Matthew Lang avatar

Matthew Lang

Family guy and web developer

Outdoors

Walking, hiking, cycling, and life away from the screen.

I’ve managed to walk during my lunch hour three days in a row.

I have a meeting tomorrow at lunchtime though, so I may need to reschedule my walk for the morning instead.

A peaceful rural landscape with a grassy field, distant hills, and a partially leaf-covered tree under a clear sky.

Walking the local trails with Jennifer this afternoon. Even on this grey and cold day, it’s still a great place to walk.

A branch is covered with green moss and lichen against a blurred natural background.A smiling couple is wearing winter clothing, including a knit hat with a sports logo and a black cap, outdoors.A person in a winter jacket and scarf strikes a joyful pose in front of a large, bushy tree in a grassy field.

It’s been a pain having to work past the good sunsets this week, so today, I finished early and captured some of the blue hour tonight.

It’s not quite as blue as I hoped. If the skies are clear, I might try again over the next few days.

A serene landscape at dusk features a silhouetted horizon with a subtle glow in the sky and a small crescent moon to the left.

Free-range parenting in Norway

Like all of their friends, they’ve been walking to and from school alone since they first attended at the age of six. They were given their own set of house keys soon after. This is the parenting way in Norway – it’s decidedly free-range, with an emphasis on independence, self-determination and responsibility, with a dash of outdoor fun thrown in for good measure.

How to be a Norwegian parent: let your kids roam free, stay home alone, have fun – and fail

I read this and wished I could have been more of a free-range parent when the boys were growing up. Yes, we are a bit more risk-averse in the UK, but as a country, we’re definitely not in the same ballpark as Norway.

Working from the garden this afternoon was somewhat more productive than I thought. Fresh air, a single screen, and only enough space on the table for my laptop, mug, and notebook. I think I’ll be doing this more often!

Cracking day at Edinburgh Castle with the family! Still a great place to visit. I would have liked less crowds there to get a chance to get a few more interesting pictures, but can’t argue with its popularity.

Another cold afternoon walk to break up the day. It won’t be long until spring, and we will see the green leaves on the trees again. I can’t wait.

With Ethan playing the last round of a competition at Longniddry Golf Club today, Jen, Drew, and I decided to wander around the surrounding area.

We had already planned to take a walk along Longniddry Bents. Despite the usual grey weather that Scotland is famous for, the walk along the beach was great. We then headed into Cockenzie and Port Seton, but with little to do there, we had a look to see what was nearby.

We decided to head there because Rosslyn Chapel was just a half hour away. We were a few minutes late for the tour’s start, which allowed us to take some great pictures of the outside of the chapel while everyone was inside getting the guided tour. The inside of the chapel was just as beautiful as the outside. Particularly the Apprentice Pillar and the many carvings on the pillars and arches inside the chapel.

All in all, it was a pretty great day.

Niagara Falls trip

All of us headed down to Niagara Falls for the day to enjoy some of the sights down there. The first thing we all did was the boat trip to see the falls up close. We haven’t done this since Drew was born so it was nice for him to experience this with all of us. After a wander round Clifton Hill, we grabbed some pizza and did the Sky Wheel to take in some great views of the falls.

Deer on the 11th tee

There I was waiting on the final match tonight when I noticed a nice bit of light through the trees from the 11th tee. It wasn’t until I got home and I realised I captured a deer almost in the middle of the shot.

Out walking round our local trails and we managed to spot a deer. It’s been a while since we last seen one round there.

We’re getting a bit more daylight now, so me and Jen have started up our mid-week walks again. Lockdown or not, we’re going to keep this going.

I managed my first walk/run of the year this morning. I ended up splitting the two roughly 50/50. Not bad for a first attempt at running. I’m aiming to run the full distance by the end of February.

We spent the day exploring the beaches and grounds around Culzean Castle today. It was such a great place to spend the day, and we also got lucky with the weather!

