Lausanne: Whats it like?

[Joe24]

I've been to Lausanne and it's flat, flat, flat. A lot of Switzerland is flat and the rest is downhill. You'll be fine with no gears at all.

Really?
You have just made my tears stop, can i have a hug?

 

[fossyant]

Really?
You have just made my tears stop, can i have a hug?

Jessie !

 

[Joe24]

Jessie !

You cant talk, you still got gears

 

[Crankarm]

Luasanne the town itself is flat along the lakeside, but if you want to go anywhere other than along the banks of Lake Geneva you are going to have to climb some steep hills and you won't do it on a 72" gear. You can try but I reckon you will be pushing your bike most of the time. You could cycle south back to Geneva I suppose. The scenery is stunning. Vevey east of Lausanne is nice. really you want to get onto the French side and ride the cols of the Alps, be a real fixed cyclist in the same mould as the early TdF greats.

Why Lausanne anyway, going to clear out your Swiss bank account or make a deposit?

 

[summerdays]

Luasanne the town itself is flat along the lakeside, but if you want to go anywhere other than along the banks of Lake Geneva you are going to have to climb some steep hills and you won't do it on a 72" gear. You can try but I reckon you will be pushing your bike most of the time. You could cycle south back to Geneva I suppose. The scenery is stunning. Vevey east of Lausanne is nice. really you want to get onto the French side and ride the cols of the Alps, be a real fixed cyclist in the same mould as the early TdF greats.

Why Lausanne anyway, going to clear out your Swiss bank account or make a deposit?

Agreed - lots of flatish bits surrounded by lots of all but vertical bits.

 

[Joe24]

Luasanne the town itself is flat along the lakeside, but if you want to go anywhere other than along the banks of Lake Geneva you are going to have to climb some steep hills and you won't do it on a 72" gear. You can try but I reckon you will be pushing your bike most of the time. You could cycle south back to Geneva I suppose. The scenery is stunning. Vevey east of Lausanne is nice. really you want to get onto the French side and ride the cols of the Alps, be a real fixed cyclist in the same mould as the early TdF greats.

Why Lausanne anyway, going to clear out your Swiss bank account or make a deposit?

We are going there because my mum wants to go to SWitzerland, near where she stayed as a girl guider, for some reason
So, if i gear down i should be alright? Somewhere low 60's/high 50's for it was my idea.
Would be nice to go into some of the Alps, but not sure how i would get on there with the fixed, i think i would need to gear down some more for that, and have two brakes maybe

 

[Joe24]

What did the people in the TDF used to ride gear wise?
Ill go back that, and gear down from that

 

[GrahamG]

Don't go lower than a 65" as you'll not be able to get down anything! Seriously, you're young and fit so should still be able to get some rides in on a mid-high 60's gear - there's plenty of audaxers (maybe of questionable sanity...) who do all the welsh hills and other similar routes on fixed so don't worry about it. You can always get off and walk (mtb shoes advisable over road shoes) otherwise it's just a whole different riding style - slow and grindy expelling just enough effort so that you don't grind to a halt but not so much effort that it's unsustainable.

 

[bonj2]

yeah you should do some wales audaxes joe... I am (not on fixed though)

 

[Joe24]

Don't go lower than a 65" as you'll not be able to get down anything! Seriously, you're young and fit so should still be able to get some rides in on a mid-high 60's gear - there's plenty of audaxers (maybe of questionable sanity...) who do all the welsh hills and other similar routes on fixed so don't worry about it. You can always get off and walk (mtb shoes advisable over road shoes) otherwise it's just a whole different riding style - slow and grindy expelling just enough effort so that you don't grind to a halt but not so much effort that it's unsustainable.

Im staying in 72" when im in wales, ill soon find out if thats a good idea. The main reason is i havent got a 19t sprocket, only a 16, 18, 21, 22.
When im in Lausanne my idea was to have some bigger sprockets there if i need them, and for when i go into the steeper hills that are there.
Going down ill just spin, or keep a big gear on the other side so i flip the wheel around fo going down.

 

[yenrod]

Thats just made me cry
Im going to Wales soon near Snowdonia with my 72" fixed, that might be fun

Go up the Lanberis Pass (the road with snowdon on your right -literally-) and if you can get up that Joe you really ARE some cyclist.

Seriously Joe, DONT even think you can fixed'it around wales on youre fixed bike - as your stupid. YOU NEED GEARS. Engalnds flat compared to Wales.

Take a hill in Wales: in 30-50ft you can be gettting on for 30mph in that distance (DOWNHILL OBVIOUSLY).

Whereas in England: you have to sprint to get to that speed.

FORGET THE FIXED

 

[Joe24]

Go up the Lanberis Pass (the road with snowdon on your right -literally-) and if you can get up that Joe you really ARE some cyclist.

Seriously Joe, DONT even think you can fixed'it around wales on youre fixed bike - as your stupid. YOU NEED GEARS. Engalnds flat compared to Wales.

Take a hill in Wales: in 30-50ft you can be gettting on for 30mph in that distance (DOWNHILL OBVIOUSLY).

Whereas in England: you have to sprint to get to that speed.

FORGET THE FIXED

72" fixed it is then
I might not be doing that pass though

 

[Brains]

Lausanne - Fine if you stick to the lakeside and go east or west
Any other option involves going UP!
The bumps are call "the Alps"

 

[Cathryn]

Despite the hilliness, it is flipping beautiful. You'll have some amazing rides.

 

[montage]

Go up the Lanberis Pass (the road with snowdon on your right -literally-) and if you can get up that Joe you really ARE some cyclist.

Seriously Joe, DONT even think you can fixed'it around wales on youre fixed bike - as your stupid. YOU NEED GEARS. Engalnds flat compared to Wales.

Take a hill in Wales: in 30-50ft you can be gettting on for 30mph in that distance (DOWNHILL OBVIOUSLY).

Whereas in England: you have to sprint to get to that speed.

FORGET THE FIXED

How long is this pass?