Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - Post your LD SS/FG bikes

What the hell, all of the other forums have one of these threads.

Seriously, I have been riding more and more SS (about 50%). Nothing yet over 50 miles, but I want to extend that this summer.

Presently, I am riding the Mad Max Ti Frankenbike below. It is a conversion from a good, but no name Ti road bike I picked up for a song. At 14-15 pounds, it is an absolutely deadly Sunday morning poser killing rocket. It is perfect in all but two ways: 1) For the long haul, I need a size or two larger; and 2) Because it has vertical, rather than horizontal or rear dropouts, I am limited to a small number of "magic gears."

What I am thinking about is finding a new or vintage road frame with horizontal or rear dropouts to build up.

So, please inspire me. What are you riding? What is your gearing? All thoughts and opinions welcome.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/RCopple/IMG_0002r-1.jpg

I ride a KHS uno fixed gear and I also have a Surly 1x1 with 700cc wheels .Sorry no pics as I don't have a camera right now. I like to keep my gear ratio at around 68-74 gear inches. These are my commuter bikes which I also use for long distance rides and centuries. Longest distance so far has been 176 KM's. I love the simplicity and realibility of SS/FG drivetrain and I have no plans of going back to gears. Riding with SS/FG is so much more interesting and more fun then riding with gears.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2072/141/86/519101763/n519101763_1280086_4550.jpg

1988 Trek 400 I salvaged from the dumpster.
1991 Shimano 105sc:
- crank
- front hub
- front brake
- brake levers
1991 Wolber t410 Alpine rims
IRO high flange fix/fix hub
44t Sugino chainring, 18t Shimano freewheel (18t Surly fixed cog, flip side)

(1991 parts cannibalized from a PDG Series-5)

You guys have much better looking white garage doors than I do...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3391/3497747141_b83045b0e2.jpg

This is my daily commuter and long distance single speed. I've taken it on numerous 100 mi and 200 km rides. This picture is about a year and a half old but it looks pretty much the same except that I've traded out the Brooks saddle for a Selle San Marco Regal (holds up better in the rain). I'm currently running 46 x 18 gearing and Conti Ultra Gatorskins 25c tires. The odometer is going to turn over 10,000 miles sometime in the next month or so.

You guys have much better looking white garage doors than I do...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3391/3497747141_b83045b0e2.jpg


This is my daily commuter and long distance single speed. I've taken it on numerous 100 mi and 200 km rides. This picture is about a year and a half old but it looks pretty much the same except that I've traded out the Brooks saddle for a Selle San Marco Regal (holds up better in the rain). I'm currently running 46 x 18 gearing and Conti Ultra Gatorskins 25c tires. The odometer is going to turn over 10,000 miles sometime in the next month or so.

I really like that bike and have been considering the Volpe / San Jose and the Surly Cross Check. I guess that is a common decision point for many. Do you have an opinion about how the two bikes compare? Also, what do you suppose your bike weighs?

Thanks

I really like that bike and have been considering the Volpe / San Jose and the Surly Cross Check. I guess that is a common decision point for many. Do you have an opinion about how the two bikes compare? Also, what do you suppose your bike weighs?

Thanks

Here is my San Jose:
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_BrzGqYHMS8o/S8M_gX9ovOI/AAAAAAAAACs/BmdJ2HeQZ4E/s800/P9190113.JPG
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B2Iq4bMcf-ubMGQ5YTYzZTAtZjUyMy00ODhjLWE1YzktNGY2ZjdjYTIyMmQ3&sort=name&layout=list&num=50


I also just built up a Cross Check for LD and light touring around the Athena 11 drive train. The two have very similar geometry; however, I have noticed that the San Jose tends to feel a bit snappier and less flexy when accelerating. The Surly feels a bit twitchier in the steering, but all in all a bit more stable into fast corners. Both are great over rough terrain, but the Surly seems to absorb the punishment a bit more in the rough patches.
San Jose: ~20 lbs. Surly: ~22 lbs.

FWIW: Get the San Jose if you want a dedicated SS/FG, get the Surly if you want something more versatile. I love my San Jose and am quickly falling in love with my new Cross Check as well, just need to log a few more miles on it before its official.

