What is a Fixie Bike?

The bike I ride, channel sponsor, pretty cool people:
wabicycles.com/
Mildly ironic Reasonably Dangerous cycling shirts:
www.zachgallardo.com/merch
Check out my fixed gear blog for a more in-depth explanation:
www.zachgallardo.com/blog/wha...
Maybe you got inspired to learn about fixie bikes from seeing some of the most beautifully simple bikes ever produced on Instagram, from watching Joseph Gordon-Levitt's undisputed magnum opus Premium Rush, or from watching the most helpful fixed gear content creator on the internet. And if you've ever thought to yourself, "yeah fixies are cool, but what the heck even is a fixie bike?", you've come to the right place. Here's exactly what a fixie bike is in plain English, so you can be on your way to becoming a fixed gear rider.
Get a shoutout at the end of each video by supporting the channel on Patreon: / zachgallardo
Zane Kolnik
Scott Palangi
Ryan Witt
Robby Andaya
Kelvin Ho
Justin Javier
Julian Corona
Henry Grant
Gio Dezera
David K
Brandon Black
Young Architect
Todd Brannan
Seungwan Kim
@nicodache
Nick
Michael Greif
MichaelRutchik
Martin Mohr
M.
Javier Lopez
Epilektric
Dominc Jones
Crash
Chris
Connect with me:
/ zachygallardo
#fixedgear

[@forcemacapagal736]

i was a mountain biker then i found this channel and found myself building a fixed gear. congrats to this channel it made it to 100k subs congrats zach

[@galenkehler]

Do a fixie MTB!

[@forcemacapagal736]

@@galenkehler i am planning to build another bike a Tracklocross bike.

[@depthsothenso813]

Wind Breaker Webtoon got me interested into buying a fixed gear bike. The tricks and techniques that I never knew existed until I seen the Webtoon. It's amazing what riders can do with their bikes in the story and the protagonists rides an old chromium bike.

[@woebegone5086]

chromoly bike yeah

[@amanzholkellett6724]

Congrats on 100k Zach!

[@SAFC8294]

A buddy got me into fixed gear and introduced me to your channel to learn more about fixed gear riding. Rode for a bit and was fully christened into the fixed gear life after riding brakeless in Boston. Super helpful channel, and congrats on the progress!!

[@ilikewheneastmeetswest9000]

omg congrats on 100k my guy! Your vids always helped me out :)

[@tonyd1660]

Congratulations on 100K subs! Great job! Keep up the awesome videos!!

[@knarf_on_a_bike]

Fixed gear is life (riding one since 1997). Congrats on 100k subs!

[@lokaquino5710]

100k subs!!! Congrats Zach!!!

[@props651]

I just built my first fixie. What a learning curve to ride and get use to. I dig it though and looking forward to getting comfortable and confident with it.

[@garyzimmerman122]

Great video! The coming together of older and younger people, fixed gear people, road bike people with multiple gears….. Just humans coming together and enjoying an experience! This is what the cycling community is all about.

[@kaizerX56]

Congrats on reaching 100k!

[@co8371]

Hahahahaha 🤣 “100k Fixie Foos Strong” ✊🏼 congrats bro!!!! Always been enjoying these vids bro, learned mucho and I must admit it was pretty raw watching you come up and deal with some of your personal battles. Keep it up!…..contributing that momentum that perpetuates this continual love and desire to ride Fixed Gear Bikes!🤙🚴💨💨💨💨💨💨⚙️4️⃣LIFE

[@Dragon_rls]

6-1/2 years. Keep up the good work Zach.👍

[@acetylcholine3]

Congrats, Zach! Keep up the good work! Can I suggest another video on different pedal styles? Clip less vs straps vs toe clips?

[@gold_soulo9283]

He has one on that already but a reworded one wouldn't be bad

[@niccstuazon1838]

Hello zack stay safe ride safe 🚴‍♂️

[@clairerjninofranco666]

Congrats 100k

[@justinbocchino5141]

Congrats on 100k. My friend likes your bike

[@sharleenduplessis6632]

Love my big ripper SS 29’er BMX

[@davidburgess741]

A fixed gear bike with a freewheel on the other side is still a fixed gear bike. By not using a rear brake you can still remain reasonably dangerous! Extra points awarded for 52x19 drivetrain! Badass look, reasonable ratio!

[@humildemarcelo]

I have a converted bike with both but I'm always using the fixed gear and left the rear brake unused.

