Fixed gear / ss group riding

[totallyfixed]

Back in 2009 when I joined CC I remember asking on here how many fixed/ss riders there were, this was before we had our own section. The numbers who post now are certainly higher than they were back then, whether this means there are actually more of us remains to be seen.
I have deliberately not posted this in Cycle Chat and Recreational Rides as Wanted to test the water to see if there is any interest. I have just read the thread by @Kaatje and her wish to ride with others on ss/fixed. Most of us never have the chance to do this, I am lucky, I converted my partner to fixed and she immediately took to it. Very few fixed/ss females on here, not sure why.
So, how many of you would be interested in a group ride, not long, not hard, not fast, just an opportunity to ride bikes together that have similar characteristics. Also a great chance to pick up tips from veteran riders, in other words a ride open to everyone from the experienced to those new to this genre.
We are happy to host this ride, let us know your thoughts. No date as yet but if it goes ahead it will be in Rutland.

 

[ColinJ]

As you know, I ride (very!) multi-geared bikes and I know that you are not asking for opinions on whether there should be rides like this, but I feel that I really have to say that I think there is something a bit 'Animal Farm' about the whole idea of fixed/ss forum rides! You know ... 'All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others'!

There would quite rightly be uproar if somebody organised a forum ride and stated that fixed/ss riders were not welcome because multi-geared riders wanted to be 'in a group ride, not long, not hard, not fast, just an opportunity to ride bikes together that have similar characteristics'!

There is absolutely no reason why fixed/ss riders could not take part in a ride with people on multi-geared bikes as you and many others have ably demonstrated in the past. Why should the same reasoning not be applied in every case?

Forum rides are supposed to be inclusive, not exclusive!

I think it is fine to optimise a route for fixed/ss riders. I also think it is fine to state that the ride will be done fixed/ss-style e.g. trying to maintain a steady pace and not accelerating and braking suddenly in a group (though riders shouldn't be doing those things anyway).

I will continue to organise rides which are open to ALL riders ... riders of bikes, trikes, recumbents, fixed, ss. MTB, or even unicycles if somebody is mad enough to try on one! The only suggestion that I make is that riders take a look at the route beforehand and the kind of average speed that would be likely and should have a realistic expectation of being able to cope.

Anyway, it is a free country and I would defend your right to organise such rides, but I am not keen on the idea.

 

[Tin Pot]

As you know, I ride (very!) multi-geared bikes and I know that you are not asking for opinions on whether there should be rides like this, but I feel that I really have to say that I think there is something a bit 'Animal Farm' about the whole idea of fixed/ss forum rides! You know ... 'All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others'!

There would quite rightly be uproar if somebody organised a forum ride and stated that fixed/ss riders were not welcome because multi-geared riders wanted to be 'in a group ride, not long, not hard, not fast, just an opportunity to ride bikes together that have similar characteristics'!

There is absolutely no reason why fixed/ss riders could not take part in a ride with people on multi-geared bikes as you and many others have ably demonstrated in the past. Why should the same reasoning not be applied in every case?

Forum rides are supposed to be inclusive, not exclusive!

I think it is fine to optimise a route for fixed/ss riders. I also think it is fine to state that the ride will be done fixed/ss-style e.g. trying to maintain a steady pace and not accelerating and braking suddenly in a group (though riders shouldn't be doing those things anyway).

I will continue to organise rides which are open to ALL riders ... riders of bikes, trikes, recumbents, fixed, ss. MTB, or even unicycles if somebody is mad enough to try on one! The only suggestion that I make is that riders take a look at the route beforehand and the kind of average speed that would be likely and should have a realistic expectation of being able to cope.

Anyway, it is a free country and I would defend your right to organise such rides, but I am not keen on the idea.

Aren't there different needs for a fixed gear ride?

I would imagine you'd have to rule out certain hills that multi geared riders would enjoy.

 

[ColinJ]

Aren't there different needs for a fixed gear ride?

I would imagine you'd have to rule out certain hills that multi geared riders would enjoy.

I have had fixed riders come on my rides and do 20% climbs. The feat astonished and impressed me. (I still think that it is bonkers, but life is more interesting with such people around!) Imagine how insulted and offended those riders would have been if I had stated that fixed riders were not welcome because we would be going up and down steep hills!

Their argument would probably have been 'show me a hill that you can tackle on gears and I will ride up it on fixed'. Bravo - that's the spirit!

If somebody tells me that a route will avoid certain hills because it is designed for weaker fixed/ss riders who can't manage to climb the steep stuff - fine - multi-geared riders would have the choice of heading somewhere hillier if they wanted to.

I might even get bored of listening to people talking about how many gear inches they had chosen, or what supersonic cadence they had just averaged down a 45 mph descent, but I would have the option of not going on such rides in future.

'You are not welcome on our exclusive ride' is not a brilliant message, especially on a 'fun and friendly online cycling community'!

I'm not getting at totallyfixed - I have done several rides with him and we get on fine, but I think the enthusiasm for fixed is being taken too far when it results in 'them and us'.

 

[Tin Pot]

Www.fixiechat.net?

 

[JimboJames1972]

I'm up for a group ride of any type.

Where I live (Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk) we have a club based in the town that caters fro both geared and SS/fixed riders. So far I have been on a handful of rides with them as SS and enjoyed it. I have been with their more "leisurely" group and have found the pace a bit sluggish, but have every intention of taking my SS bike on their more tempo rides when my own fitness allows.

