How are you fixed for touring?

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Alex11

Active Member
Location
South West
http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/B...ds=30&sortby=13&tn=Every+Cyclist%27s+Handbook.

£20 on here. 1936!!! That's when they knew how to do touring!!!
 

tyred

Legendary Member
Location
Ireland
Old cycling books are hugely interesting. You will realise that there is very little that is actually new.
 

TechMech

Senior Member
I just received my copy of this book today from ebay (£2.99 + £2.20p&p!)

I've just read the first few pages, and it's excellent reading ^_^ I love the old style of writing, there's something very homely about it. The opening sentence sets the tone perfectly...

Chapter One, Measuring yourself for a cycle: "Practically every man has had his leading measurements taken when obtaining a new suit, and it is every bit as important to adopt a similar procedure when obtaining a new machine."
 
The longest ride I've took my SS on was just over 110miles and I've done a couple of other centuries on it; I don't know what it would be like day after day though, I think the most I've done is 40miles one day, 100miles the next but that was the weekend so it was followed by short commutes (3-4 miles round).
 
Last weekend
IMAG0697-1.jpg


We rode from Cambridge to Mildenhall, did a couple of day rides, then rode back via the hills south of Newmarket. Total of about 200km for the weekend.

To improve touring, I've put a slightly larger sprocket on, moved the light from bars to fork crown and added a saddlebag up front. I can't use front panniers on the carbon forks.

It worked very well. Once I've recovered properly from shoulder surgery, I reckon I can get further afield.
 

Old Plodder

Living at the top of a steep 2 mile climb
I had a spell of riding fixed, about 25 years ago, biggest mileage was 140 around Essex & Herts, 63" gear.
Normal riding was on the North Downs & the Weald, usually about 80 miles. Most riders of fixed only ever toured with a saddlebag.
I changed to riding a freewheel as my knee started to hurt going downhill, (shorter right leg), using about a 60" gear.
You do miss gears at times, obviously, but simplicity has its own benefits.
One thing I would advise is to have spare chain links & a rivetter in your touring kit.
 
Since the picture above, we've been camping at Northey Island in Essex, and ridden 100km out to camp in Sussex. Sadly, my rear rim died on the latest trip, so I borrowed a friend's wheel, and rode back to Horsham on an S2C, which is a unique experience for touring, but I prefer my fixed wheel!
 
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