[@humildemarcelo]

@Bebo bro, I'm the only one using fixed gear in my city. I'm the whole gang bitch xD

[@maxkrug2000]

I once converted an old mountain bike with vertical dropouts to fixed and used the old derailleur as chain tensioner. If you stopped pedaling, the chain would come off lol

[@arieldiaz9636]

No skids that’s sad

[@B_COOPER]

I’m sure you know this by now but you can’t use a derailleur style chain tensioner for fixed gear.

[@leebridgwater]

looking good Zach

[@greek42069]

If you reallly wanna blow your mind look up cavalerie bikes , they have a gearbox drivetrain with a fixed wheel hub .

[@mryotahead]

Do you find those toe cages scrape the ground at all ?

[@Rav-fj5ni]

I subscribed to your channel when you just have like 500subs. 😭 Congrats for the 100k!!

[@ridebud9775]

Is putting threadlocker Or locktite on thread of BB shell is advisable?

[@DopeNinjaGaming_]

ZACH, please make an in-depth how to remove fixed gear cranks and bottom bracket, in order to maintain it like greasing and tightening it down!!!

[@ernestorodriguez4943]

I was gifted a retrospec and I love it 😅

[@depthsothenso813]

Can you do a tutorial for fixed gear bike tricks, maneuvers, and techniques shown in the Wind Breaker Webtoon?

[@nautastro1503]

How to covert single gear hub to fixed gear hub ? Just use a fixed gear cog and a lock ring on the same hub? That's it ?

[@bricemendez520]

Being back fixie points!

[@wreckz9145]

You hit a hundred k yahhhhhh budddy

[@AmaroqStarwind]

If I put a rear cassette on a fixed-gear bicycle (but didn't put in a freewheel), would it still count as a fixed-gear bicycle? (Assuming that the the cogs are still "fixed" directly to the axle via a lock ring.) I'm asking because I want to build a bike that is multiple speeds, but it gets the benefits of a fixed-gear bicycle. I don't really know what it could be classified as, though.

[@AmaroqStarwind]

Also, bonus question! Would you try any of the following combinations? - Fixed-gear + Dynamo (powering lights and/or charging devices) - Fixed-gear + Full suspension ("Mountain Fixie!") - Fixed-gear E-Bike - Tandem Fixed-gear - Fixed-gear with an oval chainring (but not the Biopace, it's complete trash)

[@POVmauritius]

I must try

[@pcha2301]

Can your bike ride uphill or going up a thousand elevations it’s pretty cool bike I’m a road bike person love climb up hillside time to time thanks

[@sandydennylives1392]

And you were grounded by knee pain for how long? I'll keep the single speed side of the rear wheel for some time yet.

[@jamesheadrick1103]

Just turned 50 and just started riding fixed gear. I have been riding single speed (free wheel) mountain bike, no suspension, for years. My psycho friend challenged me to do it and I was sold. I have been toying with the idea with fixed gear and finally pulled the trigger. Definitely a learning curve, but my first bike ever as a child was a fixed gear bmx. Really hoping muscle memory kicks in (ha!). It's the ride, not the destination...right?

[@robertmyers5269]

So that's why my feet keep moving. Thanks for getting me back on a fixed gear bike. Congrats on making 100k.

[@miguelduenas1045]

Congrats Zach for reaching 100k, it's now time to be insecure about not having 1 mil subs haha!. Been a while since you hearted a comment tho... Not asking for it but, do you read comments?

[@ru_english]

what is your originally

[@TL243]

Awesome.

[@chardspiritof73]

48 years old this year and fixin' till I die

[@ashtonnakashima304]

What crank is that its so nice

[@ZachGallardo]

Black ones are Sugino 75's, silver ones are Wabi Pro cranks (aka Andel Deluxe)

[@markfoster9199]

It's now 101,👌🏻

[@rickyphoton]

hey zack, what is your jacket called? it looks real nice

[@konartis8872]

Patagonia

[@nautastro1503]

@@konartis8872 Patagonia?😂😂

[@konartis8872]

@@nautastro1503 thats what it looks like 😁

[@nautastro1503]

@@konartis8872 yes, sure. NO NEED TO risk life in those places anymore, just buy the jacket 😄

[@BicyclesbyJurgen]

I'll say it again. PLEEEEASE BRING BACK THE FIXIE POINTS SHOW!!!

[@johnlatham9444]

Zach, why do ride a 58cm when Wabi suggests 55cm at your height. Could you elaborate. I also am 6’ with a 32 inch inseam. Thanks

[@arieldiaz9636]

A reason could be saddle to bar drop

[@johnlatham9444]

Thanks Ariel. Thinking about buying a Thunder and wanted some input on sizing. Thanks again.

