Hmm, do I want a fixed?!

[Joe24]

63? Girl!

Actually Bonj, no. You need to have a go on 63" fixed. I know someone that could ride one and keep up with people on geared bikes going down hills
And when you ride that gear and go along spinning like mad but keeping up with people on geared bikes as they go along in a much bigger gear

 

[4F]

As for my knees, I bu%%ered them up at judo and have had my cruciate (ACL reconstructed and three lots of cartilage removed. However, my legs are quite strong (big thighs!) and cycling tends to help rather than hinder it. Maybe I just need to have a go of a fixie to see what I think.

Any offers?

Mags, you can have a go on mine if you are ever this way. I have never been in fashion and have never given two hoots what others think and the conversion to fixed for me meant that my old dawes racer with the knackered sachs huret gears got a new lease of life. I buggered my cruciate and medial ligaments playing my last game of football and have found for me riding fixed has increased leg strength and I have not felt any twinges for ages.

Given the choice of my fixed and geared bike the fixed is the one I use most

 

[syc23]

I've been riding my Trek Soho S for the last month commuting 2-3 times a week doing 14 miles each way on SS. The route is mainly flat with a slight downhill on some parts on my way to work so uphill back in the same part and TBH, I've found it really enjoyable as I don't have to faff about with gears, it's relatively maintenance free and it's really good fitness wise riding with a SS. I have no intention of flipping to make it into a fixie.

 

[bonj2]

Actually Bonj, no. You need to have a go on 63" fixed. I know someone that could ride one and keep up with people on geared bikes going down hills
And when you ride that gear and go along spinning like mad but keeping up with people on geared bikes as they go along in a much bigger gear

i'm shoot at spinning, i don't get on with it. find it uncomfortable.
I've changed my fixed from 67" to 70" and it's way better

 

[bonj2]

Actually Bonj, no. You need to have a go on 63" fixed. I know someone that could ride one and keep up with people on geared bikes going down hills
And when you ride that gear and go along spinning like mad but keeping up with people on geared bikes as they go along in a much bigger gear

but you have to ask yourself, what actually is the point?
pushing a big gear builds muscles like weight lifting. spinning probably builds cardiovascular fitness slightly more, but you're doing that to some degree anyway.

 

[Joe24]

i'm shoot at spinning, i don't get on with it. find it uncomfortable.
I've changed my fixed from 67" to 70" and it's way better

Girl, i ride a 72" on my every day fixed and i think my TT fixed is about a 95" if i have worked it out right
65" and 66" was good but when the group went down a long steep hill they would go off and leave me spinning out trying to catch up, which wasnt too nice, so i went to 72 and can keep up better now, i have lost some suppleness though

 

[Joe24]

but you have to ask yourself, what actually is the point?
pushing a big gear builds muscles like weight lifting. spinning probably builds cardiovascular fitness slightly more, but you're doing that to some degree anyway.

Its build cardiovascular and makes you very supple, i could spin a gear better when i was on 65" then what i can now on 72"
Max speed down a hill on 65" was 68mph, on the 72" its been 68mph aswell. Ive lost suppleness.

 

[bonj2]

Girl, i ride a 72" on my every day fixed and i think my TT fixed is about a 95" if i have worked it out right
65" and 66" was good but when the group went down a long steep hill they would go off and leave me spinning out trying to catch up, which wasnt too nice, so i went to 72 and can keep up better now, i have lost some suppleness though

95"!! it's gone up then! it was 84 last week!

 

[Joe24]

95"!! it's gone up then! it was 84 last week!

NickM told it was about 84" i think.
But 48/13 works out in the mid 90s

 

[Joe24]

Sheldon Brown works it out as 94. I counted it as 48/13 aswell, im going to give it another check tomorrow, its either a 48 or a 46

 

[bonj2]

NickM told it was about 84" i think.
But 48/13 works out in the mid 90s

hang on what wheel diameter inchage are you using for a 700c..27 or 28?

 

[Joe24]

hang on what wheel diameter inchage are you using for a 700c..27 or 28?

700c i think.
The rear is a 700c, but the front is a 26. But because of the back wheel being 700c on sheldons page i used that and did 700x20(i think the tubulars on the bike are about this?)
Oh, and when i work it out on a calculator i have been using 27
The odd thing is it doesnt feel like that gear. When i changed the wheel over on my fixed to 79" from 72 you could really tell the difference. I think its the difference in frame that does it though, the bike just seems to move off so easily, but it cruises at a high speed easily without me really spinning

 

[bonj2]

ok sheldon's using 27" diameter for 700c x 23. Possibly a bit on the small side, it's more like 27.5" assuming you have the tyre hard.
that makes your TT bike 99" if it's 48t ring and 95" if it's 46.
(or 101.5" and 97.3" if we're using 27.5")


and that makes my fixed used to be 68.2 and is now 72 (or 69.5 and 73.3)

 

[4F]

i'm shoot at spinning, i don't get on with it. find it uncomfortable.
I've changed my fixed from 67" to 70" and it's way better

Big girls blouse 79.1 is where it is at and I am with you on the spinning

 

[Joe24]

ok sheldon's using 27" diameter for 700c x 23. Possibly a bit on the small side, it's more like 27.5" assuming you have the tyre hard.
that makes your TT bike 99" if it's 48t ring and 95" if it's 46.
(or 101.5" and 97.3" if we're using 27.5")


and that makes my fixed used to be 68.2 and is now 72 (or 69.5 and 73.3)

The tyres on the TT are skinnier, 20 i think, but if i remember right it doesnt make much difference.
What gear do you have bonj? 48/18 on 700c wheels gives the perfect 72" if i remember right, thats what i ride.