For those of you wondering whether it's possible to ride a fixed gear bike while towing a Burley trailer with a child in it, the answer is yes. Is it easy? Nope, not at all.
What would cause such a test? I decided to take up riding fixed gear last year, and decided to go all in (meaning I sold my mountain bike I had built up and ridden for years). Since we have kids, I decided a Burley trailer would be the ideal way to introduce them to riding, have some quality time exploring the great outdoors as a family, and getting to the park or ice cream shop without using our car.
This weekend was the inaugural test ride, linking the Burley to a fixed gear Steamroller (no, I did not use a freewheel flip-flop hub), and tearing off for a ride. Granted, we don't live in Colorado and didn't ride any massive hills, but this was a fun and exhausting challenge nonetheless.
What a fixed gear gains in simplicity, low maintenance, ease of use, back-to-basics enjoyment, etc. it lacks in ability to compensate for the rider's less-than-Olympic training/condition, so towing a trailer with a fixie becomes a true physical test. That said, it's pretty cool to know that four wheels (including bike and trailer), one brake, no gears, and a determined rider can make for a memorable and exciting family outing.
At FixedRiders.com, we're intersted in having this forum become a community for sharing unique and interesting fixed gear riding stories. Share your favorite fixie story, or submit a photo to include in our fixed gear gallery at info AT Fixed Riders DOT com.
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