[dawgcatching]

On most mornings (4-5 days per week) I get on my fixed gear (44x16) for a quick 30-minute ride to town and back. I mostly do this because I love to ride, find it makes a great start to the day, and don't usually have time to get in a longer ride before work. The fixie is ideal for a short, quick ride, especially one with many stops and starts.

Because there are several stops and starts on this route, a decent hill, and almost always a persistent headwind, I end up getting the HR up on part of the ride (mostly trying to outsprint cars and make the next light). I find that after the morning ride, I always feel fresher for my normal evening ride: it probably works as a recovery to burn the previous day's waste from the legs.

Is my morning ride doing me any good fitness-wise, or should I just focus on having fun? Also, should I count this toward my weekly mileage-will 4 days of quick 30-minute rides equal a slower 2-hour ride in the evening? And, is the fixed-gear a good way to train for sprints and accelerations?

 

[tobu]

I'm not a big fan of fixed gear riding with lots of stops and starts, but I think you should keep it up because you are having fun and you feel good about it.

Possible minuses to fixed gear training:
Bad for your pedal stroke.
Not always safe.

 

[bauerb]

good variety

nothing wrong with riding a fixie as part of a varied training regime. fixie will provide opportunities for 3 diff workouts as prescribed in CMT: Muscle Tension, Power Starts, and Stomps.

as for affecting pedal stroke, some people swear that a fixie helps improve pedal technique

 

[tobu]

Riding a fixed gear can be great for your pedal stroke if you can really concentrate on pedaling smoothly. This requires controlled conditions like being on the track or nice roads which don't have lots of traffic and repeated starts and stops.

Under non-ideal conditions, riders tend to 1) back pedal frequently to slow down or 2) use the fixed gear to rest their legs on the up stroke. Neither of these lead to a fluid pedal stroke and probably do more harm than good.

I like commuting on a fixed gear because it's fun, so I encourage the OP to keep on riding for the same reasons.

 

[TurboTurtle]

Riding a fixed gear can be great for your pedal stroke if you can really concentrate on pedaling smoothly. This requires controlled conditions like being on the track or nice roads which don't have lots of traffic and repeated starts and stops.

Under non-ideal conditions, riders tend to 1) back pedal frequently to slow down or 2) use the fixed gear to rest their legs on the up stroke. Neither of these lead to a fluid pedal stroke and probably do more harm than good.

I like commuting on a fixed gear because it's fun, so I encourage the OP to keep on riding for the same reasons.

Health/fitness wise, it's great! That's riding.

Training involves a goal. From that goal (and your evaluations of current strengths/weaknesses) you know what areas of your cycling need work. You then have to do what is necessary to improve those areas. Does your fixed ride do this? Nobody here can tell you.

TF