive for me. seriously, my last experiment resulted in being unable to walk up stairs and several weeks of physical therapy. I'd like to try riding FG again, but I don't know how to keep from wrecking my knees with speed controlling pressure.
Dude you summed it up perfect in the begining. Fixed will hurt you if you are dumb. Most people will hurt themselves in some way riding this way. Or will get hit by a car or doored... Im curios here in Chicago when people get hit and killed on a bike a bike is painted white and chained up at that spot. Is this pretty universal?
No answer, but to let know that changing great ratio is the solution for best ascent. Excuse me- isn't that what gears are made for- to change gear ratios per need?
currently riding 48x19. up from 42x17. spinning out a lot less downhill. knees are feeling better. and i do hill training classes on spin bike... even thinking about 46x19 but ill be back to spinville... Gahhhh! my brain!!
I've ridden 64km of a long ride on a fixie and boy oh boy the pain after that ride made me took a break for 3 days and after that my thighs feels as good as new XD
How does one find a community of bike riders, I’m a 19 year old girl and it’s just tough because none of my friends even ride, they just are in a whole different world of what entertains them
Same situation here! I'm 18 and I used to be pretty lonely when I started riding. The only piece of advice I can give you is to ride a lot, you'll eventually meet people who enjoy riding as much as you do. Also you can search for Instagram 'fixie sites' that schedule grop rides. Hope you get to know lots of riders and make good friends. Greetings from Argentina. Stay safe!
I'm 34 and most of my friends are boring. I live in the area with barely any cyclists. Your friends are boring, and most likely they are going to stay that way. You are going to meet new cyclist friends on your rides.
Hey Zach hope your doing ok. Your vids are cool and super helpful. I'm looking to buy a cheap fixie/single speed. And came across "elops speed 500" I wondered if you knew much about this bike as fits my budget ? Any help truly appreciated. Thanks man and keep up the good work.
I started riding fix when I was 20yrs old. Now I'm 42 and still riding fix. Any knee problems nope and if I do get knee pain I just put on my copper fit and ride. What would ive changed when I just started ? I would change the way I bought my bike's I would of bought the frame and build it up.
Rode brakeless fixed gear as a courier for a decade and it left me with practically no cartilage in my knees, same with all my colleagues. The long time couriers I know who don’t have this problem never road fixed gear; go figure. Would 1000% ride a road bike for work if I had to do it again.
Do you have any videos for cycling with a hip injury? I go to physical therapy and get advice from them obviously. I’d be curious on your take too with any experience/resources you have. Even to just talk about cycling with chronic pain/injuries would be cool to see. Not all of us have the luxury of being able to use our bodies and ride longer distances. For myself, I have a labrum tear (doesn’t heal) and am not a good candidate for surgery (right now). That means being in pain and I had to work myself up to being able to bike stationary for 18 minutes a day at home with a trainer. I started at 5 minutes and it took months to get here. Would love to have you have someone on talking about cycling with this injury and others for accessibility. I’m also younger ish btw. I had this injury when I was 35 and am now 37.
its not a myth ! it is real, I have been riding for several years, and its not too painful (yet and hopefully stays this way) but you definitely feel there is something wearing out, when is cold you feel the discomfort, you notice it even more when jumping from 1m height or so, then it can be a little painful. Having said that, I will never stop riding fixed gear, but I'm considering to have a spare bikes with brakes to save some knees for later
What about skidding and knee damage? I damaged one of my knees years ago riding a single speed because I had the saddle too low. When I went fixed and figured out what a proper saddle height should be, I didn't notice anymore damage to either knee.
