Recent convert to fixed

[Eat MY Dust]

i think if you anything over about 75" for normal every day use then you are stupid(unless ofcoruse your very strong and will average speeds over 22mph every time you go out, which i do very much doubt)

That's quite an assumption. I can average 18 mph (including stops) on my commute into London which includes 29 sets of traffic lights and 11 RABs. I've averaged 22 mph on a 40 miles very hilly course (solo) before and could slip a pair of trainers on now and run a marathon and I haven't had breakfast yet.

 

[MacB]

well I think you're all nutters, I can see the love of the simplicity, but hills must really hurt.

well done FFFF

Joe, people skills, they give lessons

 

[4F]

well I think you're all nutters, I can see the love of the simplicity, but hills must really hurt.

well done FFFF

This is Suffolk, what's a hill ?

 

[Greenbank]

The Audax UK points champion (it's not a competition) two years ago runs various gears over 85" and sometimes up over 100". This is on 200km+ rides (often 1000km+) and he certainly isn't afraid of hills.

Seems not to have affected his ability to do more than 40,000km in one year though.

Use whatever gear you want but, and this is where most people go wrong, if you find you can't spin up fast enough then the answer is *NOT* to put a bigger gear on, that's just masking/ignoring the problem. Move to a smaller gear and force your legs to spin faster. Unless you're comfortable hitting 180rpm and above then there's still some work to do.

 

[GrahamG]

Glad to hear you're enjoying it FFFF!

The talk of 'what gear' always makes me chuckle - there are no rules, it's just whatever you're comfortable with. I currently use a 65" which is a little bit spinny but makes up for the fact that I'm a bit overweight/unfit for the 'feels just right' gear of 68"ish when it comes to the ride home from work.

 

[Joe24]

The Audax UK points champion (it's not a competition) two years ago runs various gears over 85" and sometimes up over 100". This is on 200km+ rides (often 1000km+) and he certainly isn't afraid of hills.

Seems not to have affected his ability to do more than 40,000km in one year though.

Use whatever gear you want but, and this is where most people go wrong, if you find you can't spin up fast enough then the answer is *NOT* to put a bigger gear on, that's just masking/ignoring the problem. Move to a smaller gear and force your legs to spin faster. Unless you're comfortable hitting 180rpm and above then there's still some work to do.

Exactly what i think.
Saying the person that has the record on the auduxs runs a big fixed gear is fine. hes good, and has been riding fixed for a long time.
But, remember, if you have an 85" gear, you need to be doing 22mph to gte your legs doing 90rpm. So, if you like lower, then you can do 18/19 aand be doing about 70 probably. But if you have a head wind, or something where your doing 14/15mph, your legs are going to be going very slow. And whats the point in that.
But thats just my views.
Putting a big gear on 'because you like to go fast' i think is not the right way to go. But hey, thats me.
I know someone who runs 102", sometimes abit bigger. Hes huge, he goes up hills slow though, and when the group is in a head wind and its going slow, his legs really arent going fast. He also has pretty much no bike controle aswell

 

[zimzum42]

I hate to labour a point, but here goes....

Singapore is pretty damn flat. I tend to ride (legally) along a nice flat flyover and then through a lovely industrial area along roads which are akin to UK motorways, and put the hammer down for half an hour or so. I am probably easily sitting at 20-25mph while I do this.

 

[GrahamG]

That's like doing a TT every time you go out riding - respect!

 

[zimzum42]

LOL! I'm not in the 'let's go for a nice ride through the fields' camp, more the 'get home and collapse in a sweaty heap' team....

 

[MacB]

LOL! I'm not in the 'let's go for a nice ride through the fields' camp, more the 'get home and collapse in a sweaty heap' team....

I can achieve that at 13mph

 

[stoatsngroats]

Thanks for some inspiration FFFF, I'm getting the bug!
Just have to start getting sorted with my fixie project.....soon!
(You're doing a fixie project too MacB, arn't you...?)

 

[Joe24]

Thanks for some inspiration FFFF, I'm getting the bug!
Just have to start getting sorted with my fixie project.....soon!
(You're doing a fixie project too MacB, arn't you...?)

Ive got a fixed project going aswell.
I shal soon have 2 fixeds
Im slowly building it up, its pretty simple when you get going.
So far, ive taken the old cranks off the frame and put on better cranks and chainring from another frame. Ive put the front brake on, marked up where im cutting down the bars, got the back wheel to fit.
The back wheel is an old rear wheel that would take a screw on block. I got given that because its pretty old, but its still true. I just need to re-grease it, and i could do with the axle going over abit more on one side, but it isnt too bad.
Its 125mm and my frame is 130, but ive just bent it in abit.
Not much left to do on it now, just grease the back wheel, put a tyre on it, put the sprocket on and get the chainline right, put a chain on.
Have fun with your project

 

[stoatsngroats]

Ive got a fixed project going aswell..../....put a chain on.
Have fun with your project

You're much farther along than me....!

I'm waiting the clearance to start this Peugeot fixie project, which has a B&^%£$ed back wheel, rear mech, brakes, etc. and thats the reason I'm gonna give it a go.

I'm wondering exactly what to do for a back wheel......the one I've got is far too gone to fix up, rim has bulges and rust etc. I think it's a 27", but I'll probably try to get a 700 in there; still plenty to read through, but cost is a major factor, I need to do it with as close to £0.00 as possible!

Good luck with yours - perhaps catch up with you sometime on the local-ish rides....

 

[Joe24]

You're much farther along than me....!

I'm waiting the clearance to start this Peugeot fixie project, which has a B&^%£$ed back wheel, rear mech, brakes, etc. and thats the reason I'm gonna give it a go.

I'm wondering exactly what to do for a back wheel......the one I've got is far too gone to fix up, rim has bulges and rust etc. I think it's a 27", but I'll probably try to get a 700 in there; still plenty to read through, but cost is a major factor, I need to do it with as close to £0.00 as possible!

Good luck with yours - perhaps catch up with you sometime on the local-ish rides....

So far, my fixed project has cost me £0.00. I already had the frame, and ive had alot of stuff given me. I basicly got given a frame with loads of stuff on and told to take off what i want. I already had some parts because that frame was my old fixed, but the only bits im still using from when that was fixed are stem, seat pin, brake.
As for back wheel, either get a proper fixed/track wheel set, or get an old rear wheel that takes a screw on block. You then put a sprocket on this, but you will probably have to put hub spacers in to get your chainline right. You wont have a proper lockring, so put your sprocket on tight, and it should be fine.
You should be able to build it up cheap. Are you in a cycle club? If you are, ask around, people will have sheds full of old bike stuff they will happily let go free or very cheap.

 

[stoatsngroats]

Thanks again Joe......

Not in a club - but possibly able to cadge stuff from generous people...!