- Location
- Inside my skull
I rode fixed at a track day at Lee Valley velodrome. One event I forgot it was fixed when coming round to the centre island entrance. Overshot it, and did another lap and arrived at slower speed next go.
Fixed Gear Climbing
- Thread starter Cycling Badger
- Start date
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Profpointy
Legendary Member
As someone who commuted for years on a fixie my impression certainly backs that up. Not claiming it's objective science but I seemed to be able to climb far steeper hills than I'd have been happy with with the same ratio on a freewheel / geared bike. OK granted I had no choice !
I was an unfit middle aged man in a hilly city (Bristol)
I was an unfit middle aged man in a hilly city (Bristol)
OP
OP
Cycling Badger
Regular
Sorry to hear about accident, but great your cycling again. My S/S was bought 2nd hand from someone who sold theirs after a physical issue, recovered and then regretted selling it. They replaced it - fortunately for me replacement was a size too small and they had to sell the replacement. Keep an eye on the classifieds - I spotted a very nice Day One for sale a few months back for fair money.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
I've had more since, fractured hip socket and pelvis. Back riding in 3 months - that was last year and my fault, ice. Had the NHS spotted it I'd be sporting a total hip replacement, but they didn't until 6 weeks later when I went back with an email from my physio who thought my hip socket was fractured. Turned out a hell of a lot more serious than I thought. Ah well, still riding.
And back in't day, folk used to tour on single speeds - !
Have been riding gears for the last few weeks, but today used my SS 68" freewheel. There is one hill, which has been taking me circa 5 mins to get up.
On the gears , I've been changing down and kept the cadence as high as possible and for most of the ride, stayed on the saddle.
Today, as soon as my cadence dropped, I was out of the saddle and honked up the hill. A few stretches where I had to dig deep, but got up on that segment in 4:30.
SS WINS!
On the gears , I've been changing down and kept the cadence as high as possible and for most of the ride, stayed on the saddle.
Today, as soon as my cadence dropped, I was out of the saddle and honked up the hill. A few stretches where I had to dig deep, but got up on that segment in 4:30.
SS WINS!
I have ridden with forum members who used fixed up 20% climbs!
In one case, including a track stand on the steepest ramp so as to enjoy the views!!
Longers?
I recall Longers (of this forum) using a fixed wheel on a ride. Climbing from Beamsley up Lanshaw Bank past Langbar, near Bolton Abbey.
Was I impressed? You bet I was. I was in my lowest gear and it was hard going.
OP
OP
Cycling Badger
Regular
Some data points - excellent. Do you have any ideas on “Why” it was faster?
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
You have a VERY good memory - exactly right!!
Strava is good for stats like this. And even better on the first day of the month. I'm top of the leader board in the "this month" category! Should admit, that there has only been two riders this month
I think I am faster, because as soon as you hit the hill, you know instantly that you have to get out of the saddle and honk, thus keeping the speed up.
With gears, I change down, probably too soon and end up in bottom gear, pedaling at a good rate, in the saddle. But each time you drop a gear, the speed drops as well .
So it is the smoother and more gradual deceleration with a single gear that makes it faster, in conjunction with a little more effort of getting out of the saddle.
rogerzilla
Squire
Gearing makes no difference to the power required to climb a hill at a given speed, only the rradeoff between torque and cadence.
As an experiment, a mate and I tried to climb Uffington White Horse on a medium gear (he had 49 x 18, I had a winterish 46 x 18). It's a long average 1 in 7, with much steeper bits. He made it, with difficulty. I walked a bit because the bars were creaking alarmingly.
As an experiment, a mate and I tried to climb Uffington White Horse on a medium gear (he had 49 x 18, I had a winterish 46 x 18). It's a long average 1 in 7, with much steeper bits. He made it, with difficulty. I walked a bit because the bars were creaking alarmingly.
