Riding Fixed Gear Will Ruin Your Life... 

Last year my coworker helped me buy my fixed gear to save money and time from commuting to work. Says it was very low maintenance and cheap. Taught me how to build it nicer and everything about the parts. 1 year later now I am broke and has a debt to my friend but atleast my bike has duraace hubs on it.

Fixie commuter veteran here and these are my Observations: 1. Throw a brake on it 2. 700x30mm tires are the best speed/weather ready size for all seasons (I ride in Oregon rain) 3. Always keep it under 500$, Black Friday and Xmas youll see spanking deals (1 fixie got for 99$ complete and another time I got a track bike that was 700 on sale for 300$)

I feel so very personally attacked by this video. 4 years into riding fixed, coming from mtb. I'm about $4500 deep on a steel frame build with no carbon.

Was a fixed gear rider for years in the city... After waaayyyy too many close calls I highly recommend having a front brake. If anybody calls you on it- F them. Going down a steep hill in the rain and having a car slam on the brakes in front of you and trying to skid stop and going ass over teakettle into their back bumper sucks. As does slamming into he back of a bus. Busses stop surprisingly fast in the rain. A no brakes fixie does not. BELIEVE THAT.

"when you have no brakes" bro just install fucking brakes. I rode fixed in Seattle for years and I almost never used my brakes, even on them steep-ass hills. But I had them, just in case because I'm not tryin to go out like that. Got a track frame with no brake mounts? Cool. Ride it at the track. It really makes me lose respect for someone's intelligence and wisdom as a biker to hear that kinda shit. In the motorcycle/car world its sport bikers with no protection or street racers endangering other people on the road.... But it's all the same "type of guy." Don't be that guy. I hope you hear that although I said some disparaging things, it's coming from a place of care both about you as a rider and your health, and the safety of people on the road in general.

Mostly ride fixed gear with brakes. So cheap to maintain and fun to ride. Also you pedal stroke will get so smooth.

fixed for life... been riding fixed gear since 2007 best decision in biking ever. a testament to a pure rider.

Removing the front brake of a bike, even a fixed gear is stupid and suicidal. Do NOT remove your front brake!

Getting into fixed gear is actually less time spent on the saddle but more time spent on the computer browsing marketplaces for used parts or new shit, cause you might want to get a negative degree stem or matching all the component manufacturers so you end up swapping out everything just to have Zipp everything etc lol

Don't daily a fixed gear? I have been dailying mine for over a year just fine no issue. One of the positive things about fixed gear is super low maintenance. I also understand what you're saying about unnecessary components, but if you're riding fixed the whole thing is kind of that its unreasonable.

I got some dank carbons sitting on a $325 cheap bike. Like a previous viewer mentioned the impracticality and absurdity of builds is like the best part. I think it's the most expressive side of cycling

The currently cons on my fixed gear rn is my legs are always sore AF and just praying not to die riding it lol. Ride safe always guys!

I started riding fixed when I was 50 and I am now closer to 60. It would be good to see more people cycling than using the car.

Heavy bike? Just get stronger, lol.

As a fixed gear rider, this is a very good video. I appreciate you not just slandering the craft and actually giving valid criticism.

I agree! What an irresponsible waste of money. My Email- your Chris King headset is on its way!

There's definetly a point to remind yourself it's about the riding, not the parts and to also follow your own opinions on what you truely like and need. Focus on what you have and see what really gives you headaches. Keep it simple, sometimes that chunky steel frame is what you trust, so settle with that and stand for it. That's the simple beauty of bikes, you can ride them without any care, but once you start looking, you'll never stop looking again. When you spend more time working than riding or it gets tedious, just ride it until something breaks, then improve. The absoulte goal should be that you can grab your bike in the dark and have it work excatly as you expect, nothing more. Big pro is that even as a newbie with a 50$ bike you will feel the same as any other one, because it's about the fun of the ride. The faces when you surpass 90% with a well maintained walmart style build, and you actually feel people admire that simple mindset. It's not about buying everything you can, happyness comes from knowing you could, but don't need to. Understand this, and also try to make your own way, work with what you got, anything you do yourself, repair, spend time with and make your own is never wasted. There's also nothing wrong about doing something you like and even spending thousands of dollars, you'll have a whole lot to share with people who can't try around themselves, because you spent all that time looking and trying around, you just need to find a way to make something of that. ps also having your bikes stolen multiple times teaches you to stay basic and make the best of it, it helps a lot to know that no matter how insane everyones bikes are, yours is the only one you can casually forget at the train station and still have a beautiful ride home. It's just different

