I wondered off and on the last year, with all the fixed gear riding I’d been doing, what it would be like to umm…..ride a coasting bike for a bit. I mean, I never decided I was giving up freewheeling or even gears for that matter. And I got my new Vulture SS (fixed/free) that’s barely seen its rear brake and freewheel used…so I decided to try an experiment. Last week I rode the Uni (fixed) to work, and on all my errands. This week I’ve been riding the GX (geared Vulture coaster-cross) for all my trips.
A few thoughts after the 2 week trial:
1. Fixed gear riding allows for reverse and instant brakeless speed control.
2. Fixed is like riding a horse, the bike has a mind of its own and requires commitment and understanding to get it to go where you want.
3. The Uni has a trailish 40/21 gear, which is fine for trails and uphills.
4. Riding the long downhill on pavement on the way home is a chore, and works the suppleness (or lack thereof) of my legs.
5. Fixed is pretty slow overall with the 40/21 on my commute.
1. Freewheeling allows you to adjust your shoes, your shorts, even remove your backpack without stopping.
2. Freewheeling makes bunny-hopping natural, as opposed to an iffy-scary proposition.
3. Freewheeling requires less concentration: a mixed-blessing.
4. It’s really hard for me to do a trackstand, at least a good one, on a coaster.
5. Freewheeling overall is really fast for commuting, and gears don’t hurt there either.
It’s been really fun to ride the GX. It allows me to climb up to work without getting too hot. This week, that has been a REAL issue. In commuter mode, I don’t miss reverse so much. I guess I don’t feel like entertaining myself on the way to work and on the way home it seems like I’m in a bit of a hurry to get something done so I don’t play around too much then either. I think for my commute the GX just rocks out, I’ve got somewhere to be and want to get there with the minimum of fuss and maximum speed.
I rode the Uni around tonite to do some errands, with no particular timetable in mind, and I realized (again) how much I really like the direct drive. I love to ride in reverse and I feel so at ease doing trackstands on fixed. I didn’t get onto the trail tonite, but just cruising the Uni around made me want to ride some sweet trails on fixed as soon as I can. When there’s no conflict of interest or deadlines, fixed is really great.
I did one good hard hybrid road/trail ride on the GX, the first real coaster/fun ride I’ve done since I broke my Vulture last summer. It was SO fun. The trails I rode have lots and lots of downed trees and lend themselves to coasting well. It was like a breath of fresh air. I’ve ridden those same trails on the Uni many times and I’ll tell you it’s a big challenge. The GX has skinnier tires than the Uni. But it’s a bit easier to control on the rough stuff. It’s probably not a good direct comparison handling-wise, because the GX was custom built for me by Wade, specifically for hard trail riding (not cyclocross.) The Uni is of course, an early 80’s touring bike that was never intended for what I’ve done with it.
In summary, I’d have to say that I really like both. Each has its charms, functionalities, and shortcomings. Fixed is compelling, requires more skill and strength, and never fails to provide a few surprises on each ride. Coasting is faster, allows for a wandering mind, and is just plain fast on paved downhills.
So, I proved nothing. I had a great time. I’ve ridden everywhere for 2 weeks and not had to move my car or burn any fossil fuels. I got myself excited about my coasters. And I fell in love with the Uni again tonite after a week of freewheeling.
Ride more. Use the best tool you have for the job/task/fun at hand. I will continue to extoll the virtue of riding fixed here on this page, but always with a nudge-nudge wink-wink that coasting is OK too.
Over and Out
G.