Fixed and going down hill OMFG!!!

gappy · October 4, 2006, 1:05am

fuck me - decided to take a hill to work today - going up was great - my new fixie addiction proved better than single speed for climbing - but on the way home the decent was out of control!

i have an amazing respect for all the fixed heads - control and concerntration needed to fly at light speed is right out there!

my little girl thinks she is a fighter jet and i had to try and restrain her and tried to convince her that she is a donkey - no fucking luck - tomorrow will take the smaller decend i think!

rogaine · October 4, 2006, 1:59am

run it a couple more times and you’ll be back deleting this post!!

nickj · October 4, 2006, 2:13am

i remember going down collins st the first time. that was scary as heck. thankfully the lights remained green on the corner of swanston!

system · October 4, 2006, 3:06am

…brakeless gappy?

gappy · October 4, 2006, 3:20am

yeah brakeless - what is the key to slowing with your legs?

i find riding off the seat gave me a lot more strength down hill…

system · October 4, 2006, 6:59am

don’t think, feeeel

but seriously - I’m not the best descender, but I find listening to the bike helps… that and what rogaine said.

whatthekoon · October 4, 2006, 2:20pm

Tips for making it down steep hills safely:

Start resisting the pedals at the start of the hill and go down slow. Trying to resist while your legs are spinning like crazy is not going to slow you down fast enough.
Learn to skip the rear wheel every half revolution of the crank. This will help you slow down faster.
Stand. Gives you extra body weight to resist the pedals.

tristan · October 4, 2006, 3:14pm

Put your brain in your back pocket and keep it smoooth.

roguedubb · October 4, 2006, 3:20pm

Feel that moment when your rear tyre loses traction and the eternity that follows when your weight starts shifting, sliding down towards the ground. Feel that black road scrape up along your calves, grind against your hips and shred your elbows.

roguedubb · October 4, 2006, 3:22pm

Or, just do what Des said and avoid sharp downhill turns in the wet.

lats · October 4, 2006, 3:44pm

Enzo Ferrari once said

'Brakes slow you down!! Cars are made to go fast (as are track bikes), you don’t need them.

Control the revs, feel - and go!

gappy · October 4, 2006, 3:49pm

lovin it!

it is like being a kid again and just needing to find the no fear factor - think i’ll keep going that hill and practising - i was doing figure of 8’s at one stage and was getting some strange looks - yelled out at one stage “i am a figure skater, you never seen a figure skater on a bike with no brakes before?”

first week on fixed and i am still alive though - slaps wood!

lats · October 4, 2006, 4:21pm

So is your Japanese beast finished yet?

gappy · October 4, 2006, 6:32pm

yeah she is all up and rolling!

lats · October 4, 2006, 6:51pm

Nois.

DISC???

gappy · October 4, 2006, 6:54pm

nah brakeless.

snowflake · October 4, 2006, 7:45pm

nah brakeless.[/quote]

DISC = Darebin International Sports Centre

What Lats is asking is, are you going to ride it at DISC?

lats · October 4, 2006, 7:46pm

Race, Race @ DISC.

That bike was bred to race!!!

gappy · October 4, 2006, 8:54pm

sarcasm never works on the interweb!!!

i’ll bring her down for sure - but it will only be so you can all laugh watching me spinning out of control around the place… once i learnt to control her right i’ll come along for sure!

snowflake · October 4, 2006, 9:11pm

[quote="“lats”"]

Race, Race @ DISC.

That bike was bread to race!!![/quote]

Does that mean it rolls too?