If you’ve been riding fixed gear for any amount of time, you’ve probably heard someone say something like, “You ride a fixed gear? I heard those are bad for your knees.” I often shrug these questions off. But I have recently found myself wondering that very same question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I’ve been riding fixed for years and have experienced no detriment to my knees or any other part of my body. In fact, I have experienced the opposite. I’ve never felt better. But how does riding fixed affect other cyclists? So I did some digging around to answer the question, are fixed gear bikes bad for your knees?<\/strong> So, in this article, you will learn if riding fixed is bad for your knees and how to prevent knee problems down the line, so you can stay fixed for longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Are fixed gear bikes bad for your knees?<\/strong> Fixed gear cycling requires constant pedaling, which may accelerate joint wear. However, all physical activity contributes to joint wear, and riding a fixed-gear bike casually with proper technique should not do too much harm to your knees in the long run. Skid stopping, however, can do long-term damage. To prevent long-term issues, use a front brake with your fixie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fixed gear bikes, or “fixies,” are bicycles that have a single direct rear-wheel-drive<\/strong> mechanism. The gear mechanism does not allow the rear wheel to operate freely or “coast,” like most other bikes. They are descendants of racing track bikes<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The terms “fixed-gear” or “fixie” are often used interchangeably with single-speed bikes, but they are not the same. For example, single-speed bikes allow you to coast; fixies have no such feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is a fixed-gear bike?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n