I wish I could ride a fixie I love how clean they look but where I live there's no way to go out without brakes and at least 2x8 ,the reason no one respects bikers like seriously not even on the bike path you are safe I have to stop constantly every 2 minutes and start over again and be ready to do sprints to avoid getting ran over ,every single day I'm getting into fights with people just sitting there on their cars on the bike path texting or doing stupid sh*t and they even look at me like " why the eff are you staring at me?" And I'm like " dude you are on the effing BIKE PATH" one time I had to get down from the bike path because a lady decided her massive truck couldn't touch the normal road and a cop almost ran me over an effing cop I stopped expecting them to stop the lady but nope they continued their merry way like nothing lol sorry for the rant I had to take it out :3
@BeboSaab actually I broke the wing mirror of an Uber guy who let his car on the bike path near a light post he was resting against the car like if he was on a photo op with a smug face he knew what he was doing (I don't know why people feel like doing that honestly) there was little room to pass and I said efff it I hit it with the handle bars and it went down the guy yelled at me but he couldn't catch up ,it was kinda scary because it was easy to recognize me since I was carrying a handle bar on my backpack and it was sticking out lol also I have aluminum tips on my grips and I like to scratch their cars when they leave them at the bike path but you gotta be careful because here they can easily ran you over and they can get away giving a few dollars to the cops 😒
Building a new bike during covid. Buy a used steel frame, there are TONS of old, well cared for high quality steel frames just left in garages for years (youll get a great deal and the old owner will get some pocket money, win win!). Just wear your mask and make sure to check the welds and look for dents when doing the in person check before buying. Wrenching your own bike and investing in tools will save you thousands in the long run, and get you the EXACT ride feel your searching for.
Haven't watched vid yet but my onion is You can be pedaling low RPM without using much muscle/power which I don't consider grinding........if you're pedaling with you max power/effort at low RPM a lot of the time then yes you are grinding and not so goo for your knees etc
@@justineaves1977 they are really nice, i've seen two frames in person. Great quality and price is okay, but no brand name steel. You can get anything custom if you want. But the frames alone are even used way over 500$. So no real option for a complete bike under 500 bucks
Rubber can be as plain as it can be but this tyre has sidewall boosting tech which makes it more expensive than Ultra Sport which could or could not have same rubber compound. To skid I'd grab those free tyres left in front of bike shop not expensive ones. Accountant in me says GS isn't cheap tyre to wear it down by skidding.
@BeboSaab Do you mean plain GS or GS Hardshell? Latter means full 3 ply sidewall and Duraskin sidewall reinforcement. At same time GP GT also have full 3 ply casing (though no DS), but Black Chilli rubber (as on 5000 and likes) and they get good reviews for ride quality. Seems rubber on GS is what makes them different from GP, GP4S, 5K and so on.
@BeboSaab Seems I have misunderstood what GP4S is, thinking it's more winter tyre (which it isn't) and ordered GP GTs last week. Cheaper than 5K's, too. All I knew I don't want true racing tyre and no Gatorskins.
Hi zach can you make a vid on the difference of mtb cleats and road cleats on fixed gear point of view. I am confused to which one to use. At first I wanted mtb but I think that they only need small degree to clip out. Which is very dangerous if it clip out when you pulling up your pedal. So I kinda confuse. You also have been riding for quite long so I guess you are the first person that come to my mind?
When you use mtb spd you can get shoes where you can walk like a normal human. Road spd uses big huge cleats. I use mtb spd while a beginner fixed rider, long time geared rider I have never accidentally unclipped. I use 5.10 mtb shoes that are spd compatible. Best of both worlds, love the combination. Just one man's opinion 😉
Yeah those Wabi frames would have been cool 30 years ago... Maybe just me but I think they are ugly af 😂 (chainstay angle is too wide). My only steel bike is a vintage roadie/commuter (converted Trek 730 multitrack '93) so I might be biased af myself, but I think it has much nicer proportions.
Got my first fixie, went with the core line steel bike in 58cm I'm 6'4. What kind of tire pressure should you run on these tiny tires? I got the wheels with the deep v rim.
Does anyone have experience with a Wabi and 6061 BLACK LABEL V2? The black label has a carbon fork and it sounds like the all steel may be better for absorbing impacts from the road? I know the wabi is a bit pricier by a few hundred though so may be out of my budget. The former is $1100 I believe and the latter closer to $700 stock. I’d be open to other suggestions too. I may call Wabi to see what their thoughts are too for differences.
Hey! I've been thinking about building a fixie recently, and I've seen freestyle fixies and riding fixies. Is there really a difference or people imagining this?
