What gear and Where do you ride?

[totallyfixed]

Now into my 3rd year on fixed, originally bought to get stronger through winter without having to do as many miles. That was the plan, it worked - too well, now it's what I ride 95% of the time. I ride a Pearson with mudguards in the winter, or any wet ride come to that as they are quick to put on. When I lived in the relative flatlands of East Anglia I rode a 48 x 17 = 76", now I am in hillier parts [near Leicester] I thought I should go a bit smaller, so I did, wait for it.............75"! I hear you saying, why bother? It gets a bit technical here so I'm not going to bore you with BCD's, crank lengths etc etc. Anyway the long and short of it is I do club rides on it, the longest being 106 miles and that felt great because others were suffering more than me on gears! I train in the local hills on it and think if it was any lower geared my 6'4" frame with 175 cranks going on a long downhill might not be a pretty sight as bits start to fly off [my seatpin once broke at well over 30mph but that's another story which I lived to tell]. I average about 170 miles per week on fixed.
Ok, so tell all, what do you ride, where, how far, how often, what gear etc.
I apologise if this is an old thread but it gives us new members a chance to find out a bit more about everyone and adds perspective to personalities.

 

[longers]

Seventy inches on a Singlecross with mudguards and a rack. It's my commuter so 30k per day with 600m of climbing. Just about right for me, new to it and will do my 3,000th mile on it today since March - first one nicked and replaced on insurance.

Have done 480k to, from and including a flattish Audax with no trouble* in one go - it's my comfiest bike at the moment.

* the bench half a mile away from here was very tempting but I resisted the temptation and made it home.

 

[piedwagtail91]

i've got a pompino with a gear of about 63 (47x20). It's pretty hilly round here, ribble valley/ yorkshire dales and that gear is just about right for some of the hillier bits round the trough of bowland and dentdale. it's a bit low for the fylde coast area but i can manage mid 20's ok. like totally fixed i started off to just ride in winter but have only done about 400 geared miles in the last 3 years compared to the thousands on fixed.

 

[4F]

I ride either 79.1 (48 x 16) or 70.3 (48 x 18). I have a fixed / fixed hub and will flip the wheel as my mood suits. I live in a rather flat Suffolk and find the above works for me.

 

[Theseus]

I ride a Pearson Touche 48x18 72" 10 miles each way most days in Edinburgh. Occaisional rides with the CC crew. Last time was about 60 miles round trip. Rode fixed on the Edinburgh to StAndrews ride this year. Surprisingly more preferable to last year when I rode it on my 9sp triple, but that could have been down to wind speed/direction

 

[palinurus]

70", new to fixed- about six weeks now. Commuting but increasingly taking the longer and hillier route to work.

Now thinking of putting together a fixed TT bike, that's a very new itch.

 

[tyred]

46 x 18, 27 inch wheels on an old 531 frame. I have a freewheel though.

 

[Joe24]

Got a Langdale frame, and the rest were bits i had. 72"(48/18) for normal use. Got a 16t sprocket on the other side(about an 80"gear)
Ride around Nottingham/derbyshire in the hills.

Got a fixed TT bike, its either 48/13(97") or 46/13(95")

Mess around fixed is 48/19(about a 66" gear)

Track bike has 52 something on, only rode that 2 times on the track near me, cant remember what sprockets its got on the back.

Out most days on the Langdale, do about 200mils a week on it.
In the summer i do my clubs evening 10s, and some other local TTs, but they have stopped now.

 

[totallyfixed]

Interesting range of gears so far, hats off to piedwagtail91 on a 63", I grew up in that area and while I understand the need for the smaller gear when climbing, I think my legs would disassemble coming down. Any idea what revs you have achieved? Mine's only a modest 190 rpm but I am a lanky git.

 

[totallyfixed]

Forgot to add, I have a flip flop hub with a freewheel and have never been tempted to use it, it's now a sort of badge of honour, I keep it nice and shiny.

 

[4F]

Any idea what revs you have achieved?

About 170 and to be honest I would not want to go any higher than that.

 

[Joe24]

Any idea what revs you have achieved?

I shall show off.
Ive done 200rpm on the 72" fixed, and slightly over 200rpm, probably about 205rpm when i used to ride a 65" gear.(46/19 i think it was)

 

[fossyant]

44 x 16 about 74" - can only get to about 160, but I'm about twice Joe's age.

 

[totallyfixed]

205 rpm, bloody hell! Think thats the fastest I've heard yet, Joe's not a member of the GB track team is he? I'm going to feel aright noggin if he is. Am now interested to find out what a track sprinter does get up to, on saying that though they can't be twiddling that fast on big gears at 40mph so I reckon Joe wins it so far.

 

[derall]

42 x 16 on 700c, which I think works out at about 70" to 72"ish. Live in the moderately hilly Chilterns and only been riding fixed for about 6 weeks / 1200km. There's a few climbs where I've had to get off and walk, but not as many as I'd imagined. Highest I can go on the descents is about 140rpm, then I'm yanking on the brakes. Being the wrong side of 45, I don't think I'll ever get the suppleness to spin faster.