Couple of days ago I wrote that we’re going to post some mountain biking related stuff quite alot in the upcoming monts. I already did a short article about the season opener and my new bike.

I rode a single speed mountain bike for about two seasons (now trying gears again, at least for a while but that’s another story). Why, you migh ask? Well, simplicity is one thing - I like riding more than maintaining (or “tuning” bikes). A single speed mountain bike with good disc brakes is one reliable item. Tune the ride once to the set-up you like, ride and forget.

Another reason for single speeding is the great feeling you get riding without gears. Or, actually, having the “gears” in your legs. You just ride and when you have to adjust “the gearing” - it is all in your legs. Getting used to this might take awhile (this is not a lazy man’s sport!) but once you’ve got the feeling, it is just pure love…

The author riding a single speed mtb in our home trails…

The fixed gear riders take this philosophy a step further. Without the freewheel and the ability to coast, you gotta have the skills to pedal all the time and also control the speed your bike by controlling the drivetrain, not the brakes (Although many riders have a front brake for “emergency” situations). This whole thing requires another, different skillset for the rider - even for an experinced mountain biker, it takes at least a few days to get to feel comfortable with a “fixie” bike.

I have followed this phenomena in our home city for a while. Unfortunately, for two years, I had the job that required quite alot of driving - if I went to riding, “into the woods” was the mantra. There was no need for a city-use, commuter type of bike. Approximately ninetyfive percent of my rides were pure single-track riding.

Luckily I got a new job and daily commuting shortened significantly - suddenly my interest to a urban bike culture increased immediately!

At the moment I use my trusty cyclo cross bike, Surly Cross-Check for commuting (another great, great bike by the way!). Surly serves me very well but I’d say the frame is more of an allrounder, capable of anything from light trail riding to long road rides (with slick tyres) and touring with heavy load. Thus, I wouldn’t convert the it to the “pure” urban rig. The frame is IMHO way too versatile to be “wasted” for only that use…some might disagree on that though, as the frame would be very beautiful on a simple, “puristic” fixed gear set-up…

Anyway, I have a project of building an old 80’s French Peugeot touring frame for a pure urban commuter bike. I will post some “before” and “after” reports when we got the project going on…

Luckily, an old friend of mine, Jussi, is very keen on this kind of bikes and will offer some help in building the frame (because I’m a total newbie in this genre!). What is even more exiting is that Jussi happens to blog about the fixed gear/urban single speed bikes as well…

Jussi’s übercool Harry Quinn 70’s old school track bike (Image source: www.fixedgearworld.com)

If you want to know what’s going on in the “fixie” world, check Jussi’s blog. It will tell you all (well, not maybe yet, as he just started) about the interesting world of fixed gear, track bikes, urban single speeds etc. I’ll quote his “about” section:

“Jussi Kulonpalo is a thirty-something fixed gear enthusiast and bike commuter riding an old school track bike in Helsinki every day. Jussi has been a casual yet passionate cyclist since he got his first tricycle in mid 1970s. He’s had a host of different bikes along the way: from the tricycle to a junior road bike to a MTB to beach cruiser to a folding beater bike to a single speed MTB to a fixed gear road bike conversion to a pure old school track bike.

Right now bikewise Jussi loves the simplicity, purity and fluidity of riding a classic track bike built for speed in the city traffic more than anything else.

Jussi is currently pursuing an academic career, which revolves around urban studies, urban design and planning so issues such as cycling lanes, their design and urban policies related to cycling are bound to come up in this blog as well.”

If this all got you interested, keep checking Jussi’s blog at the: http://fixedgearworld.com/

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If you enjoyed this post, then make sure you subscribe to our RSS Feed or Email Newsletter. This article was written by Janne Niini and it’s original location is in HomeboySki.Com skiing blog. For more great skiing articles, please visit HomeboySki.Com!

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