Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Fixie Cross

Yup, not too many brain cells called in for work today, as I did the Brookside (Indianapolis) Cross Race.

Raced the "B" class and it never fails to amaze me the speed of the masters class riders. Couple that with those that make cyclocross a yearly endevor, and you end up with riders that flow through the course like water over a stone. Lots of Empella's and Indy Fab's running Zipp 404's, sigh, so lovely.

Handful of singlespeeders in the 70+ field, but thought they would all get whiplash as someone noticed, and announced, I was running fixed as they all snapped their heads to look. All I could do was grin.

Ran a IRO Jamie Roy with a cross fork. Geared 42x17 and rocking the Moustache bars. Gearing could have been a couple inches smaller, as the course had some pretty sharp turns and the ground was a bit sticky.

No results yet, as I left before posting. Hopefully they will post results soon on the site.

I know one of our members did a cross last year in Chi-town on a fixed, speak up and join the lunacy

Here's to the next race. . .

There's a cross racer out here in SoCal that won the at least the first race on a fixie. Just keep-a-pedalling :)

I might do the Capitol Cross, in Reston, on the fixed gear. B's was won on a single speed last year. My frame isn't drilled for a rear canti, so I could run it single speed, with a canti front and a caliper in the rear. No brake cable routing though, but electrical tape would work. Just depends on how crazy I feel when the race starts, I mean I have a regular cross bike and all...maybe I should run my track disc wheel?

PM stickerguy. He has the skinny...legs

I'm not skinny...I'm svelte

too bad my bike is not ready.

S/F,
CEYA!

The irony of the next two races in Indy is that they are being held at the Velodrome. Can only hope that they finish on the track ala Paris Roubaix. Can see it now, a mad dash down and through the tunnel, then on the track to finish.

<sigh> I should stop hoping. . .

Paraleisure did the race last year here in Chi-town. Last time he was around, he had gone geared...

just for kicks here's a picture of me at the chicrosscup.com
yup that's me tossing around my bianchi pista. I bet Sky Yeager
didn't imagine us hip kids riding cross on a track bike
Note: I've got a freewheel on there.

I could go into why I opted against racing fixed, but it'd be
kinda boring.

jeff

http://img307.imageshack.us/img307/8471/40159973o9ou.th.jpg (http://img307.imageshack.us/my.php?image=40159973o9ou.jpg)

Awesome Jeff. The one you're on the 13th, with the On One right?

Yeah, to all of the DC crew who are coming to Chicago you can
skip out on the festivities to watch me attempt to move up in
rank from 30th out of 51 in the Men's C class and 5th out of 8
places in the Singlespeed.

jeff

Pic of me riding my new On-One.
http://img324.imageshack.us/img324/3680/21d41zr.th.jpg (http://img324.imageshack.us/my.php?image=21d41zr.jpg)

I was reading about one of the world cup races where they had to run up and down the stairs
of a football stadium. It looked awesome. I'll find a pic.

edit: http://www.cyclingnews.com/cross/2005/CXworlds05/?id=race4
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/9633/bu0501300489stairs6ib.th.jpg (http://img3.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bu0501300489stairs6ib.jpg)

They should totally set up an obstacle course in the middle of the 'drome. So you'd have to do two laps then dismount and jump through one of those weird nets they use in american football practices.
hep! hep! hep! hep! oh and a tarzan rope

jeff



The irony of the next two races in Indy is that they are being held at the Velodrome. Can only hope that they finish on the track ala Paris Roubaix. Can see it now, a mad dash down and through the tunnel, then on the track to finish.

<sigh> I should stop hoping. . .

The Brookside course yesterday had three set of concrete steps. Damp ground pre-steps made the approach to the steps a bit interesting. Fun stuff though.

Yeah, to all of the DC crew who are coming to Chicago you can
skip out on the festivities to watch me attempt to move up in
rank from 30th out of 51 in the Men's C class and 5th out of 8
places in the Singlespeed.

jeff

Pic of me riding my new On-One.
http://img324.imageshack.us/img324/3680/21d41zr.th.jpg (http://img324.imageshack.us/my.php?image=21d41zr.jpg)

Nice, got a bigger pic of the On-One?

That sounds super scary. If there's one thing that freaks me out is hitting something. At the jackson park race there were these big concrete posts that held tennis court lights that were in the middle of turns. Goal number one in XC: keep all of your teeth.

Have you thought of trying singlespeed 'cross at all? I trained on my fix and found that dismounts were wrecking havoc on my left knee becasue of the whole up/down that happens after I brought my right leg to the left side. Remounts were a bit clumsier thant with a freewheel and I kept getting bruises on my back from the spinning cranks when I had to carry.

The major reason I went freewheel was because I'm a terrible runner and needed the bike time to recover.
Definitely let us know your results.

Don't have any bigger pics on my on-one, yet. Just ones of me riding it. I'll work on it.


The Brookside course yesterday had three set of concrete steps. Damp ground pre-steps made the approach to the steps a bit interesting. Fun stuff though.

Dammit I'd just gotten the MTB enduro I did on fixed out of my system and you had to post this as the cross season's getting properly mucky. Curse you!

heres a pic of me and my gf, both of us on surly cross-check singlespeeds.

heres a pic of me and my gf, both of us on surly cross-check singlespeeds.
Nice socks.

I might do the Capitol Cross, in Reston, on the fixed gear. B's was won on a single speed last year. My frame isn't drilled for a rear canti, so I could run it single speed, with a canti front and a caliper in the rear. No brake cable routing though, but electrical tape would work. Just depends on how crazy I feel when the race starts, I mean I have a regular cross bike and all...maybe I should run my track disc wheel?
Are you the guy who won last years B's on the SS? I believe it was a messer from DC on an SS who won? If so you have my respects that is a kick ass race and I will be up there for it again this year. I think it's over Thanksgiving day weekend no?