Wait, what? Me on a 26″ fixed? No way. This has gotta be some kinda joke right? Not entirely. Granted, much of the motivation to ride one of these bikes was to see what all the fuss is about. I’d like to consider myself one of FGFS’ longest supporters and over the past few years, I’ve been heckled by numerous outlets for riding fixed freestyle and it sucks (for them). So before I officially write-off 26″ fixed, I figured I might as well try one out. Specialized kindly sent me a size large PFix and I built it up, as per factory specs, right out of the box (minus the reflectors).

Check out more Initial Reaction to the Specialized PFix 26″ fixed complete below!

The PFix comes from Specialized’s P.Series BMX and MTB line and it fits right in there, alongside its freewheeling cousins. As I went over before, when I first posted about his bike during my 2010 Interbike coverage, the Specialized team worked with Wheel Talk Fixed to develop a proprietary hub and geometry.

This bike is 90% P.Series components with a splined sprocket, bolt-in fixed driver and some velcro foot retention being the only fixed specific parts on the bike.

The front hubs sport beefy, 3/8″ forged female bolt-in axles.

I wanted to show what the bike would look like straight out of the box but one of the first parts I’d swap would be the seat. Its design keeps it at this angle which can get a little uncomfortable if you pedal the bike around too much.

As per CPSC requirements, the PFix comes with front and rear brakes. Once again, I wanted to show how it comes out of the box and how it will be on display at most bike shops. The entire bike comes assembled, only requiring the front brake attachment. It took 5 minutes to build up.

For an $880 dollar complete, you get a few nice features, on top of Specialized’s solid component line. The head tube cut out is clean and the red anodized components look great with the matte black frameset.

When you pedal it around with brakes, it feels like a cruiser but once I take them off and really ride it, I’ll really be able to tell how I feel about the geometry of this bike.

As you can see, the 73° head tube angle is a bit slacker than what other companies are doing but that’s most likely a result of PR&D and toe overlap issues. The bike sits confidently on its 2.2″ Specialized Compound Control tires and once the brakes are off, it’ll look a lot cleaner.

So what are my thoughts? This is the second size large 26″ fixed bike I’ve ridden. Since I have such long legs, anything with a low seat feels horrible when riding. I’ve found a good middle ground with the seat height here but it’s still a big difference. It’s a little difficult getting into the straps with the lower seat as well and the bike sits significantly lower than my Bruiser with its 2.5″ 29r’ wheels. But you can’t compare a 29’r to a 26″ fixed bike anymore. They are two different beasts.

I can’t really offer up any feedback or critique at this point because I’ve only had it for a day but I really do want to give it a try. Once I swap out the seat, pedals and straps, I’ll be sure to do a proper review. In the mean time, this Initial Reaction should calm your nerves if you pre-ordered one. The Specialized PFix is something I never would have thought I’d see in a million years but I’m glad they took the opportunity to support a growing sport.

Check out more technical specs at the Specialized website and there are a few more photos at my Flickr!