Had a great time yesterday at St Andrews. Got the boy’s picture on the Swilken bridge, walked along the beach, had one of the best fish and chips ever, and finally wandered around the ruins of St Andrews Cathedral. Next time we visit, we’re bringing the golf clubs.

Great day down at Troon today with Jennifer and the boys.

Spent most of the day walking along the beach searching for shells for Drew’s school project. The water was nice and cool for a refreshing dip at the end of the walk as well.

I had no idea about the “Firefall” that occurs at El Capitan at this time of year.

“Firefall” occurs when the setting sun reflects off of Horsetail Falls at a certain angle, making the waterfall emit a fiery orange glow. It is highly dependent on environmental factors: If the skies are cloudy, that orange light will not hit the east side of El Capitan—the vertical rock formation where the falls are located— and the phenomenon won’t occur.

— Viral photos show Yosemite’s “firefall” phenomenon glowing in California

The pictures of this are just amazing.

Nicholas Bate’s Essential Tools of Excellence continues with the fixie. It’s the one bike that everyone should own.

Update: Some links in this post pointed to pages that no longer exist and have been removed.

I’m really liking what Kona are doing with their bikes these days. The Honza is another great bike from them. Price is a bit steep though!

Back on the #langster for running errands at lunchtime. Great to be clocking up the miles again. #langsterforlife

The least loved great sportsman?

On a day where a Brit has won his fourth Tour de France, the focus seems to be more on Jordan Spieth’s win at The Open. Why isn’t Froome’s success more of a talking point then?

There is no fluking a yellow jersey. Three weeks of physical attrition, of relentless mental calculations and stress, of staying ahead of a shifting mass of rivals ganging up to unseat you, of managing egos and efforts within your own team, of high mountains and cruel cross-winds.

And yet when Chris Froome won his third Tour last year, having run up Mont Ventoux in his cleats on his way to victory, he failed to even make the 16-strong shortlist for the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year.

— Tour de France 2017: Is Chris Froome Britain’s least loved great sportsman? by Tom Fordyce for BBC Sport

I was a long time fan of cycling. Ever since I first seen Miguel Indurain capture his Tour wins, I was hooked. Every year I would watch the Tour. Then I started watching the Giro and the Vuelta too. I love watching the big cycling tours. It was the highlight of my sporting calendar. Only the Super Bowl rivalled it in terms of how much I looked forward to it.

Then there was the Armstrong period, and then after that a number of incidents involving other riders. That’s when I started losing interest in the sport. Despite those many years of following it, I just couldn’t watch it anymore.

I tried watching a stage of the Tour this year but I couldn’t keep my focus on it.

I admire Froome’s success, I can’t help but think though that perhaps there are other factors in this. Is the UK is falling out of love with cycling? Do we have success fatigue with cycling? It’s a terrible thought considering a British rider has achieved his fourth win of the Tour, but with all the recent success that Great Britain has had with cycling, perhaps it just doesn’t have the same appeal it used to have.

Perhaps the Tour de France needs a change of format to make it more interesting? One thing that usually happens in the tour is that the winner of the yellow jersey holds onto the jersey for a number of days before the last stage of the race. The last stage of the tour is frequently a foregone conclusion. Does it need to be changed up a bit to make it more difficult for riders to hang onto the yellow jersey?

I don’t know why Froome isn’t getting more spotlight in the media for his success.

All I know is that my preferred sport to watch on the day is golf rather than cycling. So I settled down today to watch what I could of the golf and enjoyed every minute of it.

It’s a tribal thing. I used to be part of the cycling tribe, but recently I started enjoying golf more. I still cycle every now and again but it just no longer has the pull that it had in the past.

New Ass-savers

Might be time for another batch of these. The one on the Langster is starting to look a bit worse for wear and Drew is starting to cycle as well. Ethan already has one for his mountain bike for cycling to school.

Also I’m fed up with picking out mud from the back of my forks. The Mudder might help with that problem.

The bike industry is bad enough with it’s annual product cycle and “industry standards” without having to add market specific models.

