Over 4 years ago I decided to eschew the typical geared bikes of the time and bought myself a Specialized Langster. Initially this bike was to be used for short 2 hour rides, but in time it came to be my preferred bike of choice for commuting and short rides.

While my bike was setup as singlespeed when I bought it, I always had a niggling thought at the back of my mind to flip the backwheel so that I could try it as a fixed wheel bike. One day my neighbour talked me into flipping the back wheel. It’s been nearly a year now since I done this and I haven’t looked back since.

One gear

With no gears to worry about you avoid the nightmare of trying to maintain a smooth set of gears on your bike. This is easy to do in the summer, but for the rest of the year, the elements can take their toll on your bike.

Last winter in the UK, we seen a massive increase in the use of grit on the roads to help clear the snow. While it was great to clear the snow, the grit remained lying at the side of the road. Combine this grit and salt with rain and your going to be spending a lot more time cleaning your gears just to ensure they keep working smoothly. No such problem with a fixed wheel, a simple rub down to remove excess water from your chain and a quick spray of lube and a wipe to remove the excess lube and your bike is set for the next commute.

Minimal braking

After moving to a fixed wheel bike, the next thing I did was remove my back brake. With a fixed wheel, I can use my legs to push back, slowing myself down without touching the rear brake lever. I use the front brake in conjuction with my legs to trim my speed at the moment, but I haven’t quite mastered the ability to completely lock the back wheel yet. Hopefully it should come with a little bit of practice.

Economical

The economy hasn’t been great recently and people are looking for more ways of cutting back on expenses. A fixed wheel bike is not only cheap to buy but also cheap to maintain.

Ever seen a cyclist just zip through the traffic leaving stuck in the grid lock of the morning rush hour? Yeah, that guys going to make it into his work long time before you get there and he probably won’t have spent as much on fuel as you did for your car!

Commuting on this bike has been and will continue to be great thanks to its low maintenance. This bike will last for years to come. Let’s hope I stay fit enough to keep commuting!