Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Got my butt kicked by a bke ride.

Yesterday my wife decides it’s a good idea for me to go out for a ride and get my mind off of things. I see in the local paper The Susquehanna Valley Bike Tour is this Saturday. So I grab my fixed and show up this morning.
Well I got a few strange looks for not wearing spandex and showing up in jeans and a tee shirt with this weird bike. I’m OK with this. I even play it up a little and ask them what kind of beer are they serving at the end of the ride.
So I grab the 30 mile ride map and head off. Well let me tell you this ain’t New Your City. Their version of flat ride and my version of flat ride wasn’t the same. It turned out to be 30 miles of “rolling hills” yea right! The Brooklyn Bridge seems like a cake walk now. This was 30 miles of non stop climbs and descents.
The bad part is my bikes are still geared for New York not the hills of Pennsylvania. So my 52/18 gearing should have been a 42/18. I still did the ride and even a tough ride is better then not riding at all.


Tony

Welcome back.

edit: Oh, and come on, dude. Don't you have a bailout gear on the other side of your hub? Weak. ;)

52/18 tony? dude, that's some crazy gear, especially for "rolling hills" I remember you telling me thats your gear, but damn dude... Good to hear you out riding. So PA? you left us NYCer's? Those hill will get you in even better shape, and quicker... need to show them PA peeps what NYC fixies are like.

Good for you. Around here, 42/18 or 39/16 is normal. Congrats on getting some fresh air.

you'd think tony'd get a flip flop hub from somewhere. i think someone sells those on SI. can't remember who, though.

wouldn't such a light gear make you spin out? i'd rather mash it up the hills than spin out.

you'd think tony'd get a flip flop hub from somewhere. i think someone sells those on SI. can't remember who, though.

wouldn't such a light gear make you spin out? i'd rather mash it up the hills than spin out.
You live in New York. What would you know about hills? :p

y'know if i lived in a hilly place, maybe i wouldn't be such a *****cat about spinning out. as it is, that scares the poop out of me.

The hills are alive with the sound of....panting? Glad to hear you're back on the bike. 52:18? Damn! I'm hoping to see a man in the near future about an IRO:)

did you used to ride a bigger gear than 52:18 tony? I remember you said something about a 15 or 14. Come on dude, you got a brake, no worries, charge up those hills with something like a 90 gear inches,that'll get you panting.

90, hehe. I can't wait to go back to Portland and see how I do on those "hills". Corvallis, where I am currently, is almsot completely flat.

Congrats on finishing, Tony. I woulda bailed man...

I sure miss the rolling hills of PA. My family is from Susq Valley. Glad to see you out man. Take care. The ol' Italian IRO is getting a workout here in Anchorage. Come up and visit sometime!

Here in LA where rolling hills are a way of life no one in thier right mind runs anything more than 80 inches. You're a madman!

Tony, glad you're getting out. You're an animal running that gearing on hills.
You should check out what I did with my Mark V, it's nice for hills and cargo:

42X16 or 42x14 would be ideal if you are somewhat a strong rider for those rolling hills in PA.
edit: I run 42X13 - 87 gear inches on rolling hills. A tad high perhaps.

Flatlanders .... eheheh! j/k

Congratulations for finishing the ride in such tall gearing. I hope you where catching some massive speed on the downhill.

Here in LA where rolling hills are a way of life no one in thier right mind runs anything more than 80 inches. You're a madman!
52/18 is only 75 inches.......Not an insanley high hipster gearing, but probably too high for rolling hills...

52/18 is only 75 inches.......Not an insanley high hipster gearing, but probably too high for rolling hills...


shhhh don't call me out on my poor math skills...it just makes me sad.

yeah tony!

i had a dream lastnight that a kid on a bmx bike beat me up hill
maybe it was more of a nightmare

is this related?