Just discovered your chanel and I’m liking your content so far. Yep, riding fixed is addictive, I’ve been hooked on the suckers since the 1980s when I started riding my track bike on the street. Ended up trashing it in the early 90s slamming into a car. I ride most styles of bikes and enjoy them but my fixed gear bikes are where the money disappears, I’ve pick up cheap beaters of market place and usually just thrash them to death but my baby is a Razesa that I had built for me back in 98 with Columbus Neuron Tubing, that bike has had that many different cranksets and wheel sets, different stem and bar combinations over the years I’ve lost count but they are so easy to change things around on I can never resist.

If anyone needs help getting clean from buying fixed gear parts lmk. I’m 4 days sober from buying bike parts.

I remember my bike was a fixie hybrid which ive modded enough to become a litearl roadbike and its now cost 183 dollars and it actual cost was 43 dollars 💀

I feel so attacked by the thumb nail. Because I have THEE EXACT SAME THRONE BIKE, same design and color too and let me say I love it and mad people give me compliments soooo UR ON CRACK

Sold my fixed gear ~10 years ago to make room for other bikes. It had a front brake that I was always ready for, and always used for downhill stopping or when super tired. Kinda want one again.

I'm a mechanic and a geared road/endurance rider. I had never touched a fixed gear since I was a kid for a while until I started working on them professionally, and at first I didn't really get it. But after realizing the prices of roadbikes these days, I get it. Fixed gear is awesome. It's what biking always has been to most of us: cheap to get into, fun to do, physically painful and a rabbit hole. 😆 I love my 105 gearset but maybe I'll join you all someday

Thanks king, I needed this humbling

There's no rule that says you can't ride a fixed gear with a front brake. In fact, in some countries it's the law, like Japan. That's not stopping riders from riding fixed over there.

i been riding fixed for about 6 years, between 3 different bikes. i spent maybe 2500 bucks between the bikes themselves, parts for style, and the occasional lbs repair. I think the negatives only apply to ppl that make street cycling their entire personality

I ride a $15 straight steel fixie off of facebook marketplace. I have bought some paint for it so that's an extra $5, and I painted it myself. I've ridden it for about 3 years, haven't broken anything yet.

love the channel bro, lowkey helpin me fr PS with whatever editing software you are using, i recommend turning up the audio of your voice as it is quite hard to hear you in some parts.

Alot of the things you said could be applied to the mtb retro / resto mod scene :) great video!! now you made me wanna get into fixed bikes !

Nah single speed with reverse brake is all you need, you can still coast and don't have to worry about the in-betweens in all the situations of not being able to stop pedaling.

I been riding a fixed gear for about 4 years now. I built it when I worked at a bike shop and the owner had bins full of old parts from the 70s and 80s that he let me raid as long as I didn't take anything too rare. I got a gorgeous frame and fork from the 70s with polished lugs as a trade for an old 80s mountain bike which I originally got for free, built the wheels myself from salvaged hubs and rims, salvaged an old Nitto stem and drop bars, built a custom sized Sugino bottom bracket from a bucket of unused track bike parts from the 80s. Even found a couple rolls of unused Benetto grip tap under 50 years of dust on a shelf. The only things I actually had to buy was a chain and a cheap Origin 8 crank. With the employee discount I think that build cost like 70 bucks total.

I love my fixie , scored it from a mate that went overseas ! I put a front brake on it because cars and pedestrians are unpredictable! I don’t think about what it looks like , it always gives me the same Fantastic feeling after every ride !

Recommend to always have brakes on your fixed gear ..at minimum a front brake .. or you will really wish you had when a door opens or someone runs the light in a truck..

i've been riding fixed gear for almost 3 years now and i'll say it's completely different experience from riding any other type of bike. in my opinion it's a joy being able to easily customise each component to your own personal preference, however I do agree it's overkill that some people over spend on high end components that is not totally unnecessary for their type of riding. I mean if you do take part in local crits and alleycats the money may well be worth it but if it's just for normal street riding and just for "looking cool" I would say yea it's crazy stupid. but who am I to comment it's not my bike and money😂 if you got deep pockets, the money is definitely better spent on building a road bike as your money will actually make a difference in your training and competitive side of cycling. there's no doubt that having swanky components on a unique frame is sick but at the end of the day it's honestly the rider that makes the difference. beauty doesn't come from the bike but rather how a rider makes the best with his rig.

