Fixed Gear 101

by Greg Goode

This is a set of introductory lessons on handling your first fixed-gear bike. No matter what style you ride, track, street, or offroad, these pointers will help.

These instructions unavoidably display the New York City background of my fixed-gear riding. NYC has its own fixed-gear bicycle culture. Messengers dart through Manhattan on their brakeless street-fixes, national-level track racers compete at Kissena Velodrome in Queens, road racers crank up their cadence on fixed training rides off season, and "Old Skool" track riders cruise the streets and gather in Central Park to muse about the beauties of their sport. The cycling culture in other locales will differ, but I hope you'll find the basic techniques helpful no matter where you ride.

Part One--Safety Measures

Part Two--Equipment

Part Three--Riding the Underside of the Pedals

Part Four--The Handlebar Mount

Part Five--The Handlebar Dismount

Part Six--Kicking In

Part Seven--Pedaling Technique

Part Eight--Riding Downhill

Part Nine--Slowing and Stopping!

Part Ten--Balance Drills

Part Eleven--Trackstands

Part Twelve--Emergency Stops

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