My long distance SS bike is a San Jose as well. It's an extremely comfortable bike for miles of 100 rides or more, handles well when loaded down with some weight and is stable at speed. Against a Crosscheck, it would decide on your budget and how much you want to customize your bike. For the price, a San Jose is a bargain... mine is mostly stock after two years and I've had pretty much no problems with it at all, though the paint chips if you sneeze on it. Building a Crosscheck from the frame up will cost more and be a bit of a pain if you're not the type to sit around wondering about the virtues of different cranksets and the like, but will probably be a better deal dollar-for-dollar and obviously leave you the option of throwing on gears if you like.

I really like that bike and have been considering the Volpe / San Jose and the Surly Cross Check. I guess that is a common decision point for many. Do you have an opinion about how the two bikes compare? Also, what do you suppose your bike weighs?

Thanks
Seems like a lot of folks can't decide between the two and end up with both. I have a Cross Check as my geared brevet bike. The two are very similar on paper, but I have to say they feel different. The Cross Check feels quite a bit heavier and more solid to me. Flying down hills at 40mph feels very safe and steady on the CC while the Volpe starts to feel a little twitchy at high speed. Of course handling differences could be due to the fact that I have a front rack and handlebar bag on the CC and not on the Volpe. I'd have a hard time if I had to choose between the two. The CC feels like it could go anywhere... dirt roads and even single track are doable. The Volpe doesn't seem quite as tough, but feels a little more nimble climbing hills. Of course, as Feaduin points out, the San Jose is a pretty great deal for a do-anything single speed. The only thing I don't like about the San Jose is that I prefer the horizontal dropouts of the Volpe to the San Jose's track ends just because track ends are kind of a pain in the butt with full fenders. But that's a pretty minor niggle.

I've only weighed my Volpe using the highly scientific bathroom scale method and it was right around 20 lbs as pictured (but without the tool bag).

Seems like a lot of folks can't decide between the two and end up with both. I have a Cross Check as my geared brevet bike. The two are very similar on paper, but I have to say they feel different. The Cross Check feels quite a bit heavier and more solid to me. Flying down hills at 40mph feels very safe and steady on the CC while the Volpe starts to feel a little twitchy at high speed. Of course handling differences could be due to the fact that I have a front rack and handlebar bag on the CC and not on the Volpe. I'd have a hard time if I had to choose between the two. The CC feels like it could go anywhere... dirt roads and even single track are doable. The Volpe doesn't seem quite as tough, but feels a little more nimble climbing hills. Of course, as Feaduin points out, the San Jose is a pretty great deal for a do-anything single speed. The only thing I don't like about the San Jose is that I prefer the horizontal dropouts of the Volpe to the San Jose's track ends just because track ends are kind of a pain in the butt with full fenders. But that's a pretty minor niggle.

I've only weighed my Volpe using the highly scientific bathroom scale method and it was right around 20 lbs as pictured (but without the tool bag).

I checked out your blog. You guys are animals.

Great info. Thx.

I just located a 2006 Volpe frame. It appears to be in good condition and the guy is asking $300. What do you think it is worth. Also, are the horizontal dropouts long enough to give you a couple of gears of adjustment?

I checked out your blog. You guys are animals.

Great info. Thx.

I just located a 2006 Volpe frame. It appears to be in good condition and the guy is asking $300. What do you think it is worth. Also, are the horizontal dropouts long enough to give you a couple of gears of adjustment?
The price seems like it's in the ballpark although I might offer a little less. I bought mine new in 2006 as a complete geared bike and paid about $900. So the price should be pretty much the same as a Cross Check frame.

The horizontal dropouts are plenty long enough to allow some choices on gearing. If you can't get the exact gearing you want, a half link will probably solve the problem.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a101/Noel3006/IMG_0285.jpg

Home built frame with Reynolds 531 tubing. Magistoni cottered steel cranks, Ghisallo wood rims, 27mm Dugast tubulars, Carradice bag, V/O sprung saddle. Great solo all day bike on flat-to-rolling roads, but club rides in the mountains are tough. Even with the flip-flop hub (49x19 fixed, 24 tooth freewheel on the flip side) I end up riding by myself, so it's only going to remain a single speed until I get the Sturmey-Archer hub built into a wheel.

