#sedraft

I have not been a fixed gear rider for long but I can tell you that I might have a very hard time going back.  My love of bikes did not really start as a kid like my counterparts would say but later on in life.  For some reason I was fine being carted around by my parents and being a passenger.  I did not worry about my self sufficiency till later on.  I got the first bike I loved when I was 21.  It was a mid 70′s Peugot road bike that I was given for free from a friend of my grandmother.  It had one owner and was in perfect condition.  That bike was stolen because I was stupid and didnt lock it at work.  I have had other bikes since then and maybe a few that I loved as much.  That was the first bike where I both loved it as an object and also the sense of freedom it gave me.

I am now primarily riding my fixed gear bike.  It is an SE Draft that I was given in trade for a website.  Riding it is like being a kid, it is just fun to ride.  Other than the fun it is also a really good form of exercise, even more so than riding any other bike.  There is not the ability to coast so your muscles are always working.  You are constantly getting stronger and I am actually getting muscles I had no idea existed on my body before this bike.

There is a slight learning curve going from a non-fixed wheel to a fixed wheel but when I say slight I mean 20 min tops.  The ability to stop automatically is gone and I do recommend keeping at least the front brake. I have still not mastered the skid stop but am working on it.