[@arieldiaz9636]

@@johnlatham9444 yeah man np

[@beentrill24]

track bikes ftw

[@aizanperez]

happy💯

[@g8_lef827]

100k yessssss letss f*******ing gooo 😂😂

[@pineboy13]

Do chains next.geek out on lubes and stuff

[@MrJudegwapo]

What are you talking about Zach, my fixed gear has 3 gears when climbing. Sit, stand, and push 🤣🤣

[@grimispotato245]

You have explained whats a " fixgear " sorry I had to put it that way but like you said there is a difference in several videos ? The reason I started riding fixies was because my friend he push me in to then you don't just go from BMX to a single speed track bike I thought they look goofy and should of never been taken out the circus ! With all there colors. Now I ride a sea moss green fix with purple grips on a white handle bar one peace ugly and goofy ?

[@marcpayumo3594]

Nice hair!

[@11secbug]

Am I trippin or is this basically just like the bike I learned to ride as a child? I’m most positive I couldn’t coast on my childhood Tonka bike or any of the other ones

[@matthewdezii]

I know I'm missing the point here, but - hair on fleek today

[@notl33t]

LOL FIXIE FUN!

[@pw510577w]

I'm not good at multi tasking, a Fixed Gear bike would probably be extremely dangerous for me.

[@electrocit673]

no talk on the difference between fixed gear and single speed? that could have been included in the 3 min =[

[@electrocit673]

@Bebo but no mention in the video that a single speed is not a fixed gear in the video. I can't even tell you how many people I have had to explain the difference to. LOL

[@onepunchvegan866]

Only 20 Fixie-Hipster points for Zach, because fixie hipsters need a beard.

[@rondvivre3636]

Fixie or Fixte?

[@charlesm.8807]

Evidently it’s a bike you have to Fixie all the time…

[@ZachGallardo]

Quite the opposite, they almost never need to be fixied

[@charlesm.8807]

I can actually hear you saying that! 😂. You are the best. I ride a Cinelli Fixie.

[@ifell3]

All the way up to 2:48 he uses the term fixie, until he points out it's derogative and then uses the term fixed gear until he gives offensive famous shout outs 🤣 aha only joking great video.

[@event4216]

Fixie sounds shabby. Neither yes or no, not big nor small, rather soft than hard, it's something undefined. Fixed gear, on contrary, sounds much better, stronger, louder, definitely defined. But sound doesn't means anything. It could be a bike closer to fixie (cheap and low end of range) ridden a lot and often and it could be frame with fancy track specific parts used only for short rides in fair weather, mostly serving as instagram model. Name, look or price rarely define a bike and it's use. We, cyclists, are that missing link which either clicks in place or not.

[@suhdud4646]

Fixie - Bad Fixed gear - Good Also title - Fixie Got it.

[@dauf69]

Don't forget six-bolt cogs! Cheapskate way of converting a bike to a fixed gear using cheap, threaded, disc brake rear hubs.

[@fehrcarlo2381]

Maybe If hipster culture weren't so stuck up the ass with the "No brakes" issue, fixed gear riders could tackle big downhills without it being so "sketchy"

[@humildemarcelo]

I agree with you, using brakes will attract more people into the fxb culture. I recently convinced a friend to convert her bike I'm running both brakes in one of my bikes because I had to use epoxy for a damaged thread (I'm in the process pf buying a new hub). But I left my brake unused until I'm on a hill or in sketchy areas with lots of pedestrians.

[@fehrcarlo2381]

@@humildemarcelo Exactly!

[@electrocit673]

but coaster brakes are now cool too =/

[@nautastro1503]

@@electrocit673 why? For many reasons I don't like coster brake. One of the reasons- it's hard to position pedals before you start pedaling .

[@electrocit673]

@@nautastro1503 lol I was being sarcastic but thx for the reply.

[@artvandalay2736]

These 3 min thursdays are really went downhill zack Imma be real 😞

[@lu3674]

the counter is annoying

[@MGAWorkouts]

Don't be a hipster, put some brakes on those bikes.

[@surfinggraham9550]

So triggered - please sort that chain slack out

[@sebastientorres9049]

First

[@event4216]

And you raced so hard to be first.

[@pfever]

seems pretty horrible, thank you for explaining.

[@walthansen6333]

Quit saying 'fixie' !!!! Fixed Gear.

[@paddykelly9226]

Zach why do you keep making the same videos basically over n over