Now I’m left with the choice of two Langster models that I’d rather not purchase and so must look elsewhere. Sorry @iamspecialized!

I had plans to buy a @iamspecialized Langster Street for my birthday next month, but it’s a US only model. 😖

Great to see the city officials in San Francisco and Seattle responding positively to the need for more bike lines.

When two cyclists were tragically killed in hit-and-run accidents this past summer, a group of anonymous urban activists known as the San Francisco Transformation Agency erected a set of protected bike lanes using traffic cones. Usually such guerrilla interventions are temporary. They raise awareness but ultimately get taken down by municipal authorities. But when the same group recently (and illegally) installed a set of soft-hit posts alongside Golden Gate Park, the city reacted by moving to make the change official.

— Guerrilla Bike Lanes: San Francisco Makes Illicit Infrastructure Permanent by Kurt Kohlstedt

Upon a friend’s recommendation we took a break last year to Aviemore. We had such a great time last year we decided to head back again this year. We managed to do a few things different this year and the scenery was wonderful as always.

My first ride round Loch an Eilein on a murky and gloomy afternoon.

A walk through the elevated trails of Landmark Adventure park.

The boys trying to spot a few red squirrels.

Another ride round Loch an Eilein. This time before the sunrise on Thursday.

Attempted a panorama shot during a ride. Turned out quite well.

Ready for purchasing. The Cure is screaming out to be bought.

I had great intentions of getting another Langster next year but I may have to review that decision.

Update: Some links in this post pointed to pages that no longer exist and have been removed.

Time for New Lights?

Maybe. My Knog lights are still going strong and they’re holding their charge well. Despite that, these Knog Blinder MOB lights are going on the list as possible replacements.

Update: Some links in this post pointed to pages that no longer exist and have been removed.

Just ran 4km in 30 minutes. Is that good? It’s the first time I’ve ran any considerable distance in over 20 years.

New Bike Frame Material?

Can’t wait to see if it can be used as a frame material for bikes.

Today a team of material scientists at Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea announced what they’re calling one of the biggest steel breakthroughs of the last few decades: an altogether new type of flexible, ultra-strong, lightweight steel. This new metal has a strength-to-weight ratio that matches even our best titanium alloys, but at one tenth the cost, and can be created on a small scale with machinery already used to make automotive-grade steel.

— Scientists Invent a New Steel as Strong as Titanium by Popular Mechanics

Time for a new Langster?

Next year it will be 10 years since I purchased my Specialized Langster bike. It’s still running well and is a solid bike. Like any bike fan though, I do crave that chance to purchase something new. Will 2016 be the year to purchase a new Langster? It’s looking that way.

Russian Family Cut Off For 40 Years

The amazing story of a family living deep in Siberia without contact with the world for 40 years.

It was a clearing, 6,000 feet up a mountainside, wedged between the pine and larch and scored with what looked like long, dark furrows. The baffled helicopter crew made several passes before reluctantly concluding that this was evidence of human habitation—a garden that, from the size and shape of the clearing, must have been there for a long time.

It was an astounding discovery. The mountain was more than 150 miles from the nearest settlement, in a spot that had never been explored. The Soviet authorities had no records of anyone living in the district.

— For 40 Years, This Russian Family Was Cut Off From All Human Contact, Unaware of World War II by Smithsonian

Nights are Fair Drawing In

Darker nights mean no more sun blessed evening rides, well at least until next year. Going to make an effort to get a few more bikes rides under my belt in the evening and enjoy the last days of summer.

Had a mini test ride on a Specialized Fatboy today. I’m pretty sure my next bike will be a fat tyre bike. So comfortable!

Victoire Cycles 29er MTB

Having ridden the 650b wheel size for the last three months, I’ve been impressed with the larger wheel size. I can only imagine how much fun riding the bigger 29 inch wheels will be. Especially on this beautifully built Victoire Cycles hardtail.

Photograph: Side shot of a steel hardtail mountain bike

via CycleEXIF

That was weird. First pic at the start of the ride just posted alongside the recent one. Bizarre.

