Adjustment to fixed gear.

[GrumpyGregry]

IPostscript. Whether or not I could ever do a long ride on my fixed remains to be seen. Others of this parish, such as the Greg and User1314 who do not shy away from such epic-ness are held in awe. But I do quite fancy a FNRttC on it one day - probably Southend as that is, I think, the least hilly

of course you can. easily. you're fit and you've got strong legs. When confronted with a hill, summon up a positive mental attitude and attack attack attack with cries of "Fixed coming through!" so your cadence doesn't drop too low. Probs best to do it out of sight and earshot of his dellness though. works on club runs too. User was too polite to do this en route to Sarfend and it cost him a short walk iirc. Felpham is fixable, so is Sarfend and Whitstable too. Dunno about Brighton, I've never tried the Beacon on mine.

The bit i still don't like is coming barreling down a hill you don't know with a bend at the bottom and finding the top dressed surface is all lumps and bumps. Having your vision go blurry when doing 140+rpm on a bike with skinny little tyres is no joke. I think the solution is obvious but I'll slow down when I'm dead.

 

[clarion]

I've done Whitstable & Southend on fixed. I don't think Brighton would be much fun.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I've done Whitstable & Southend on fixed. I don't think Brighton would be much fun.

what gearing?

 

[clarion]

Ah well, I have an S3X, so it'd be 56-85"

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Ah well, I have an S3X, so it'd be 56-85"

An S3X? Why that's almost as bad as doping.

 

[Aperitif]

I've done Whitstable & Southend on fixed. I don't think Brighton would be much fun.

Me too. (The Solo; standard cranks + 48 x17 ) Easy enough - you'll gobble it up, Ross.
I'm even older and fatter than Ross, and my bike did not hesitate to dash me into the ground. Last March or so, I had been riding a geared bicycle all Sunday and had to go to work on the Sunday evening. A red car pulled out in front of me and I thought "I'll just let this idi...BAM!" Biblongs torn to shreds, cuts on knee and elbow. The bike was just lying there, glaring at me...
My concentration dropped to 99% and that was that. Probably, the majority of folk who take issue with Mickle's words are more competent cyclists (or maybe their legs just fold back and forth to avoid any 'incident' ) - but it was a shocker!
Also, change from a fixed to a geared and you try to arrive at stopping points at the correct stance for restarting, pedal all over the place and can't work out why others are freewheeling...it almost feels like a cheat to take advantage of all that energy available for free. Almost, I said.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I've done Whitstable & Southend on fixed. I don't think Brighton would be much fun.

Des has done Brighton on fixed several times iirc. But then Des is Des.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

My concentration dropped to 99% and that was that. Probably, the majority of folk who take issue with Mickle's words are more competent cyclists (or maybe their legs just fold back and forth to avoid any 'incident' ) - but it was a shocker!

I think if you ride on roads you don't know, or in the dynamic traffic environment that is an urban commute your concentration MUST be 100% at all times. I certainly have the scars on head, nose, brow, knees and elbows to remind me what happens when you get cocky and let your guard drop in the former case.

But one of the reasons I like my fixed so much on my commute, largely rural, not much traffic (but what there is contains a high % of nobbers) is precisely because for large stretches I can just forget about the bike and the mechanics of cycling and just ride. During those periods riding fixed is like walking or running, you are no longer conscious of your movements and cease to be aware you are riding a machine at all and just spin your way through the landscape. Lovely. (until some nobber in a 4x4 attempts gbh)

 

[clarion]

Back to my full commute on the fixed today (I've been using train & folder, but getting more injured doing so). Nice feeling of being back in control, which I don't get so much with a freewheel. Huge numbers of cyclists - many clearly inexperienced - meant I needed to keep making adjustments to line and speed, and anticipate a long way ahead. Fixed helps with that, and with a clean move away from the lights, where those who feel that they need to change gear every time their cadence strays slightly just click-click-click up the cassette.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

End of the month chaps. Who's in? At worst we are looking at a one mile walk of shame up The Beacon to go with no fun down Reigate Hill.

Have to be next year for me. Welsh Wales and the Aged P beckons end of this month.

 

[rb58]

End of the month chaps. Who's in? At worst we are looking at a one mile walk of shame up The Beacon to go with no fun down Reigate Hill.

Tempted. Very tempted. However, I think there are too many lumpy bits to make this my first FNRttC on fixed.

 

[clarion]

Still not back to fitness for FNRttC, I'm afraid

 

[rb58]

Right. Brighton Brommie, Whitstable fixed.

I'm still working on a pass for Whitstable. We're flying out of Gatwick later on that Saturday afternoon, so a Friday night ride might be a squeeze. If I do go, it'll be on fixed though.

 

[wanda2010]

Hmm. Wondering if I feel brave enough to use the SS for Whitstable, assuming the bike is serviced in time.

 

[rb58]

My pass for Whitstable was revoked with a stern 'are you serious, we're going on holiday that very day' look. So my FNRttC on fixed debeut will have to wait I'm afraid.