Re: smooth out your pedal stroke *?*

i almost hesitate to question this publicly as we hear this alleged 
benefit of riding fixed touted so much, but as the rider of a fixed gear 
bike i've always been curious why people seem to think that riding fixed 
will "smooth" ones spin.

     what i find is that riding fixed helps me work around the habit of 
being only able to make power primarily at my preferred cadence (drilled 
in from miles of riding as a tourist) and helps me learn how to make 
power at whatever cadence my speed might be forcing me to be at,... but 
since the motion of the bike (and thereby the pedals) *forces* a 
continued pedaling action i don't think it does nearly as much to help 
smooth out my spin as much as riding rollers (which also have the 
benefit of improving form, efficiency and handling skills).

     don't get me wrong; i love riding my old fixed-gear Ibis around, 
but think the benefits of riding fixed are more related to helping build 
power at different cadences and different ranges of motion than in 
smoothing ones stroke out.
     i think if you really want to "smooth" out your stroke, ride 
rollers!    ;-)


cheers!
e


On 05/Feb/11 22:22, Kelly Iniguez wrote:
> A friend of mine just ordered a fixie from this site - $395. for a custom
> build. Sure sounds good.
>
> http://www.bigshotbikes.com/index.html
>
> Come spring (spring is coming, isn't it?) your pedal stroke will be as
> smooth as silk.
>
> No relation, etc. just passing on a good deal.
>