War on the roads

A slightly biased article towards cyclists that points the finger at the motor industry to blame for what they call crazy helmet laws. I disagree.

I wear a helmet not because I’m afraid a car hits me. If I fall off my bike at speed due to a car, pedestrian or even a pothole, then I stand a better chance of walking away from the fall.

Put it this way, would you take a chance with your kids not wearing a helmet when they’re cycling?

I must find a way to put in a 2 hour bike ride at night that doesn’t keep me awake for hours after it. 2am I think I finally fell asleep at.

Don’t get me wrong, my straps are secure and keep my feet planted, but sometimes getting my feet out can be a bit of a hit and miss.

Also good to have SPDs back on the fixie rather than toe straps. I’m feel more sure footed on them than the straps.

Store Bought Bike or Online Bought Bike?

For the last month I’ve been pouring over mountain bike websites and magazines in the hope that I can pick up a decent bike at a reasonable price.

In the distant past this was a no-brainer. I would head to my local bike shop and ask about some recommendations. The advice was always balanced towards the models they had in the store or could order in. To be fair most local bike shops carry a fair range of mountain bikes, and if these were the only ones on offer then you can always find something that will suit your needs. Things are changing though with the introduction of Internet based bike companies. These small companies offer better specced bikes for less than the majority of bikes that are available in your local bike shop. They do this by selling directly to the customer, cutting out both the distributor and the local bike shop.

On-one have been a favourite of mine for a while. Their initial line of singlespeed steel hardtails were sold direct to customers from their website. Within a few months they were a success. Today they now carry a bigger range of bikes and frames for all different types of riders.

Bird are another mountain bike company that have recently surfaced using the same business model. With just one hardtail frame and full-suspension frame in their product line, they offer a number of build options for each frame according to the customer’s budget.

Both of these companies aim to do one thing. Save money on the amount you pay for the bike by selling to you directly.

The business model is great for customers. They end up saving money on a similarly built bike offered in their local bike shop or they can get more bang for their buck by spending the same amount at the online retailer than they would at their local bike shop. Ask most people where they would probably buy their bike and I’m willing to bet that most would pick the online retailer. This is bad news for local bike shops though. Bikes are big ticket items, and if the trend towards buying from online retailers gains momentum, it would

I’m still on the fence about it. The Bird Zero is great value for money in terms of its specification. The other bike I’m considering, a Whyte 901, is distributed through bike stores and while it carries a higher price tag than the Bird Zero, it’s not too far off my budget for a new bike. Both bikes match my preferred riding style, so there’s no problem there. At this price level, £200 more for a bike isn’t going to break the bank, but it does mean that I’m supporting a local bike shop. On the other hand, buying from an online retailer means saving a bit more money. I am swaying towards buying a store bought bike, but the decision isn’t final yet.

Update: Some links in this post pointed to pages that no longer exist and have been removed.

Kappstein FlipFree Hub

A rear hub that doesn’t require you to flip the wheel to switch from fixed to freewheel?

I’m sold.

This looks like it will be the start of a new fixie build for 2015.

Update: Some links in this post pointed to pages that no longer exist and have been removed.

Graham Obree and Chris Boardman have both had their Hour Record times re-instated into the record books thanks to simpler regulations that determine the equipment cyclists can use to break the hour record.

Update: Some links in this post pointed to pages that no longer exist and have been removed.

I had that ‘new bike itch’ again, but despite the advances in lighter materials and better suspension, I’m still a hardtail die hard at heart.

I went out on my first mountain bike ride in a few months this week. It was great fun, I’m hoping to get out a lot more often now that I have more time and family life has settled down again. Our youngest is finally sleeping a lot better thanks to his new inhalers, my freelance career is steady and my bike came out the shop with a few much needed upgrades a few months ago. My bike is an On-One Inbred steel hardtail with mid-travel suspenion at the front. Steel has been a favourite of mine since I got my first mountain bike as a kid, a Kona Fire Mountain. I love the feel you get on the trail as you’re riding. I have tried a couple of aluminium frames in the past but you can feel the harshness of these frames as you’re riding. Every bump on the trails is transferred through the frame to you. When it gets bumpy you can feel it.

