Are you alone on club runs on fixed?

[totallyfixed]

First one I did I was the only one when I joined this new club a year ago, now 2 days ago on the Sunday club run there were 5 of us out of 18. I make that approx' 18% - not bad eh. I think it's catching

 

[totallyfixed]

Oops - 28%

 

[MajorMantra]

How do you find it riding fixed on a club run? I've not tried though I'd consider it once I've finally got around to rebuilding my Genesis (soon, honest!). Keeping up on descents must be a bastard though and of course you don't get as much of a rest when you're drafting.

Matthew

 

[RedBike]

I'm the only single speeder. There is just no way I would keep up fixed wheel. I get thrown out of the back of the group on some of the bigger Peak district descents as it is.

 

[Greenbank]

Riding fixed during the colder months has been a long standing tradition amongst club cyclists.

 

[totallyfixed]

Not too much of a problem really, depends on the terrain, long descents followed immediately by a climb can be a killer. Now I'm all the stronger for riding fixed.

 

[MajorMantra]

What gear are you using for the club stuff?

Matthew

 

[GrasB]

I did a run on my fixed with friends, it was a nightmare... going down hill was fine thanks to a 79" gear gave me 42mph @ 180ppm which is more than enough around here for the downhills. Going uphill however I was leaving them behind with ease, on the long climbs I was going 14 to 15mph & not wanting to drop the cadence while they were spinning it out at around 10-12mph at 42". I was getting to the top & stopping waiting for them... arrggss!

 

[MajorMantra]

There are hills near Cambridge?

Matthew

 

[totallyfixed]

What gear are you using for the club stuff?

Matthew

I ride 75" everywhere and Mrs TF is on 70". It's only about her 6th ride on her new fixie and she is hooked. On Sunday we did 76 miles with the club, the first half was into a stiff old wind and our average speed was 14.1. Overall for the day we averaged 16mph. I told a lie about numbers, it was the previous week there were 18 riders, this Sunday there were only 11 of us and 5 were on fixed, so even more impressive!
I have to say that on the flat or on uphill gradients up to about 12% ish I find as GrasB pointed out that I am easily as fast as anyone.
Just a reminder that we are running a fixed social pootle on 15th Nov, seems word has got out beyond CC so looks like being a good day.

 

[GrasB]

There are hills near Cambridge?

If you do the planning right you can find rides with around 10m of climbing for every km of riding but you're not exactly talking long, steep & challenging climbs. That really is the crux of the problem, they were on the granny ring like I was 3 weeks ago... when I was riding in the Alps! Except this is Cambridgeshire/Essex where you find a 7% incline not lasting 0.5km & longer climbs are around 3%. Give me a <beeep> break!

 

[totallyfixed]

If you do the planning right you can find rides with around 10m of climbing for every km of riding but you're not exactly talking long, steep & challenging climbs. That really is the crux of the problem, they were on the granny ring like I was 3 weeks ago... when I was riding in the Alps! Except this is Cambridgeshire/Essex where you find a 7% incline not lasting 0.5km & longer climbs are around 3%. Give me a <beeep> break!

Chapel hill, Barrington side, last 50m?

 

[GrasB]

0.5km = 500m
43m climb in 1.3km... averages a bit under 3.5% to the summit, peeks at around 6% for 500m or there abouts

 

[Greenbank]

Chapel hill, Barrington side, last 50m?

That was always a good test (I grew up in Haslingfield).

If you go a bit further south of there you can find some reasonable (for Cambridgeshire anyway) hills, the climb up to Elmdon from Ickleton for example. Nothing comparable to proper hills though.

 

[totallyfixed]

The steepest one on the area, just over the Cambs border IMO is the one up to Everton from Tempsford listed at 17% bt at the steepest nearer to 20% I think. Done it, just, on my fixed but speedo reading 0!