Zach, talking about if fixed gear is bad for your knees, did you do actual research?? Or was it your typical ‘talking to other bike riders and personal experience’. Kind of like how you kinda basically say that aluminum bikes will basically ball apart after 5+ years of ownership😂
BeboSaab I love the subtle roast at the end😂 unless you ride literally every single day 10+ miles you bike or don’t crash a bunch of times per year nothing should happen to aluminum, did you know that ENGINES are made from aluminum? And guess what frames too
BeboSaab you must of missed the part about engine blocks and car frames are made from aluminum, but I believe that aluminum bikes aren’t nearly as fragile as Zach Gallardo says they are, he has a case of steel woke syndrome
BeboSaab LOL, the way you talk you sound like someone who’s a little too into cycling to the point where you care too much, and for the THIRD TIME, car FRAMES are made of ALUMINUM, you think those are cast blocks😭😭 you sound like cycling is a lifestyle than a hobby🤦♀️
BeboSaab the fact that you had actually watched some of the vids at 1 in the morning is hilarious🤣 do I have to tell you again about aluminum car frames😭
Isn't the knee problem also something that happens to people skidding their brakeless fixed gear? Also the pandemic has thrown tons more cyclists on the streets of big cities, because who wants to be stuck in the subway with people? Paris has seen a 200% increase in bike traffic, and even more on some of the new 'bike highways" that were added after lockdown. So all manufacturers are being. Brompton stopped taking orders until it can fulfil them, and German brands like 8Bar (cool fixed gear stuff, you should check them out) or Schindelhauer (fixed gear belt drive bike) are now talking about spring or summer 2021 for next availability.
The knee issue is one of bike fit primarily, fixed magnifies a bad bike fit because when a person on a road bike is on it in a bad fit they can downshift to make the ride easier. You physically cannot put an optimal amount of force through the pedals in a bad fit. If you try to, that force has to go _somewhere_...
Started riding fixed at 54. After 9 years in a mostly flat city no knee issues. I just go easy from from time to time and push it when the time is right. Never been stronger. Front brake only, used for long downhills. I call it the knee saver.
Great Q&A. I really like how you put the segments in the time bar thing. Those little details improve your production value
Honestly its so amazing seeing some youtubers put so much effort into the content, it really shows how much they care for the watchers
Seahawks fan?
i work at a bike shop and it is absolutely true that demand has increased while supply has not kept up. pre-pandemic we sold maybe 10 bikes a week. during the pandemic we sell about 10 bikes a day. sh*t's crazy rn
Omg same now everyone is buying bikes lol 😝
Some feedback from a 53 y/o m, if you are interested.
Till 5-6 years ago I use to ride 94 gear-inches on a flat city, Bucharest. Since then I switched preventively at 72 gear inches. I ride about 20-25 km/day in traffic conditions except wintertime. No knee problems so far. Cheers and all the best to this channel. I like it a lot.
I recently rode my 40 year old classic road bike over the same 50 mile course I did on my track bike. The hills were laughably easy. I prefer the track bike for the flats. Slaughtered the other riders up steep hills with track, but suffered mightily trying to get 30mph the others were doing downhill!
A chain will stretch around a quarter to half an inch before it needs to be replaced. Half an inch makes the difference between way too tight and so loose its coming off the moment you pedal.
So yeah, you absolutely need to retension your chain as it wears. Use a wear tool to measure when it is time to replace it.
I'll second all 3 of those channel recommendations: RJ, Locked In, and Path Less Pedaled are all awesome. Add in Spindatt!
It's not a myth. This happens when you ride without brakes. How do you stop a bike without touching your foot to the ground when you don't have brakes? How do you skid? When you don't have brakes or a freewheel/freehub, you have to use your legs all the time. Have you ever heard of RSI? If you take a look at professional track cyclists, *none* use fixed gear bikes for training outside the velodrome.
Totally agree, the right tools really make a big difference and certainly pay for themselves
Yes, knee problem is related to gear ratio, but this is not minor. Main thing that kills knees is unnatural phenomenon of skidding.
I'm 70 yrs old & have recently gone back to mainly riding fixed but almost exclusively on dirt making skidding much easier. No knee issues to report.
53/11 for life! 😂😂 haha.
I’m subscribed and have been since you had 30k subs or something 🙂 love your content Zach, thanks!
Zach, Made it up the 101 Torrey Pines climb today. Yes, it sucked (it's effing Cat 4?). But, it confirmed that a reasonably dangerous person stuck in 46/16 can do it. Many a sympathetic roadie gave encouragement as I passed. Very kind.
