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i've been wanting to build a singlespeed tarck bike but i've matured to the point where i'm really tempted to try fixed gear. the feel, being able to slow down without braking so much and wearing down your brake pads and rims, pedaling efficiency/flywheel effect, improved traction in slippery conditions.
i want to be somewhat convinced i can commit to riding fixed because it would cost a bit of money to convert to singlespeed because of the tools and shipping cost. i have a few questions which might seem trivial but i'd appreciate some reassurance:
how does dismounting work in practice, could it be awkward that you can't stop in a precise spot (like next to a mailbox) in the traditional way due to not being able to coast? maybe i could track stand and skip the rear wheel to reposition the cranks so that my right foot is in the 6 o'clock position before dismounting (or at 2-3 o'clock if i'm just pausing at a stoplight)? but i'm not sure i want to do that because i don't want to cause excessive wear to my tires and i don't want to spook people too much with spastic movements. maybe i could lock up the brakes and dismount regardless of the crank position?
can you ride really aggressively through tight roundabouts and such without having to think about timing your turns or pedal strikes being an issue? the frame has a 60mm BB drop (typical track frames 50mm, road frames 68-72mm) and i want 170mm cranks and SPD pedals.
would a raised crosswalk with cobbles like pic related be something to worry about when you can't coast through it mountainbike-style? with 25mm tires it's not extremely painful to remain seated but you can certainly feel the bumps through the saddle and it makes me wonder if it would cause damage to the frame to ride aggressively over it. the wheels are semi-deep and have double butted spokes and aren't too expensive so i'm not too worried about them.