An here i am getting flamed on my local ride for bringing a single speed to the fixed only ride after my track bike got stolen 😑

I've been dailying my fixie going on my second year in a row. I rocked a shitty commuter for the past year and just snagged an older Bianchi Pista for next to nothing, couldn't be happier. It was $300 CAD in really good condition with mostly original parts except the bullhorns that are wider than my shoulders. I'll be replacing those, the pedals and maybe stem but that's it. I have a pair of Spinergy Rev X's that I snagged for $150 that may go on eventually but I need the hub conversion for the rear.

You do have a brake. The front one! You control speed with your legs. Still need a front brake to brake! The fuck!?

My biuld costs 340 USD, and i tear that shit. Great video man !

hi sir im 162cm and i like fixie what kind of fixie, in whta kind of category i nned to look?

"... but you spend so much money on a bike that does not need to have this much money spent on... " - that's down to the point, man. Especially when you consider all the money you save by not having to bring your e-bike to service once or twice a year...

My understanding is that fixed bikes in the UK still have to have a brake in addition to the fixed wheel (the fixed gear counts as a rear brake) to ride on the road. Here in UK it's not actually brakeless unless you're only riding in velodromes.

Hi I'm 62 years old now and I've been riding fixed gear since i was a teenager. I've never had breaks on any of my fixed gear bikes and so far no accidents knock wood lol. When i first started riding i got used to 63, 11 gearing and at my age i still ride the same gear ratio knees are a little whack but not bad for 62. Never give up riding fixed gear i know i never will.

I thought this was funny, talking about how expensive a fixed gear bike can become, while working on a road bike that is expensive to buy and a lot of money will most probably spent on parts in the hope it make them go faster. The whole idea of riding a fixed gear bike is it cheap to buy and it does not matter if it gets trashed, just get another one.

I'm 15 and I've been a track cyclist since I was 8 and honestly track is so much more fun than road or cross

i feel like this is a problem for every hobby, you will always mindlessly spent fortune for something that only cause miniscule amount of change.

I have a fixie I bought from my friend years ago for $300. 2006 Raleigh Rush Hour. I'm rocking the same wheels, went through 4 pairs of Gatorskins, and it's still going strong. At most, I've spent $1,000 total for something I've been riding consistently since I got it in 2007. FOMO is poison.

Lol this video is true. Back in 2014 I decided to buy a bike. My cousin recommended a SS/FG, so I went to look them up and was instantly hooked. After buying the bike, I asked how much would it cost to replace a tube (for my future knowledge). I was told $20, so I. ended up buying a $50 repair kit and started watching youtube videos. Within a month i was parting out, finding, building, and selling FG/SS bikes. The obsession was deep. It was fun times.

When I built my fixie, the total cost, including frame and fork painting is around 200-220 euro. For the 12 years I have it I never bought any expensive parts. Probably the total cost after 10 years is no more then 400 euro. Not gonna ride it anymore tho, I'm almost 45 now. Got used hybrid bike with 9 gears, sweet and easy to ride. Good times with the fixie, but not going back.

i've been riding for a little over 4 months, I see what you mean i aswell am super tempted to get nice parts. so far I got my setup for 200 so I'm not far down the line but we'll see where this goes ^^

i worked with an old italian track frame with a vintage cup and cone bb and the crank always became loose because of that building standard

Purchased my Bianchi Pista Dalmine in 2011 for $1000. Up until 2019 when it was stolen I maybe spent $200 on maintenance and trying out some drop bars. It was perfect from factory

I watched this while fully on the fence thinking about going fixie. I think I'm doing it.

I got into fixed gear for its practicality and it being really easy to maintain etc. then 1½ years later i have 2 of em both being steel bikes with one having a crankset that costs twice as much as the frame

My first fixed gear bike 10 years ago cost me $115. My second (and most recent) fixed gear bike cost about $1600. The first one, a complete stock bike from a now defunct company called Baseline. The second is a Wabi Classic that’s built with name brand and two stock components. So yeah, the upgrade bug is real.