I’ve also tried a couple of ‘hardcore hardtails’ for more aggressive riding in the last few years. These bikes are great for downhilling, jumps, and bigger drops than your typical mountain bike could handle. Those days are long past me though. Hefting such weight about on the trail can take it’s toll. I’m reaching my late thirties now and I don’t have the stamina I had when I was younger, so when I want to get out and ride, I just want to ride. Which is why I eventually settled on the bike I did, a plain hardtail trail bike.

After talking to a friend about his new full-suspension bike, I got that ‘new bike itch’ again. So last night at 2am while our youngest was demolishing a bottle of milk, I started browsing for full-suspension bikes on my iPhone.

Having never owned a full-suspension bike, I’ve nothing to compare a hardtail to in terms of riding, but for the purist like me I think that they’re more suited to more extreme trails. They have their advantages when setup correctly, even with the extra weight they carry (which is becoming less and less of an issue), they allow for faster lines absorbing all those bumps and roots in the trails that other bikes may opt to avoid. I’m not going to get into a debate with the rest of the mountain biking community over hardtails versus full-suspension, for me I do prefer a well built hardtail.

After 30 minutes of browsing the many online bike stores, one thing was clear to me. Full-suspension bikes are more expensive than their hardtail counterparts, but even aiming at the £1000 point there are few full-suspension bikes that would win me over. I’ll admit it would be hard to get a decent full-suspension bike at this price point, going higher would definitely open up more options, but I couldn’t realistically pay anymore than £2000 for a mountain bike. If I had a budget of £1500 I would definitely buy a hardtail every time. The simplicity of the setup is what sells it for me. A bike that you can simply ride anywhere. Yes it might not handle the more extreme trails in the Alps, or even the black routes at the trails centres across Scotland, but it will handle the 90% of my riding needs. Also at this point you can push the boat out to getting yourself a better than average bike in terms of components.

The new bike itch is still there largely in part to the changing sizes in wheels that bikes are available in. I think the 650B size will eventually become the more popular wheel size in general with a minority number of bikes coming in the 29” size.

I’m not ready to buy anything just yet, but when the time comes, I will definitely be looking towards the hardtail market again for a new bike. It’s a proven design that has lasted for decades and hopefully will last for many more to come.

New Lights from Knog

These are definitely one of the best brand of lights I’ve used for cycling. Great to see they’re getting more and more powerful but still use USB to charge them.

Must check the LBS to see if they have the Blinder Arc 1.7 in stock. It would be great for son’s bike.

Update: Some links in this post pointed to pages that no longer exist and have been removed.

Mountain bike lovers beware ...

… Thomson (yes that Thomson) are making frames now.

Click ahead to the frame in all its beauty while I wipe the drool from my chin.

Update: Some links in this post pointed to pages that no longer exist and have been removed.

After the Ice Storm

After the ice storm that hit the Toronto area before Christmas, I managed to get a few shots of the fields across the road from my in-laws house just as the sun was setting. These were taken over two days which explains the change in the clouds.

Proof that technology and search companies are not the only corporate bullies when it comes ‘brand protection’.

Just disgusting Specialized, and yes, the actual Roubaix cobblestones are what first come to mind when I hear the name. Not your bike.

Update: Some links in this post pointed to pages that no longer exist and have been removed.

The Fragmenting Mountain Bike

My first bike. A Kona Fire Mountain. I think it was the 1995 edition of the bike. Gold P2 forks with a dark green frame, cantilever brakes and of course a quill style stem. Those were the days. When mountain biking was still young. When bikes were all built to similar sizes and specs. It was like this for years.

