Old Plodder
Living at the top of a steep 2 mile climb
- Location
- Surrey/Hants border
Whatever gear you choose, fit 2 brakes, there is no (safe) way of going down your hills without!!!!
super hilly area
- Thread starter david1701
- Start date
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+1.
I can be a fairly brain-out cyclist at times, but living in a very hilly area there is no way I have the nerve to ride fixed with only a front brake.
Dan_h
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Reading, UK
There is no reason the terrain should stop you from building a single speed. Mine is geared around 68" and I can get up most hills. There are plenty of accounts on the net of people doing everything from touring to Paris-Brest-Paris to the Great Divide race on fixed or single speed bikes.
Before I tried it I did think that I would really struggle and would need a gear that would be about the lowest one I regularly used, but when I tried it I learned that I was clearly under gearing my bike for most climbs. I was also a few minutes faster over the 13 miles that I commute each way simply because I was quicker up the hills!
Before I tried it I did think that I would really struggle and would need a gear that would be about the lowest one I regularly used, but when I tried it I learned that I was clearly under gearing my bike for most climbs. I was also a few minutes faster over the 13 miles that I commute each way simply because I was quicker up the hills!
totallyfixed
Veteran
- Location
- The only county without a McDonalds
This is my guilty secret, I use gears in your part of the world which we visit every year. This particular hill is just down the coast from Bude. Absolutely no way I could get up this on fixed, even if I ran a low enough gear going down those hills just wouldn't be feasible. If you stay away from the coast and select your route with care I would say it's doable on around 65" but as others have said you will need 2 brakes and maybe an anchor
Dan_h
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Reading, UK
Of course you can get up a 30% hill with a fixed, you get off and push! HTFU Dude!!
Smurfy
Naturist Smurf
- Location
- Smurfette's Kitchen
Of course you can get up a 30% hill with a fixed, you get off and push! HTFU Dude!!
Exactly! It's a push bike!
One thing I discovered when planning routes is that OS maps aren't always much use when trying to identify steep hills. I was defeated on the final bend on the Southerly ascent of Fleet Moss by a very short stretch which felt much steeper than a single chevron. I think the difference between the average gradient over say 100 yards and shorter stretches can be very high. There can also be a very big difference between the inside and the outside of a bend.