Originally Posted By: MtnMike
Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Originally Posted By: Michael_P
Fixies decrease overall efficiency.
There are MANY (most??) racing cyclists/coaches (pro AND amateur) who would totally disagree with you on that point!!
Many even consider it a requirement to spend at least 1000 early season training "base" miles on a lower geared fixie in order to teach/train one's muscles how to spin 'circles' instead of "squares".
And yes,
especially downhills without bouncing off the saddle!!
Maybe Sir Doug Hillary will chime in to confirm/validate this point.
Base starts right now in December
I ride my single speed all winter to help with pedaling efficiency and leg strength, but I don't think base should only consist of low cadence work. I also use my geared bikes to work on spin up drills to focus on
high cadence efficiency.
As far as fixies not being efficient, that depends what you mean by efficiency: 1)A bicycle's drive train has inherent inefficiency associated with drag from the chain moving over the chain rings, cogs, derailleur’s, and chain slack from the spring in the derailleur. Removing the derailleur from the system takes away the chain slack, and also takes away some of the drag. 2)However, biomechanically, a bicycle-rider system probably works better when the rider can chose the gearing that matches the riders most efficient cadence (which everyone's is different). Unless the rider is always going the same speed and also happens to have the correct gearing for that speed, bikes with variable gearing are more efficient from a biomechanical standpoint.
That's my 2 cents about it. Feel free to disagree
I do not disagree on the biomechanical efficiency of multiple gearing!
I was only stating that MANY coaches feel that a fixed gear (in early base training on the flats only) will increase
pedal stroke efficiency by training the muscles/neurons to operate in an ~ 360 degree circle, instead of choppy squares.
But maybe this is now considered 'old school' thinking?
BTW; are you a mountain bike rider, or a roadie (or BOTH)?