A little ride out this afternoon

[ren531]

And it wasn't far at all really, but I've started to not consider to much about were I go , in other words I've stopped avoiding hilly area's just because I'm riding single speed, I just go were I feel like going.
So I went to a local view point called Jubilee tower up a bit of a hill , I would have considered this mad/impossible till yesterday but I made it with relative ease and the more I take the above approach the more possibilities for s/s there is, I'm amazed at what is possible.

 

[fossyant]

Fixed gear is even better for climbing.

 

[ren531]

Fixed gear is even better for climbing.

I'd agree really like fixed but my knees don't, last couple of years I've stuck to fixed until my knees kept complaining too much then I'd go back to geared , but this year I started with fixed but swapped to s/s when knees weren't happy and stuck with it and really enjoying it knees seem happy with the compromise too .

 

[ColinJ]

That's a pretty tough climb on singlespeed from the Lancaster side!

Or did you ride round and do it from the southern side?

What gear ratio do you have on that bike?

 

[Sharky]

Fixed gear is even better for climbing.

But not so good on the descents. Still use a fixed for time trials, but use a SS freewheel for non-racing rides.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

That's a pretty tough climb on singlespeed from the Lancaster side!

Surely that depends on the gear chosen? Even then, fixed guys get up the steepest stuff, including Hardknott etc.

 

[ColinJ]

Surely that depends on the gear chosen? Even then, fixed guys get up the steepest stuff, including Hardknott etc.

Which is why I asked!

I can get up some hills on my old singlespeed gear (52/19, 40/17, or 39/15 at different times). I might have managed to climb to Jubilee Tower from the southern side but from the Lancaster side it has some ramps that would be too steep for me...

I have ridden with very fit young riders who got up 20+% ramps on fixed which I could barely get up using my lowest gear on a bike with a triple chainset!

Fixed is definitely easier than singlespeed for the same gear ratio on steep climbs. It is getting the cranks over the deadspots which kills my legs. Once the cranks are on the way down I can usually cope.

 

[ren531]

That's a pretty tough climb on singlespeed from the Lancaster side!

Or did you ride round and do it from the southern side?

What gear ratio do you have on that bike?

I wouldn't be able to do it from the Lancaster side, way too steep for me , my home area is on the southern side.
Being extremely uncompetitive and caring not one jot for speed , I think I sense a little of the buz that a more competitive rider feels, something I don't get from a geared bike and never could because nothing is going to persuade me to go faster , apart from riding s/s or fixed and faced with a hill in front of me and I find it fascinating.
I have the gearing quite low at 54 inch 46x23 having played around a good bit with different ratios this suits me best.