Fifty Plus (50+) - Fixed ?

My indoor bike, a Schwinn Airdyne, is my only fixed gear bike.

When I do 40 miles on "The Beast," I am totally wasted for about 1/2 hour. It takes me roughly 3 hours.

When riding outside, on a real bike (Specialized Crosstrail - Hybrid 9 spd triple,) the same 40 miles take about the same time, and I'm much more relaxed while riding, and not nearly as worn out.

You people are either, nuts, gluttons for punishment, or, in extremely good shape.

My current goals are 30 - 40 miles per day (average over 7 days), and 1,000 miles per month. I seldom take a day off.

I am so happy to be off "The Beast" and back outside on a real bike.

40 miles outside, is so much more fun....... especially if I can shift and coast.....

Why is it that every time I see the term "fixed: I think of our old childhood tomcat Rrrawlph and the looks he usedto give us after he operation? :D

You people are either, nuts, gluttons for punishment, or, in extremely good shape. My current goals are 30 - 40 miles per day (average over 7 days), and 1,000 miles per month. I seldom take a day off. . . . especially if I can shift and coast.....

Okay, Wanderer . . . First, I do ride double centuries (200 mi. in a day), but I am not a glutton for punishment, nor am I in extremely good shape. Dante says the 50+ forumites think that double century riders are "crazy", but I don't buy that either.

Second, you don't say how much you vary your rides per day, but try to go beyond (way beyond) what seems to be your 40 mile max. Go to 62 miles on one day (approx. 100 kilometers), then do a recovery ride for (example) ten miles the following day, before going back to your usual routine.

After a week (approx.) rest/routine, take a very easy couple of days (15 mi. then 10 mi.), then go for 100 miles the next day. You'd be surprised how easy it is. Then, after your 100 mi. day, take one or two relatively easy (low milage, low effort) days to recover.

Check back after your century and we'll talk about training for doubles :)!

Rick / OCRR

First of all, there is no such thing as 40 miles on a trainer, thus there can be no "the same 40 miles" when riding outdoors.

Second, don't blame the fixed gear bike for the fact that riding on trainers sucks. :lol:

Rick@OCRR,

You denied being a glutton for punishment and being in extremely good shape. I couldn't help but notice you didn't deny being nuts.

Besides, it's so much easier to ride a FG, even 50 miles on the open road than pedal 3 hours on an indoor Schwinn trainer. :)

Rick@OCRR,You denied being a glutton for punishment and being in extremely good shape. I couldn't help but notice you didn't deny being nuts.

You are quite correct Cone Wrench:)!

I thought I delt with that aspect with Dante's "crazy" reference, but to me (in this context) "nuts" and "crazy" work out to about the same. Regardless, they are both cultural definitions.

To many Americans, any adult who "still" rides a bicycle is nuts/crazy. Obviously, within this bikeforums.net culture, that is not the case.

Likewise, within bikeforums.net, many of the 50+ cyclists (and not exclusively 50+!) think anyone who would spend most of the day (13 - 17 hours for me) riding a bike has to be "nuts/crazy."

However, within the Double Century Culture (ref: www.caltriplecrown.com), we're all perfectly normal folks :thumb:.

Rick / OCRR

Anybody who can spend more than 30 or 40 minutes on a trainer, ANY trainer, is taking things way too seriously.
I have a trainer and a dedicated bike in our spare room, but I haven't used either one in more than a year. I'd rather (and often do) ride outside in sub-freezing weather than spend a minute on that thing.
Everybody has a theory, about not coasting, or not changing position, or trying to maintain a steady pace, but pretty much everybody agrees trainers suck.

Anybody who can spend more than 30 or 40 minutes on a trainer, ANY trainer, is taking things way too seriously.

Dead right. Thirty minutes is my maximum - after that, it's just masochism and I can't see the point in doing it to yourself. Get out in the real world and ride there ... unless it's ten foot under snow outside, that's one excuse I'll accept (though we don't get snow here :D)

Richard