Rode fixed as my only bike 5 years and 3 more as a primary bike. I built it pre-FB marketplace so a lot of parts were bought new ,so it was a dumpster frame with 300 in the drivetrain and a cobbled front brake. I would smash 30+ mile long rides weekly. Also there are few things better than riding in fresh snow on a quiet winter night. I sold my fixie at Christmas and found myself looking to build another last week

now on my second fixed gear bike i assembled to be properly stiff. Squid bikes so ez frame, electric enduro bike rims, surly hubs, and shimano zee crankset. Nothing can break on it. Almost everyday riding it, the fun commute style of riding

Nice video. My only rule of thumb is, other than pedals and saddle, parts have to be NJS. Keeps it simple.

I completely agree with you. I see this a lot on social media especially, people not only waste a lot of money on high-quality parts just to please others, but they also end up giving more importance to others opinions than their own. A fixed gear bike is meant to be a simple and cheap bike; it doesn't even need high-quality components. I've built countless fixed gear bikes, some with high-quality parts, others much cheaper. You know what difference I notice between one and the other when riding on the street? None. Good video.

I have the upgrade bug with any kind of bike I get my hands on, it really is a problem 😂. Love fixed riding, specially using old steel frames with unnecessary upgrade parts thrown in! Just be happy, folks, the bike is the true man's best friend ❤

I'm aiming for other things first but guess if bikes £6-9k 7.3kg (lights, computer, bell at weight said) Trek Emonda ALR (two wheelsets) (road bike) £6k 12.4kg Trek Slash gen 5 (enduro mountain bike) £2-3k folding (sub 7.4kg) or fixie (8kg or below with sram hydro rim) unsure what way £2k or 3k on these without looking £2k Boardman adv 8.9 (aim for say 10kg as between road and gravel weights, not caring about splash out for lighter) £10-12k Bülk (velomobile)

Fixed Gear riders should all wear Rapha 😂

You should not someone's option of buying their dream bike

I ride a Mash Steel. Built if myself. Cost me around $3k in total. Been riding everyday for for 2 years straight on it

I started with a budget fixed gear before getting into track and road cycling. Although I changed all the part on this first bike apart but didn't spend that much. The trick is to keep your first bike and get comfortable on it. My humble steel 6KU is now more of a tracklocross build with 35c tires and drop bars. I don't skid on it anymore because I busted the lockring threads long ago and I've always ran a brake on it for peace of mind. Don't get sucked into the culture of vintage builds or expensive track parts if you don't go to the velodrome. All of these are fragile and uncomfortable for daily use.

Honestly though, all bike riding is like this. I'm a downhill mountain biker and a good set of new rims is $2000 and you'll probably end up bending them and needing new ones in a couple months at least unless you want to buy mag rims that are heavy AF. Not to mention the fact all the good front forks for downhill are $1000 on the low end.

i had my first fixie which i taken a part of an old track bike, put in new parts and repainted it. looks cool. but it had a broken fork which i found out when i was riding.

Having any mode of transportation without a brake system is just fucking stupid, period. No matter what you're trying to prove, you're not special, and you never will be, but not being able to stop quickly could affect the life or lives of innocent bystanders and that makes you a possible menace to those around you.

Ive been brainwashed a lil bit more i guess , im stuck in NJS parts right now . I use NJS FC7710 Crankset NJS IZUMI Super toughness and euroasia Cog 15t (golden size) Costs me around 500bucks to buy those parts . I can say , the parts are really durable and i went using them until now . Im hoping they can last for 3 years more hahaha .

I have 3 bikes: 700c fixie for road ride, 650b tracklocross for woods and gravel, and a gravel bike with gears. over 10 000 km done on my fixies, knees are ok (and I'm pretty much tall 6'4") and I love riding my fixies more, even after 5 years of riding. I usually buy used parts btw and don't really care how much bikes cost. Maybe less than $3000 for all 3 with Wahoo roam included :D

I feel like this video could apply to ALL serious cycling hobbies. You start off with a $700 marketplace bike and next thing you know you're $8k deep into marginal gains territory

I bought my first fixed gear bike. Also first bike in decades. I did 5 miles the very next day and didn’t feel sore at all. It isn’t as hard or challenging as people make it seem.

I spent a couple thousand on a Cinelli Mash bike that looked really cool and had all the cool parts which led to a thief apparently wanting it more than I did. A few years later I just built a classy looking steel fixed bike that somehow ended up costing over a thousand dollars more….