There is technique -- if you go too slow, you'll fall out of the powerband & you will die. Go too hard and you cook off & you will die. Since you pick your max flats speed (gear pair) WRT your lurking max climb, choose wisely.
I've ridden geared all summer and going back today was a chuff. Totally digging it.
I'm strong enough to fly straight up hills..on my 52/16.....but I keep "snapping chains"
Sheldon Browne and RJ Respect!
Thx big Z
If you're snapping the chain stop rejoining it with a chain tool. Walk up hills you've broken chains on. Get a Wipperman connex 108 chain, use the master link to join it. Stop using Walmart chains!
Supposedly some 5/32 chains are stronger than 1/8 because there's more work, quality control and engineering put into them, unless you buy ultra fancy 1/8.
@@justineaves1977 It was specifically to the issue of someone snapping chains. A BMX specific chain might be a better balance than that type - they're more pricey than ones made for cruisers.
Though you're right and that using a bad chainline could be part of it. A quality 3/32 would compensate for more misalignment.
@@justineaves1977 Yea but people do run 3/32 cogs and chainrings.
@@justineaves1977 conversions and ease of availability.
Appreciate all the helpful info you provide in your videos, they've helped me a lot. Great work man
Have done a metric century on my bike 49x17, 28s and drops, need to do a full century now! I will say that keeping my legs spinning reduced the opportunity for my legs to get cramps due to lack of pedaling and then hitting a power stroke- but hey thats just my experience! Keep it reasonable dangerous!
Used to ride 46 / 16, currently building a new bike with 46 / 14, I hope that won't be too heavy for climbing the rolling hills of the Netherlands...
I run 48/14 and I love it the hills sucks but I still get up them no problem (just gotta push thru the burn)
Ayyyyy thanks for answering my question 👍🏼👍🏼
Good info on the chain tension. I usually just push the wheel back when it gets loose. I need to do more research on that.
Been riding fixed in SF since 2006 and had major knee surgery in 2016 due to a skateboarding accident. Still riding fixed in SF and have zero issues with my knee. 49/17 is my golden gear ratio for climbing hills and hauling ass on straight aways. Ijs.
I started to use fixed gear almost a year ago. Only had knee pain for the first few weeks, never had any knee problems since and I use my bike almost every day. You can kill your knees by just walking or on any kind of bike, if you are stupid.
Hm, although I could probably revisit my gear ratio I'd have to disagree. Going up hills hasn't really been my problem. It's going down. The strain from back pedling has begun causing the beginnings of bakers cysts. If I take a week off to heal, I'm good.
Just a thought, but Front Brake🤔
@@chasshefchik802 a brake on a fixed gear is smart if you use it as a daily ride
And ruin the perfect esthetics of my ride!? Oh my... No no no 😂😂
@@beaudanner 😆😆
@@beaudanner lol
Great qna thanks for sharing those! Btw, is that a jazzmaster up left?
I'm 45, been riding bikes my entire life, and fixed gear since 2005. At some point you will meet hills that are hard for your gear ratio and it is harder on your knees than a traditional bike, from my experience (constantly spinning, braking, climbing big hills and spinning fast downhill). My knees started really hurting riding a fixed gear as my primary bike after I passed my late 30's. I'm sure this is different for others, but this is my perspective. I can definitely still ride my fixed gear bike, but in limited amounts (20 miles a week or so) and the rest of the time I welcome the comfort of my geared bike!
Thanks for answering!
The Thumbnail is pure gold.
He looks happy in the thumbnail lol.
@@airwilliam24 yay, i broke my knee.
The question you should ask anyone complaining of knee problems on a bike is first "do you have any previous issues?" and then "how is your bike fit?"
Bike fit is the number 1 reason people will have problems. If your bike fit is bad, you aren't able to push all the power into the drivetrain. On a fixed gear you are stuck in one... fixed gear, so you cannot move to an easier gear if you go out and realize "hey, something aint right here" 30 minutes in. You just keep pushing that hard gear and the power that isn't going into it is going into your soft tissues. Couple that with foot retention preventing you from compensating by heel pedaling and how breaking goes the opposite direction, you have a recipe for disaster.
