super hilly area

[david1701]

Hi,

I live in north cornwall and would quite like to build a pretty SS (with a flip flop hub so I can try fixed) partly as a challenge, and partly as a training thing (fixed). My issue is that I've been told its dumb by my friends (and I feel that they may have a point) because of the very hilly nature of North Cornwall. There are a lot of steep climbs and descents if you take any of the back routes (including just getting home) so this would mean I'd choose a pretty low gear, but then I'd never get anywhere if I chose the lowest gear I ride in.....

Should I try riding my whole trip into town and see what is the highest gear I can make the big hill in, then build a bike with that gearing? Or just ditch the whole plan?

 

[colinr]

Don't ditch it, you have to prove your friends wrong!

Not being overly familiar with these "steep climbs and descents" you talk of I couldn't speculate on an appropriate gearing but remember whatever gear you have to climb the hill in is the same gear you have to spin down the hill in.

Me, I know that I can climb inclines in a higher gear on fixed than I might choose to when I have a choice of 18.

 

[byegad]

I live in County Durham and have the choice of fairly flat, but hilly compared to anything in say Norfolk, runs and really hilly ones. The really hilly choices range from sedate 1 in 6 or 7 hills to 1 in 3.

I'd love to see anyone on a fixed ride the 1 in 3! More seriously I ride the up to 1 in 5 regularly and have managed 1 in 3 on occasion. I use gears, me!

 

[Bokonon]

Just go for a low gear! Not a problem if you single speeding; you can freewheel down the hills! Low gear on fixed is fun, or scary, depending on the situation, and may not be the fasting thing on the flat though it will teach you to spin.

For what it's worth, I currently have fixies with 60" and 66" gears. I can comfortably get up 1 in 8 on the 66" and steeper if required. I can just about do sustained 1 in 5 on the 60" and steeper over very short climbs. Your milage will vary depending on how strong a rider you are and your riding style, but you will be suprised at what can be ridden up when only one gear is available.

 

[david1701]

hmm I do ride a 1 in 5 on a training route I like. If I built a bike with say a 60" gear and found I coped pretty well then I could buy a new cog for the back and just shorten the chain?

I'd idealy like to ride fixed rather than SS for the way it improves technique but with a flip flop hub its just turning the wheel round?

 

[yashicamat]

I live on the edge of the Peak District and ride a 65" SS (SS rather than fixed so I can go faster on the downhills). I can tackle long-ish 10% climbs and shorter 15% climbs, but I try not to tackle anything steeper than that as I'm very likely to have a clipless moment at the speed I'm likely to be moving at!

 

[david1701]

any thoughts on spotting viable donor bikes? I'm digging on ebay and having no luck

 

[skudupnorth]

I know your hill's are hilly...they nearly finnished me off last year on my ride down from Manchester ! But i saw a guy riding up from Macclesfield towards the Cat & Fiddle on a fixie so i guess it is do-able even on some big hills !

 

[bonker]

You can do hills on a fixed, but do you really want to?

I ride 47x17 and my hilly route home during training last year ( for the Alpe d'Huez triathlon) took in plenty including a short 1:5 or more leg breaker. You wouldn't want to do it everyday but it's completely doable. I think the harder bit is having to do the steep descending. If you chose an easier gear up you wouldn't stand a chance on the way down.

When I first tried big hills on a fixed it did seem like they couldn't be cycled. I had to get off and walk ( the first time for years). But when you chase the pedals round in a more dynamic pedalling style you get a lot more momentum.

I know your area ( haven't ridden it fixed) but it could be done, it's mind over matter. I'm an old git (48 now) and only started riding fixed 3 years ago.


It would certainly build your leg strength but I don't know what it would do for your knees/ achilles.

 

[AlexStevens]

I live in a hilly part of Wiltshire and I am still building a singlespeed!

Take a look at the build so far : http://buildingabicycle.tumblr.com/

 

[david1701]

nice build will follow with interest

 

[AlexStevens]

Good good, lots of progress recently

 

[AlexStevens]

any thoughts on spotting viable donor bikes? I'm digging on ebay and having no luck

I found a community bike workshop where I got my frame with forks, headset, cranks, BB and handlebars for £25!

 

[david1701]

it is looking niice, blue bar tape sounds cool can't wait till its on. No such luck round here I'm afraid

 

[Smurfy]

No such luck round here I'm afraid

There must be loads of old 1980s and early 1990s road frames knocking around with horizontal dropouts. An old Reynolds 501 or even a 531 would be good.

At the moment my free time is rather precious, so I bought a single speed all set up and ready to go. It came with 42x18, which on 700 tyres is about 61 inches. I ride in the Yorkshire Dales and I can get up a single chevron hill rather slowly, and the freewheel lets me whizz down the other side. It's a bit spinny on the flat but I'm hoping to use a larger gear when I get stronger. I can only ride weekends at the moment, just done three rides so far but my leg muscles feel bigger already.