This is just a trolling video on the falsehood that people are constantly upgrading parts... Doesn't make any sense, if you have decent sourcing and are patient you can get a durable setup that will last many years for maybe $500 used? Also it doesn't make sense if you live somewhere with many hills you need to ride up unless you don't mind walking.

you just saved me months of rent, cheers dude!

+ let's add the frequent chain replacement 😅

In the dark age of photography, before digital, before 35mm Kodak McPhotolab, the joke was "ruin you buddy with a gift of camera". Seriously, I have never thought of dumping big cash on a fixed gear; I grew up with them, rode them for close to 35 years now, and alwsys thought them to be on utility side of the spectrum. You don't need bells and whistles; you just need essential stuff to work fine, and that's it. And yes, many of the had those brake levers. Which, I ought to say, were largely redundant in real life - provided the rear brake contraption is well-mantained.

how do i start fixed gear, i know noone and im not really in the community and dont know any tricks and have know idea where to get what parts but i always liked the idea of fixed gear. is there a way to easy get into it?

Dude this hit a little too close to home and I'm not even a fixie rider. I have a steel road bike from 2003 that now has a newish sram force group set, a zipp carbon crank set, and tubular velomax ascent 2 wheels. I havent upgraded the frame because "I dont have that kind of money" when really a carbon fram would probably cost as much as one of the things I just listed. It's unique as hell though and I love it.

It's sounds like collecting Nike shoes.

I feel so called out lol. I keep spending money on new parts and tires from skidding. At least if something breaks I have backups parts I guess? 😅

My bike is very like. New carbon seat just got delivered. Got some new emerald aerospokes yesterday. Quick spending spert then I'm cool for the summer. Got about three people I'm meeting next week for tyres and and chosen not to take this carbon tubular I said I'll buy. Cant get a tough tyre to avoid the punctures at the moment. He ain't lying!

I had the urge to purchase tri-spokes for my fixed commuter, then I say this video just in time

Yeah, he's right... I'm currently working on an all Dura-Ace NJS keirin style build. But thank God for Shimano s-tec.

Sadly you cant put modern components on soviet bikes so easily, there's a whole community around it and a bike that was made using a frame from a soviet bike is called a crocodile

I don’t understand why people spend so much money on them. I been riding for 10 years on the same frame just got a new $200 rim set and 15 dollar bars. That’s just me though I think the amount of riding is always more important than what you ride

I feel like if I go through with this it’s gonna be like me in 2021 with the custom keyboard hobby 😭😭😭😭.

Fixed gears are also TERRIBLE for your knees.

LOVE riding fixed gear, you can make it as cheap or as expensive as you want but keeps the essence. Remember buying a frameset from a literal recycling center for like 5 bucks and when i finished it and enjoyed it i sold it for like 500 bucks😅

ive been cycling for months now. the problem is, my knee’s been hurting. any tips?

I feel called out. Not me buying mavic carbon open pros to lace up to the cheapest track hubs I can find rn.

I ride cheap steel bike and absolutely love this thing, it's still much lighter than average mtb, rides smooth and fast, I do not care if i fall ang get this bike scratched) no gears=no problems

issue with every material hobbies unfortunately

I'm recently building my second fixed and it's meant to be cheaper but just because it's gonna be a commuter that's less attractive to thiefs.

I've spent about 1k on my best fixed bike. Probably half that for the first cheap steel I built. No other way to go. I've built a gravel on an old Gary Fisher mtb frame which is killer, and a road on an old steel Bianchi frameset but my fixed bike is the go-to for anything. I've ridden group rides fixed and people think I'm crazy for doing metrics fixed but there is no better way to ride. Just look at accounts of the early Tour de France races and you will grown those balls. No other way.

Putting together my first build and its looking like its gonna be in the mid £500s, 1/5 of that price coming from the wheels 😅

Lol reminds me of kids tuning civics

Please don't banish me for asking this question.....isn't bad for the knees over time? I have a bunch of different bikes, and I find that as I am getting older I had to put the fixed gear bike away.

I like riding mine with the free coaster right now, but I can flip it over to the fixed clog.

if you want to keep your wheels for a longer period, get gravel bike rims, they are very durable and with 28mm or 30mm tires, believe me, you will not go back

I haven’t rode a fixed gear bike since I was a kid because as I got older and moved a few times the area we lived in had zero flat streets all hilly so i needed a multi gear bike that could handle uneven ground and a hard tail road bike wasn’t going to cut it