Then innovation trickled through the industry in small, slow waves. Quill stems were gradually replaced with the new headsets. Cantilever brakes were slowly replaced by V-brakes and then after that disc brakes became the standard way of scrubbing down your speed on the trails. Rigid forks were replaced with suspension forks to allow for more comfort for the rider.

One component remained constant through all these innovative changes though. The 26” wheel. Since the first mountain bikes sold to the public, up until now, 26” wheels have been the standard wheel size for mountain bikes and its many disciplines. Cross country racing, downhill racing, trail riding, 4X, trials and street riding. Different disciplines and different types of riding, but they all used the same wheel size.

Then it started. The fragmentation as I like to call it. It started with a new bigger wheel size. The 29” wheel. The arguments for a bigger wheel were good. A bigger wheel would roll better over obstacles, the contact point where the wheel meets the ground is greater so there is more traction and you lose momentum slower than you would with a smaller wheel.

The downside? It’s too big for your current frame and therefore you need a new frame and a new fork.

Then the 27.5” wheel came along. The old standard wheel size is too small and the 29” wheel is too big. Let’s make a wheel that fits exactly in between they said. The benefits of a bigger wheel than the old standard 26” but without the much added weight of a 29”.

Now, I’m not sure on the facts of this, but I have heard of riders who have in fact managed to fit 27.5” wheels onto a mountain bike frame with just a marginal change in the geometry of the frame, but if you’re going to ride 27.5” wheels then I would at least think that I would only ride them on a frame that is designed to take them.

Wheels sizes are now forcing bike companies to assess what wheels they will pair with the bikes in their range. Already we’re seeing bike companies with different wheel sizes in their range. You don’t get the option of simply picking your preferred bike and wheel size. Certain models in the range will be tied to one of the three ‘standard’ wheel sizes.

And that’s where I think it’s sad for the mountain bike industry. Gone are the days where you can gradually over time upgrade your bike with better components as you know your bike is designed with sizes that almost every other bike uses.

Once you buy a bike that’s designed for that one wheel size, you’re basically stuck with the size for that particular bike. There will still be plenty of choice in components such as suspension forks, tyres and rims for those opting for one of the new wheel sizes, but nothing like the choice we had before.

I’m all for innovation and change. I’m a programmer for crying out loud. Most of my job is dealing with change and moving applications forward to use new platforms and software, but part of me wants to see a standard wheel size back for mountain bikes. I don’t care what size it is, just a size that I know is going to allow me to upgrade my bike for longer.

Still though, part of me wants the ‘one size fits all’ wheel for mountain bikes.

Wishlist Wednesday - Pedal Consumption Ass Savers

My fixie tends to be a fair weather bike these days, but the weather in Scotland is so unpredictable that it might be worth investing in these Pedal Consumption themed SmartAss mudguards.

via Pedal Consumption

Update: Some links in this post pointed to pages that no longer exist and have been removed.

Road cycling fan no longer

I watched Miguel Indurain as a kid. He is a legend in cycling. When I first started watching cycling, Indurain was already on three Tour wins with a fourth on it’s way. I watched him take his next Tour title and I was hooked on the sport.

We didn’t see the likes of another Indurain until Lance Armstrong came on the scene. After chalking up a succession of Tour wins, there was just no stopping him. There was an aura about him. He just looked like he belonged there. Now today, his credibility as a sportsman is in tatters, but Lance Armstrong isn’t the only guilty party to disgrace the sport. His is obviously the most widely covered and most damaging to the sport due to the number of Tour wins he achieved in his career, but there are others.The last 15 years of cycling have seen an increase in the frequency of doping scandals that have been reported. Year after year, riders are accused of doping and what’s surprising to me is that riders are still testing positive for banned substances. Enough is enough.

For me the sport has been dogged by too many years of scandals which in turn have led to rumours of corruption higher up in the sport. My love of road cycling is definitely over. As a Brit I should have been over the moon to see Bradley Wiggins on the top of the podium in the Tour last year, but I barely paid much attention to it.

Maybe in a few years, if the sport has really tidied up its image then I’ll watch again. However, it’s no more road cycling for me.