On the bright side - dialing in your fit is easier than buying a bunch of chainrings and cogs and having to swap them all the time. After you get that right then start looking at your gearing, keeping in mind your terrain, tire width and wheel size (52-14 or 13 or heavier CAN work, if you're strong, in a flat area and have skinny 20mm or less tires... else try a bit lower - 46-16 or so for some hills and 32mm+)
I have ridden 100 miles once. After that my knees and I looked at each other, and they said "you ain't riding next month". But damn, I'm proud of myself.
Same here, after my first 150km ride i made the dicision to go for a proper road bike for longer distance rides. Anytime I have a strong headwind in open terrain or encounter a hill when doing these kind of distances my knees are happy with the option of proper gearing :).
😂😂
I subscribed cause I've been watching for years so why not :)
Ppl gotta lube their drivetrains, take care of their components(hubs, crankset) and the hills will be a lot easier.
23 mm - 20 mm tires are great for uphill, anything too big will make them tougher. Just gotta check the pressure more often so you don’t flat out
Get a Ti bike! If you can. The ride quality is wild. Night and day between my Langster Pro and Ti fixed gear.
I had an MCL injury on my right leg from wrestling, i was on crutches but as soon as i got off them i was on my batmobile, i had no problem biking a moderate speed the only problem was skidding/backpedaling. My knee would hurt for days. But all i did was use my shoe to brake, that was two years ago and after about 6 months of healing i was whipping mini skids. Now two years later i have absolutely no pain! I was depressed during that time since i was unable to do the sports i did, my bike kept me smiling whenever i was on it
You , Sir, have a great taste in literature. Those are my favorite books about cycling.
Highly recommend them, especially the one by BikeSnobNYC, since the other one is a little outdated.
Single speed and hills is fine on your knees if you lean forward when stand pedalling. Until I learned that on a YT video I was having problems. That made huge difference in riding single on hills.
I took your advice and was able to get a pre order 2020 wabi classic in green.
You will need re-tension every once and a while because the force of padeling will pull the wheel forward dropouts aver slightly. Small changes there has a pretty big effect on tension. Getting a chain measurer is advised. Or the LBS can measure it for you.
Never heard of cycling being bad for n
Knees ever on the flip side bowling can be really bad for your slide knee trust me
if you aren't riding properly cycling can be bad for your knees. keep your seat properly adjusted, etc.
I ride a singlespeed bike with a freewheel just fine. if I ride the same gear combo fixed, it destroys my knees due to trying to control the bike's speed with my legs, especially going down-hill. I tried several gear combos, 39-17 being one of them, and the result was the same. I used a front brake with this setup and it was still murder on my knees. I'm glad to hear that some people can manage that, but physical therapy got too expensive for me. seriously, my last experiment resulted in being unable to walk up stairs and several weeks of physical therapy. I'd like to try riding FG again, but I don't know how to keep from wrecking my knees with speed controlling pressure.
Dude you summed it up perfect in the begining. Fixed will hurt you if you are dumb. Most people will hurt themselves in some way riding this way. Or will get hit by a car or doored... Im curios here in Chicago when people get hit and killed on a bike a bike is painted white and chained up at that spot. Is this pretty universal?
No answer, but to let know that changing great ratio is the solution for best ascent. Excuse me- isn't that what gears are made for- to change gear ratios per need?
Nice job on the livestream. Cool
currently riding 48x19. up from 42x17. spinning out a lot less downhill. knees are feeling better. and i do hill training classes on spin bike... even thinking about 46x19 but ill be back to spinville... Gahhhh! my brain!!
I've ridden 64km of a long ride on a fixie and boy oh boy the pain after that ride made me took a break for 3 days and after that my thighs feels as good as new XD
How does one find a community of bike riders, I’m a 19 year old girl and it’s just tough because none of my friends even ride, they just are in a whole different world of what entertains them
Same situation here! I'm 18 and I used to be pretty lonely when I started riding. The only piece of advice I can give you is to ride a lot, you'll eventually meet people who enjoy riding as much as you do. Also you can search for Instagram 'fixie sites' that schedule grop rides. Hope you get to know lots of riders and make good friends. Greetings from Argentina. Stay safe!
I'm 34 and most of my friends are boring. I live in the area with barely any cyclists. Your friends are boring, and most likely they are going to stay that way. You are going to meet new cyclist friends on your rides.
