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[funk my fixie]

Hey guys

Hope you are all good and cycling lots. Just back from a run I do which is a 20 mile round trip. The last 6 miles are on a track and I saw a fellow rider and caught him up (about 100 metres) and had a chat. Anyway long story short, we cycled back to where I live together and to say I just about fell off my bike at the end was an understatement. This guy had a racing bike and I had my trusty fixie. My question is why could I not go faster than him? Does anyone know the best crank/cassette teeth numbers to see off geared bikes? I have 42/15 and run at around 20-22 mph. I think I should be on 46/11 but am scared as part of my journey is up a hill. I don't know the gradient but it is f@#£ing steeeeeeeeeep. I don't want to look like a plonker and have to walk up the hill (which is 6-7 miles long), so I need something which is geared right to climb, out of the saddle uphill, yet gain extra speedy on the flat. I definitely need something to stop me looking stupid on the way downhill......my little legs go round like a bl@@dy wind turbine in a force 9 gale xx


Mark

 

[Deleted member 1258]

You need to learn to spin more, you are on some thing like a 75 inch gear and you are getting about the same speed as me and I'm on a lot smaller 44x18 65 inch gear with 165 cranks. The 46x11 gear is about a 112 inch gear, I couldn't turn a gear that big let alone climb on it.

 

[TheDoctor]

You can't see off a geared bike on a fixed. That's not the idea.
On a ride up a certain big Provence hill I got down to 4 mph on the way up and up to 55 mph on the way down, but I had 24 gears and a freewheel at my disposal. You're after a gear that will go up a 7 mile hill, down it and along a track, at speeds of over 22 mph, and that's flat-out impossible.

 

[funk my fixie]

You need to learn to spin more, you are on some thing like a 75 inch gear and you are getting about the same speed as me and I'm on a lot smaller 44x18 65 inch gear with 165 cranks. The 46x11 gear is about a 112 inch gear, I couldn't turn a gear that big let alone climb on it.

Ok hearing you...... So any suggestions? When you say spin more, do you mean out of the saddle riding or spinning classes? If out of the saddle, do you have ideas on how to keep my feet on the peddles? I was advised not to use cleats/shoes by the shop, however, I often look like I am a fledgling bird with legs flailing here and there whilst my bike takes me where ever it feels like and I would not fancy a sprint in case my foot came off. Anything else to help? I have only been on a bike for three months but would love get my speed up to around 25-27mph. If I changed the chain ring to 44 and kept my 15 then my inch gear ( if my 700c is 27" and not a 26"), would be around 79/80 ish. Do you think this is too hard for hills?

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Ok hearing you...... So any suggestions? When you say spin more, do you mean out of the saddle riding or spinning classes? If out of the saddle, do you have ideas on how to keep my feet on the peddles? I was advised not to use cleats/shoes by the shop, however, I often look like I am a fledgling bird with legs flailing here and there whilst my bike takes me where ever it feels like and I would not fancy a sprint in case my foot came off. Anything else to help? I have only been on a bike for three months but would love get my speed up to around 25-27mph. If I changed the chain ring to 44 and kept my 15 then my inch gear ( if my 700c is 27" and not a 26"), would be around 79/80 ish. Do you think this is too hard for hills?

You need to learn to turn the pedals faster, just sit there turning the pedals quickly, for that you might need foot retention, toeclips and straps or clipless, I have clips and straps on my fixed and clipless on my geared bike. Gearing is subjective, everybodies different, what suits me might not suit you, on a fixed the gearing is a compromise, low enough to get up the hills but high enough to give you a reasonable turn of speed. Rather than try and beat everybody or worry about how fast you are going why not just relax and enjoy your cycling? There will always be people who are faster than you and there will always be people who are slower than you.

http://www.63xc.com/gregg/101_1.htm

 

[Red Light]

You need some clipless pedals and shoes. Far easier to get into that clips and far easier to get out of especially if you start going too fast for your legs to go round but they will keep your feet on the pedals. That and learn to keep sat down on the saddle but pedal at higher revs which is what spinning is. But you'll never beat a geared bike ridden by an equal ability rider. But you will have a bigger grin.