Wishlist Wednesday - YNOT Products

So we’re definitely going to Canada this year. Which means I’m definitely heading down to YNOT’s with a wad of notes to get me some YNOT stuff for the bikes.

via YNOT

Update: Some links in this post pointed to pages that no longer exist and have been removed.

Photo of the day

I still want to go back here and watch the sun rise and set on the canyon. I only got to see the canyon during the middle of the day. Nevertheless, it is a breath taking place to see, no matter what time of day it is.

via Mme Scherzo

Wishlist Wednesday - Mountain bike expo in SFO

Not everything on your wishlist needs to be things you want to own. How about attending events?Well this one should be on every mountain bikers list. An exhibition in San Francisco International Airport on the history and evolution of the mountain bike.

I’ve read about the Repack story so many times now but it never gets old.

Update: Some links in this post pointed to pages that no longer exist and have been removed.

Wishlist Wednesday - SRAM XX-1

Yes folks, we have entered new realms of crazy in the mountain bike world. 11 gears.

It was only a couple of years ago that everyone thought we were going to have 3x10 gearing, but now 2x9/10 is becoming more popular and if you have the legs for it, you can go down to 1x11, SRAM’s new drivetrain.

With this you can now pretty much get any number of gearing you want (within reason of course) on any mountain bike.

Carbon cranks for the XX-1 set might be a bit expensive though, so I’ll wait for it to trickle down the range perhaps next year.

How gnarly are the cobbles at Roubaix?

Pretty gnarly if you ask me, and I’m more of a mountain biker than a roadie.I ride fast descents through rocks, twisty trails over roots and even make the odd jump here and there on my mountain bike, but riding at these speeds over cobbles with thin tyres is a true test of skill. Yip, Roubaix is pretty gnarly.

Thanks for the video Curtis!

Star Wars and time trial racing. What’s there not to like?

via Distracted by Star Wars

Update: Some links in this post pointed to pages that no longer exist and have been removed.

Why commuting with a fixie is better than you you think

Over 4 years ago I decided to eschew the typical geared bikes of the time and bought myself a Specialized Langster. Initially this bike was to be used for short 2 hour rides, but in time it came to be my preferred bike of choice for commuting and short rides.

While my bike was setup as singlespeed when I bought it, I always had a niggling thought at the back of my mind to flip the backwheel so that I could try it as a fixed wheel bike. One day my neighbour talked me into flipping the back wheel. It’s been nearly a year now since I done this and I haven’t looked back since.

One gear

With no gears to worry about you avoid the nightmare of trying to maintain a smooth set of gears on your bike. This is easy to do in the summer, but for the rest of the year, the elements can take their toll on your bike.

Last winter in the UK, we seen a massive increase in the use of grit on the roads to help clear the snow. While it was great to clear the snow, the grit remained lying at the side of the road. Combine this grit and salt with rain and your going to be spending a lot more time cleaning your gears just to ensure they keep working smoothly. No such problem with a fixed wheel, a simple rub down to remove excess water from your chain and a quick spray of lube and a wipe to remove the excess lube and your bike is set for the next commute.

Minimal braking

After moving to a fixed wheel bike, the next thing I did was remove my back brake. With a fixed wheel, I can use my legs to push back, slowing myself down without touching the rear brake lever. I use the front brake in conjuction with my legs to trim my speed at the moment, but I haven’t quite mastered the ability to completely lock the back wheel yet. Hopefully it should come with a little bit of practice.

Economical

The economy hasn’t been great recently and people are looking for more ways of cutting back on expenses. A fixed wheel bike is not only cheap to buy but also cheap to maintain.

Ever seen a cyclist just zip through the traffic leaving stuck in the grid lock of the morning rush hour? Yeah, that guys going to make it into his work long time before you get there and he probably won’t have spent as much on fuel as you did for your car!

Commuting on this bike has been and will continue to be great thanks to its low maintenance. This bike will last for years to come. Let’s hope I stay fit enough to keep commuting!