A bit down the road in Felixstowe there is a (seemingly) more populated club that has its own dedicated SS group. They call themselves Single Speed Suffolk. The main club hosts several rides each week where mainly geared riders turn up, but SS/fixies are welcomed too. Likewise, Tuesday's see a mainly SS/fixie group ride, with a few geared attending from time to time.

I would welcome the chance to join in with other SS/fixie riders for any type of ride and am more than happy if a few geared riders came along too.

J

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Back in 2009 when I joined CC I remember asking on here how many fixed/ss riders there were, this was before we had our own section. The numbers who post now are certainly higher than they were back then, whether this means there are actually more of us remains to be seen.
I have deliberately not posted this in Cycle Chat and Recreational Rides as Wanted to test the water to see if there is any interest. I have just read the thread by @Kaatje and her wish to ride with others on ss/fixed. Most of us never have the chance to do this, I am lucky, I converted my partner to fixed and she immediately took to it. Very few fixed/ss females on here, not sure why.
So, how many of you would be interested in a group ride, not long, not hard, not fast, just an opportunity to ride bikes together that have similar characteristics. Also a great chance to pick up tips from veteran riders, in other words a ride open to everyone from the experienced to those new to this genre.
We are happy to host this ride, let us know your thoughts. No date as yet but if it goes ahead it will be in Rutland.

Sounds like fun to me.

 

[totallyfixed]

I am slightly baffled by your response Colin, we ran a fixed/ss ride the last 2 years without any objections. This is after all the fixed and ss part of the forum where I would expect those riders to participate. It's just another type of ride, I know for a fact that some fixed /ss folk are uncomfortable riding with geared riders just as some women are nervous riding with men, certainly there are women only rides which I have no objection to and I would hope you don't either.
Is it exclusive? Of course it is, how could it not be, this is where you can talk about your bikes and bits, experiences and even ride together, I see nothing wrong with that. I have run plenty of rides in the past that catered for everyone, the difference is I posted them in the general section.

 

[ColinJ]

[My original post here caused offence, which was not my intention, so I have deleted it - CJ]

 

[dr_pink]

I don't post on here often but after reading this over TF's shoulder I feel compelled to comment due to the disproportionate reaction, which appears to have now become insulting and personal.

TF has organised many CycleChat rides over the last few years - we've lost count - somewhere between 10 and 15. On every single occasion I have baked a lot of cakes and welcomed riders round back to our home for tea and cake afterwards. For the record this HAS welcomed people regardless of bike choice, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, income, fitness level and so on.

Only three of the rides TF has organised have been 'fixed/ss only' rides - the two fixed centuries and the first ride he led many years ago.
The last few 'all welcome' rides have been poorly attended, leading TF to not bother going to the trouble of posting/offering any more rides recently.
He started this thread in response to someone who rides fixed/ss posting about wanting to ride with others - i.e. he spotted someone who would perhaps be keen to come to an organised ride and wanted to test the water to see if any others would be interested.

I teach a session on diversity to students. I can vouch for the fact that TF is far from the discriminatory person that seems to be implied in the above post. Indeed, the last few years he's been a key person leading the fight against sexism in my sport (TTs). He was simply offering to organise and host a ride, for fun.

 

[ColinJ]

I have come across badly here. I did not mean to be insulting and personal. I had no intention to imply those negative things about TF. @totallyfixed - I am sorry. I hope to see you and dr_pink on non-fixed-only rides in the future. Just don't come on fixed ... (That was a joke - ride what you like, when you like!)

I simply do not 'get' excluding cyclists from social rides on the basis purely of what bikes they ride and was trying to explain.

This proposed ride was not even a fixed ride, because ss riders would be welcome. Any bike can be made ss just by not changing gear. It could even be enforced by adjusting the gear endstops before the ride.

Anyway, I have stated that I do not understand fixed/ss-only rides and I don't like the idea of them but c'est la vie. I will avoid discussing this subject in future.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Well, @ColinJ I understood what you meant, made me have a few thoughts

I simply do not 'get' excluding cyclists from social rides on the basis purely of what bikes they ride and was trying to explain.

At first I was all "of course, yes, absolutely" ... then I remembered of the time I had to tell a rider in my very sedate ladies cycling group that she had to turn back: she appeared on a (bso) bouncy downhill mb incapable to do more than 5mph. We were only going 10 miles up the road, was taking all day!

I do not understand fixed/ss-only rides and I don't like the idea of them but c'est la vie.

Well, there's that fixed/ss riders could compare their performance/gear ratio over a certain terrain, no doubt interesting if you ride for sport.

 

[totallyfixed]

Apology accepted Colin. I can't really see what all the fuss is about, recumbent riders do their own thing, there is even a group of Penny Farthing riders. In the past I have taken beginners only out and even some who just want to develop hill climbing skills. Fixed/ss like 'bents has its own niche and I don't think it is in anyway unreasonable for us to sometimes ride together. Experienced / strong fixed cyclists can do most general rides but on a lot of your rides the vast majority would not have a hope in hell of doing them.

 

[skudupnorth]

Are we all good now ? Don't like two very nice people having a "To-do"

 

[mcshroom]

Never done a purely SS/fixed ride. Could be interesting (though a bit far away). We did do a night ride to Scarborough in 2013 which had four riders; One fixed (@phantasmagoriana), one SS (me), One 2 wheel 'bent (@kimble) and one tadpole trike (@Tigerbiten).

Each bike had very different climbing and decending characteristics which made riding as a group a little more effort than normal. I can see a SS/Fixed ride being easier to keep together than a SS/Fixed/Geared ride.