If there is a practical reason for this, or whether its just an aesthetic thing? Not havng yet a huge grasp on the track bike thang, I'm aware of solid rear wheels on TT/Track bikes with more conventional wheels upfront, but I'm seeing bikes with deep rims at back/front with something completely different up front, carbon wheels at the back, carbon (aerospoke right?) at the front etc

Some one give me an in into the wonderful world of wheel selection on a fixie

(and I even managed some alliteration)

well. err.. most people cant afford 2 arrospoks, so just have the one.

coming from a BMX/MTB background, having 2 odd rims isnt soo uncommon. a lighter one on the front, and a stronger/heavier one on the back. Dont think that is relevant with street trackbikes though.

^fail. mismatched wheels is because fixed wheel bikes dont need a rim-brake on the rear. So you can put an unmachined rear, such as a brightly coloured deep profile on the rear o display your "fixieness" to all other riders (who are obviously inferior to you as they ride with a freewheel). We basically have a repressed inferiority complex.

If you're doing tricks, then a much stronger rim up front will help - hence the love/hate relationship with the arrospok.

and btw it's fixed gear not fixie.

it's not like this is

And in the wonderfull world of fixed most arrospockment or HEDecoration is for above all, aesthetic reasons, no matter how questionable. I should know i run a front spock and a rear HED, for no other reason than i am lame and like the way they look . . .

HHSB FTW!!

i think it is just pose value, or perhaps for the aerodynamic advantages when pulling backwards circles!!!

sometimes people will just buy their rear fixed wheel and stick whatever on the front.
or some lil shit stole the other wheel.

And by the way by the way it's fixed wheel.

To be fair if your wheel was "fixed" you'd be pretty hard pressed to actually pedal the thing, I like my wheel to revolve ;)

What I really want to know is who's this "miss-matched wheels" and is she single ;)

disc on the rear, carbon spoked up front.

Discs really aren't practical on the road though...certainly not on a windy day anyways!!

Thanks, that's all as clear as mud

(although generally it seems to be some track bike chic. Fair dos)

No reason for it other than fashion victim. If you need a stronger wheel up front for tricks then just get a flatland bmx and learn how to do proper tricks - too hard? thought so :-)
I think mis-matched looks awful but that probably says more about my mind wanting symmetry in everything and not a good trait!

or a 650 up front so you can barspin as you wheelie away at the lights, or maybe they did have two deep v's then paneled the front into a taxi and can only afford to replace it with a mavic.

backwards

I think that a more aero wheel on the back seems to be the way of the pros both road riders and track riders alike, though by the time it has gotten past your front wheel, frame, trainers, toe clips, straps and jeans I would doubt it makes any noticeable difference to your average city rider. Plus sitting pretty upright on risers wearing a shirt isn't the most aero technique either.

On a technie note M.I.T. did some wind tunnel tests and found that in terms of aerodynamics one's head and helmet is by far the most problematic area and that from a saving energy point of view you are more efficient with a £200 TT helmet and normal wheels than an normal helmet and a £5000 set of dimpled carbon disks.

That said I do really like the way odd wheels look on the right set-up (and nick's(?) Memphisesque Aerospoke was amzingly nice.)

Oh and a fixed gear is a gear you can't change, singlespeed, BMX, cruiser or what have you, a fixed wheel is a wheel which is not free ie a track wheel.
I always thought a fixie was a road bike which had been fixed whilst a track bike is well...

I got mismatched wheels due to not being able to afford one that matches the rear :(.

I have mismatched wheels due to my bike taking a smaller front wheel than back.

Almost all bikes benefit from having mismatched wheels, or at least mismatched spoke-count.

A rear wheel on any bicycle has to deal with driving forces, while the front doesnt. On many bikes the weight is biased twards the rear wheel also, this all puts greater strain on the rear wheel than the front.

On any quality bike they take this into account and put more spokes on the rear than the front to deal with this, also appropriate lacing pattern for the wheel.

On fixed wheels, especially those for the street. The rear wheel has to not only deal with driving forces but also contra rotating braking forces. Putting twice as much strain on the wheel.

This calls for 3x or 4 x lacing, high spoke count, and a stronger rim than the front.

Also, deep rims/disc wheels reduce air drag, but are susceptible to crosswinds. For this reason its better to have them on your more stable rear end than on the front where a disc would completely fuck up your steering (with a breeze).

Modern mountain bikes use the same spoke & rim combo on front and rear as they both take a lot of impact and have to be strong, also hub-braking causes as much torsional forces as the drivetrain so a similar spoke count and lacing is required.

I have mismatched wheels due to being a complete tart...

me too

same here i got a goldtec/open pro out back and a stock mavic thingy up front :)

i have stabilisers on the back and a wagon wheel on the front.


the chocolate kind.

Wrong.

Fixed Gear = American
Fixed Wheel = British

My rear wheel is black, my front is silver. It was far too much effort to de-anodize both.

I don't give a fuck what wheels people are running, whether they are black, silver or fucking purple with cocks-with-wings airbrushed on.

"On a technie note M.I.T. did some wind tunnel tests and found that in terms of aerodynamics one's head and helmet is by far the most problematic area and that from a saving energy point of view you are more efficient with a £200 TT helmet and normal wheels than an normal helmet and a £5000 set of dimpled carbon disks."

if people just learned to ride on the drops more instead of holding onto the shiny bit of bare metal either side of the stem they would gain more efficiency than any aero rim/helmet could give them.

don't be absurd, Smithy.

that would mean a modicum of cycling experience and skill

I want - name your prise. You take Amelican dorra?

had a run on cocks-with-wings..

only got rabbits dressed as nuns and rainbow with frog's skulls on left I'm afraid.

$9,000

fixie sounds better ! ! ! WOOO HOOOO HHSB ! ! !

I like mis matched wheels as it makes telling the front from the back easier.