Nacho thanks for the idea!
Hey Zach hope your doing ok.
Your vids are cool and super helpful.
I'm looking to buy a cheap fixie/single speed.
And came across "elops speed 500" I wondered if you knew much about this bike as fits my budget ?
Any help truly appreciated. Thanks man and keep up the good work.
Would love to know about the proper tools for bikes, for fixed and geared bikes
Yes. But only if you jam it every time. Toss a brake in and scrub some speed now and again.
I started riding fix when I was 20yrs old. Now I'm 42 and still riding fix. Any knee problems nope and if I do get knee pain I just put on my copper fit and ride. What would ive changed when I just started ? I would change the way I bought my bike's I would of bought the frame and build it up.
Got one busted knee, 49/15 hurts after a few weeks, 49/16 no issues at all.
Dam Iam looking for the episode we’re you have those knee exercise..?
Rode brakeless fixed gear as a courier for a decade and it left me with practically no cartilage in my knees, same with all my colleagues. The long time couriers I know who don’t have this problem never road fixed gear; go figure. Would 1000% ride a road bike for work if I had to do it again.
At what point did you realize you had that kind of damage?
Do you have any videos for cycling with a hip injury? I go to physical therapy and get advice from them obviously. I’d be curious on your take too with any experience/resources you have. Even to just talk about cycling with chronic pain/injuries would be cool to see. Not all of us have the luxury of being able to use our bodies and ride longer distances. For myself, I have a labrum tear (doesn’t heal) and am not a good candidate for surgery (right now). That means being in pain and I had to work myself up to being able to bike stationary for 18 minutes a day at home with a trainer. I started at 5 minutes and it took months to get here. Would love to have you have someone on talking about cycling with this injury and others for accessibility.
I’m also younger ish btw. I had this injury when I was 35 and am now 37.
“No carbon components” yeah I saw your seat post 😑
Great video as always.
Knee problems do not only come from the high gearing, also the incorrect use of force from decelerating
its not a myth ! it is real, I have been riding for several years, and its not too painful (yet and hopefully stays this way) but you definitely feel there is something wearing out, when is cold you feel the discomfort, you notice it even more when jumping from 1m height or so, then it can be a little painful. Having said that, I will never stop riding fixed gear, but I'm considering to have a spare bikes with brakes to save some knees for later
What about skidding and knee damage? I damaged one of my knees years ago riding a single speed because I had the saddle too low. When I went fixed and figured out what a proper saddle height should be, I didn't notice anymore damage to either knee.
I did that on geared too though. Seat height really matters.
Gold. Pure gold here
yo i’ve been subscribed since you left sdsu and i moved here lol...following your literal tracks 😂
I wish I could ride a fixie I love how clean they look but where I live there's no way to go out without brakes and at least 2x8 ,the reason no one respects bikers like seriously not even on the bike path you are safe I have to stop constantly every 2 minutes and start over again and be ready to do sprints to avoid getting ran over ,every single day I'm getting into fights with people just sitting there on their cars on the bike path texting or doing stupid sh*t and they even look at me like " why the eff are you staring at me?" And I'm like " dude you are on the effing BIKE PATH" one time I had to get down from the bike path because a lady decided her massive truck couldn't touch the normal road and a cop almost ran me over an effing cop I stopped expecting them to stop the lady but nope they continued their merry way like nothing lol sorry for the rant I had to take it out :3
I feel bad for u dude u made me sad(
@BeboSaab actually I broke the wing mirror of an Uber guy who let his car on the bike path near a light post he was resting against the car like if he was on a photo op with a smug face he knew what he was doing (I don't know why people feel like doing that honestly) there was little room to pass and I said efff it I hit it with the handle bars and it went down the guy yelled at me but he couldn't catch up ,it was kinda scary because it was easy to recognize me since I was carrying a handle bar on my backpack and it was sticking out lol also I have aluminum tips on my grips and I like to scratch their cars when they leave them at the bike path but you gotta be careful because here they can easily ran you over and they can get away giving a few dollars to the cops 😒
Building a new bike during covid. Buy a used steel frame, there are TONS of old, well cared for high quality steel frames just left in garages for years (youll get a great deal and the old owner will get some pocket money, win win!). Just wear your mask and make sure to check the welds and look for dents when doing the in person check before buying. Wrenching your own bike and investing in tools will save you thousands in the long run, and get you the EXACT ride feel your searching for.
