On A Fixie: A Case for Cages/Track Pedals

...Props to this guy.

Fixies, as many of you may have begun to realize...are catching on, and one of the prominent contributors this new fixie-fad is the retro/urban throwback status that the bike and its rider attain when seen on the street.

Basically, fixies are cool.

A great deal of the retro-ness (yeah, it's a word, sucka) of any given fixed-gear bicycle comes from the wheels, the paint job, and the drive train. One of the most imporant parts of the drive train, may I remind you, is the set of pedals. The pedals are what connects the rider's legs to the bikes. The engine to the vehicle. THE POWER TO THE STREET.

On that note, one must then be minful of what type of pedals to use. Clipless is one way to go, yes, but many times I find myself riding my bike to a place where cycling shoes don't exactly set the standard for style. Because of this, I often ride in my chuck taylors.

Track Pedals, like the ones on the right, are a great way to get around in style. They provide a stable platform in which to get yo' self up to speed, and one that is generally light enough to not add unwanted grams to your rig, but wide enough to skid all day and night. These type of pedals are great for fixie tricks and the sort, because one doesn't have to twist and snap out of the pedal, just a simple lift of the foot like when you were little. A great set of MKS pedals do the trick, and in combination with some sweet kicks (thats what we call shoes on the street), you'll be rolling in style. Err...riding in style.

What I actually do is use a set of cages, as shown at the left. What these do is keep your foot in the right spot on the pedal, providing they are adjusted right. Too tight, you can't get your foot out; too loose and you may as well just not have them on. They keep your foot straight forward to avoid knee problems, and I like to use them because when I skid around corners, I don't have to worry about my foot sliding off the side.

A drawback to cages, though, is upon startup, I always get angry about having to flip my pedals over to slide my feet in them (it's annoying). So with that in mind, I suppose that the main argument here can be summarized and shortened to fashion on a fixie. I like shoes, and I like it when people can see my shoes, therefore, I hate to wear cycling shoes everywhere.

Gas prices are down. I saw them for $1.95 today.

Riding is still cheaper.