Fixed Gear Bikes in Playa del Carmen

 

Playa del Carmen is a great city to ride fixed gear bikes because it’s flat but the roads are a little rough for real skinny road tires. I just got my first fixed gear bike, or fixie, a few months ago and loved it right away but I’ve gotten 4 flats already so will upgrade to  more rugged tires. What’s great is that you can buy a decent fixie in the US now for around $300. and most come with a flip flop hub so you can just switch to a regular freewheel and turn the bike into a singlespeed if you decide you don’t like fixie. I love how simple, fast and efficient these bikes are. Most are flat bar road bikes set up for speed and once you get used to not being able to coast you really become one with the bike.

I find that because you have to pedal all the time, even when braking, it really encourages you to go faster and avoid slowing down and stopping. The other thing I like is how you can pedal at super slow speeds without stopping, especially if you have a smaller sprocket. This is really useful for navigating at busy intersections and high pedestrian areas. On a fixed gear bike it’s harder to start again when you stop because you can’t backpedal to adjust the pedal. I feel like this encourages you to become hyperaware of road and traffic conditions to avoid stopping and braking.You really have to ride one for a couple weeks to notice the way it changes your riding style. I haven’t gotten into the skid stops yet but want to learn it. I plan on building a couple more of these to have available for rentals just because they are so darn cool. Don’t worry they will have brakes, not like in the Premium Rush movie. HaHa

August 4th, 2013

OK so I have a great, super light 58 cm Fixie available for rental now. If you just want a fun,fast single speed I can easily change it to the freewheel side for you too.