Haven't watched vid yet but my onion is You can be pedaling low RPM without using much muscle/power which I don't consider grinding........if you're pedaling with you max power/effort at low RPM a lot of the time then yes you are grinding and not so goo for your knees etc
Yes! Best fixed gear /singlespeed for $500 or less for 2020, including options for europe. Please and thank you!
Used Dolan Pre Cursa or new Polo&Bike CMNDR
Zach really gave Kory York a hard time but I think they are a really solid bike frame to build up and very nice to deal with. That's my pick for 2020
@@justineaves1977 they are really nice, i've seen two frames in person. Great quality and price is okay, but no brand name steel. You can get anything custom if you want. But the frames alone are even used way over 500$. So no real option for a complete bike under 500 bucks
@@sorenmeyer7347 Kory York are made with Columbus steel👍
@@justineaves1977 true, but the aluminium ones are not by default. If you order custom thats an option
Isn't wish to use wider tyres related to using those Gatorskins? More supple tyre would be more comfortable even at less width, or not?
Rubber can be as plain as it can be but this tyre has sidewall boosting tech which makes it more expensive than Ultra Sport which could or could not have same rubber compound. To skid I'd grab those free tyres left in front of bike shop not expensive ones. Accountant in me says GS isn't cheap tyre to wear it down by skidding.
@BeboSaab Do you mean plain GS or GS Hardshell? Latter means full 3 ply sidewall and Duraskin sidewall reinforcement.
At same time GP GT also have full 3 ply casing (though no DS), but Black Chilli rubber (as on 5000 and likes) and they get good reviews for ride quality. Seems rubber on GS is what makes them different from GP, GP4S, 5K and so on.
@BeboSaab Seems I have misunderstood what GP4S is, thinking it's more winter tyre (which it isn't) and ordered GP GTs last week. Cheaper than 5K's, too. All I knew I don't want true racing tyre and no Gatorskins.
60x10 i still can go steep uphills cause i am hulk, but i will change cause i have only 1 skid patch, maybe 61x10
what are your thoughs on the pizz shukaka frame
is it me or zach got the rake wrong?....not sure
why dont u do fixie points but the oppisete, you say what you like about our bikes and what you personaly should change about it?
Hi zach can you make a vid on the difference of mtb cleats and road cleats on fixed gear point of view. I am confused to which one to use. At first I wanted mtb but I think that they only need small degree to clip out. Which is very dangerous if it clip out when you pulling up your pedal. So I kinda confuse. You also have been riding for quite long so I guess you are the first person that come to my mind?
When you use mtb spd you can get shoes where you can walk like a normal human. Road spd uses big huge cleats. I use mtb spd while a beginner fixed rider, long time geared rider I have never accidentally unclipped. I use 5.10 mtb shoes that are spd compatible. Best of both worlds, love the combination. Just one man's opinion 😉
Yeah those Wabi frames would have been cool 30 years ago... Maybe just me but I think they are ugly af 😂 (chainstay angle is too wide). My only steel bike is a vintage roadie/commuter (converted Trek 730 multitrack '93) so I might be biased af myself, but I think it has much nicer proportions.
That's a personal opinion. They're like A$$h0les......everybody got one, no two are the same......lol
is he in san francisco or is he still abroad bcs i recognize that strip of road he riding in sf
Nah he just needs to update his fucking B-roll
What is the frame size on this bike?
"if you are dumb" lol
Got my first fixie, went with the core line steel bike in 58cm I'm 6'4. What kind of tire pressure should you run on these tiny tires? I got the wheels with the deep v rim.
I like them as hard as it gets. Less probability to catch snake. And less rolling resistance of course.
Where I stay there are a lot of uphills. I don't know what gear I would use to able bike uphill.
@RollinRat thank you so much for the honest feedback and tips!
Getting a shirt made: “53/11 for life!!”
I rock 39/18 for life with a 170 crank
More Zach Videos😍😍
say: *knee gears*
Bn chain also keep stretching
Does anyone have experience with a Wabi and 6061 BLACK LABEL V2? The black label has a carbon fork and it sounds like the all steel may be better for absorbing impacts from the road? I know the wabi is a bit pricier by a few hundred though so may be out of my budget. The former is $1100 I believe and the latter closer to $700 stock. I’d be open to other suggestions too. I may call Wabi to see what their thoughts are too for differences.
