Disconnected.

I never thought how cliche it was when people who rode Fixed Gear bikes described them as "ZEN" and "your bike is an extension of your body" and "you feel connected to the ground" etc.

With age catching up on my knees and various concerns about my safety and well being I decided to put my fixed gear riding behind me. At least it was a part of my cycling life.

I just made the switch over the the world of Single Speeds. That's normal freewheeling goodness for you non "bikey" folks. It simply means a one geared coasting bicycle. The most basic and normal bike. aka "ah pek" bike.

Well I can't agree more after the switch. Although I only rode around the bike shop and from the carpark home. The feeling of "connectivity" is really lost. I don't know if it's a good or bad thing. It's still too early to come to a conclusion.

One thing's for sure. If I ever ride fixed again. I will leave my brakes on. My knees are not strong enough for braking anymore.

Quote from a bike article (which I can't rem the source) -

"Bicycle safety on the roads means staying alive"