 

[Theseus]

I was advised not to use cleats/shoes by the shop,

The shop obviously knows feck all about fixed gear riding.

 

[funk my fixie]

You need some clipless pedals and shoes. Far easier to get into that clips and far easier to get out of especially if you start going too fast for your legs to go round but they will keep your feet on the pedals. That and learn to keep sat down on the saddle but pedal at higher revs which is what spinning is. But you'll never beat a geared bike ridden by an equal ability rider. But you will have a bigger grin.

thanks, like this

 

[funk my fixie]

You need to learn to turn the pedals faster, just sit there turning the pedals quickly, for that you might need foot retention, toeclips and straps or clipless, I have clips and straps on my fixed and clipless on my geared bike. Gearing is subjective, everybodies different, what suits me might not suit you, on a fixed the gearing is a compromise, low enough to get up the hills but high enough to give you a reasonable turn of speed. Rather than try and beat everybody or worry about how fast you are going why not just relax and enjoy your cycling? There will always be people who are faster than you and there will always be people who are slower than you.

http://www.63xc.com/gregg/101_1.htm

the website was good cheers, I think I need to learn how to ride the thing.

 

[biggs682]

i have the art of fixie riding to start , bike in garage waiting for dry weather to start and a few more miles before i flip the rear wheel over and give it a try

 

[funk my fixie]

It sounds like you'd be best off learning how to ride a normal bike with gears first.

I don't know much about riding, and it seems like people believe there to be an art to it. For me I just think, get on the thing and get the legs turning. "Red light" above was right, so long as it is fun, and as I say, so long as I am turning the pedals as quick as I can, then that is all I can do. No?

I used to ride with a cycling club when I was a teenager and do town centre cycling so if there were some learning manual in order to ride a geared bike then I am sure those friendly people down the club would have pointed me in the right direction. However, I am always open to learning new things. If you have some tips for speed, other than the obvious, (aerodynamics, pedal fast, keep weight down as much as possible etc) then please tell me. I am all ears.

I have a geared bike running 44/11 and find that, with a passenger, (pictured) easy enough to keep at 19-20 mph over 20 miles or so. I keep it in 44/11 other than on hills where I use the cassette up to 44/18. Hence I purchased the fixie. 1) To have time away from my little one alone. 2) Why have all the paraphernalia of the crank/derailleur when you don't use them. Might as well make the bike lighter and get rid of them. . And while I don't know my cadence on either bike, I know that it is more fun riding alongside others and having a chat instead of puffing like an old steam train. Some cyclists worry about the rain, I don't, come rain or shine with her on the back I end up with waterfalls around my wrists. HAHAHAHAHA

Have a great day

 

[funk my fixie]

i have the art of fixie riding to start , bike in garage waiting for dry weather to start and a few more miles before i flip the rear wheel over and give it a try

Seriously, just have a go. It does take a little getting used to stopping and not having the ability to freewheel is ........ interesting, but I feel my stamina has grown over the last month and so would recommend giving it a go. . At worst case scenario you will, like me, look like superman when you are doing it wrong. I am waiting for the FAA to send me my pilots licence as we speak.

Still trying to work out how to land on two feet though. P.S. this emoticon looks just like me when I am taking my flying lessons. HAHAHAHAHA.

 

[fossyant]

You need to pedal faster then. I run 46 x 16 or about 77" and can run to about 24 comfortably on the flat, or 33 mph downhill.

You ideally don't want an 11 sprocket - you are better off with a bigger chainring sprocket combo as it's more mechanically efficient, and things wear less.

 

[Dan_h]

To be honest you not always going to be as fast as a rider of similar ability on a geared bike. When you only have one gear it is a compromise, you will be slower on steep downhills, possibly a little quicker on a climb until it gets so steep you have to push!

If you want to push a bigger gear it is really quite simple, you need to grow bigger leg muscles! Training on hills on a fixed gear will help you with that...

 

[funk my fixie]

You need to pedal faster then. I run 46 x 16 or about 77" and can run to about 24 comfortably on the flat, or 33 mph downhill.

You ideally don't want an 11 sprocket - you are better off with a bigger chainring sprocket combo as it's more mechanically efficient, and things wear less.

a decent piece of advice, thanks x