@BeboSaab thanks for your input!
Are slammed forks more stable?
Knees doesn´t have to hurt.
Warm up, push ANY gear ratio and STRETCH after riding. Everyday.
Bike fit is #1 before that.
Don’t neglect the magic that is a proper bike fit!!!
Hey! I've been thinking about building a fixie recently, and I've seen freestyle fixies and riding fixies. Is there really a difference or people imagining this?
The heck is a freestyle fixie
Genia Baida I guess to just do tricks on? Lol. Idk?
Hey zach,i think you should name the updated videos "Remastered editon"
Love from Singapore bro hahaja
Arfan 14 hahahah I’m also from singapore
Ru good enuf for ld riding? So true.
Riding at night without bike lights and relying on street lights on short rides good idea or bad idea? (For next Q&A vid?)
Could you do a video about the kilo wt?
BeboSaab That’s great to hear! I recently parted ways with a ‘95 GT Arrette to get a Kilo WT. Those frames are really solid!
pffft... misinformation here - important to talk about how back pressure from back pedalling through the knees adds strain to the knees.
Yeah... if you're scrolling through the comments and you're NOT subbed, I'd recommend subscribing. Zach is too knowledgeable and humorous not to.
My gear ratio is 52:16.. Is that good or bad for may knees? Thanks for answering 😉😇
If you're running skinny tires it's fine if you are in a relatively flat area. Knee issues are first a problem of bike fit
Zach, talking about if fixed gear is bad for your knees, did you do actual research?? Or was it your typical ‘talking to other bike riders and personal experience’. Kind of like how you kinda basically say that aluminum bikes will basically ball apart after 5+ years of ownership😂
BeboSaab I love the subtle roast at the end😂 unless you ride literally every single day 10+ miles you bike or don’t crash a bunch of times per year nothing should happen to aluminum, did you know that ENGINES are made from aluminum? And guess what frames too
BeboSaab you must of missed the part about engine blocks and car frames are made from aluminum, but I believe that aluminum bikes aren’t nearly as fragile as Zach Gallardo says they are, he has a case of steel woke syndrome
BeboSaab LOL, the way you talk you sound like someone who’s a little too into cycling to the point where you care too much, and for the THIRD TIME, car FRAMES are made of ALUMINUM, you think those are cast blocks😭😭 you sound like cycling is a lifestyle than a hobby🤦♀️
BeboSaab the fact that you had actually watched some of the vids at 1 in the morning is hilarious🤣 do I have to tell you again about aluminum car frames😭
BeboSaab cycling is definitely a religion🥳 enjoy your bicycle😂
Isn't the knee problem also something that happens to people skidding their brakeless fixed gear?
Also the pandemic has thrown tons more cyclists on the streets of big cities, because who wants to be stuck in the subway with people? Paris has seen a 200% increase in bike traffic, and even more on some of the new 'bike highways" that were added after lockdown. So all manufacturers are being. Brompton stopped taking orders until it can fulfil them, and German brands like 8Bar (cool fixed gear stuff, you should check them out) or Schindelhauer (fixed gear belt drive bike) are now talking about spring or summer 2021 for next availability.
The knee issue is one of bike fit primarily, fixed magnifies a bad bike fit because when a person on a road bike is on it in a bad fit they can downshift to make the ride easier. You physically cannot put an optimal amount of force through the pedals in a bad fit. If you try to, that force has to go _somewhere_...
skidding hurts knees
I always watch all your videos, sometimes I rewatch some of your videos and now I realized I wasn't suscribed 😂 I'm sorry... thanks for reminding me
If your not spinning then your not winning
I’m on my knees worshiping my fixed gear ⚙️ 😏😁😁
Who else has knee problems?
Hey
Awesome shouting out other youtube channels you think your audience would like, not sure why more youtubers don't do it.
I want to make a fixed gear BMX for some reason
MR BILLY cult sells the cruiser but it’s cassette
FGFS is basically the love child of fixed gear and BMX. Smaller chain rings and cogs, more relaxed geometry, 26 tires