That's a really lovely bike.

OK, many thanks for all of the advice. Here is where we stand. I bought this 2006 Volpe frame from a knowledgeable MD cyclist (who convinced me that the color in the BB is residue from frame treatment).

Now to start planning the build. Do you recall the BB length on your Volpe? Also, did you use a hyperglide spacer/cog conversion kit or a flip/flop with a freewheel? I have used both and for a number of reasons prefer the hyperglide conversion.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/RCopple/DSC05577.jpg

OK, many thanks for all of the advice. Here is where we stand. I bought this 2006 Volpe frame from a knowledgeable MD cyclist (who convinced me that the color in the BB is residue from frame treatment).

Now to start planning the build. Do you recall the BB length on your Volpe? Also, did you use a hyperglide spacer/cog conversion kit or a flip/flop with a freewheel? I have used both and for a number of reasons prefer the hyperglide conversion.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/RCopple/DSC05577.jpg
Nice looking frame you got there. Sorry, but I don't know the BB length. I'm just using the original BB and cranks that it came with. I had a new rear wheel built with a Surly fixed/free flip flop hub.

Have fun building that baby up.

Sorry if I am threadjacking a bit here, but I am wondering what gear inch range all you fg/ss riders are using. I'm looking to start doing some light touring and ld rides and don't want to use my geared race bike.

Nice bikes by the way!

Sorry if I am threadjacking a bit here, but I am wondering what gear inch range all you fg/ss riders are using. I'm looking to start doing some light touring and ld rides and don't want to use my geared race bike.

Nice bikes by the way!

My question as well. My road bike above is 72 inches, but that is a push for long rides, particularly with hills.

Here's my 1993 Litespeed Classic:

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c362/jojisan/P1020428Medium.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c362/jojisan/LitespeedClassicStronglight.jpg

My fixed gear runs between 65 and 70 inches for most purposes. I almost always use a flip-flop hub with a freewheel of around 50 inches for going up and down the mountains.

Semi-interesting factoids discovered only after years of research: In the flip-flop days of the Tour de France the "typical" fixed gear was 46x16 (77 inches) with a 20 tooth freewheel (62 inches). For the biggest mountains (unpaved road in the Pyrenees, Alps, etc.) they often used a 20 tooth fixed cog and a 24 tooth freewheel (51 inches). The smallest TdF gear I have heard of is 45x24 (50 inches) and the largest is 49x15 (88 inches). The average speed for the entire course in those days (1910-1920) was 17 to 19 MPH, including walking 30 pound bicycles over the mountain passes. And interestingly enough, the sport at that time was kind of similar to today's randonneuring, with very long stages (200 to 300 miles), random checkpoints, and little to no outside help permitted. Randonneuring with a fixed gear is probably the closest thing modern-day riders can come to replicating the early days of the Tour. Fun, eh?

My Serotta OS Track about 200k into a 300k recently.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2363/4508754949_583381fbf7_o.jpg

Sorry about the bad picture, I'd just brought my phone. 74.5 gear inches.

Finished up the 300k in 13:30 total time, not bad for my first brevet. Not sure if I'll ride this or my road bike on the upcoming 400k.

Hi All,

I thought I'd show you how the 2006 Bianchi Volpe came out.

Right now it is geared 42x16/18 with double rear cogs. This gives me a road gear and a trail gear. The 32mm Panaracer Urban Max tires are bulletproof and perform pretty well on gravel trails with moderately technical aspects. However, I'm going to trade them out for lighter 28's.

I am really getting to like the cyclocross geometry -- road bike like feel with stable front end.

At any rate, this should be a fun summer bike to rack up miles and tinker with.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/RCopple/IMG_0012a-1.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/RCopple/IMG_0007a-1.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/RCopple/IMG00057-20100513-1823.jpg

tis no more, built up a 29r with the parts... but will be fg long rides on the new steed with fat slick tires.
this was from a dirt road century year before last.


http://lh5.ggpht.com/mike.beganyi/SG5LtKPGOXI/AAAAAAAAE_g/cRKCmNz11Mc/Photo_062908_007.jpg?imgmax=720

i do miss the cross check...

Just finished repainting it

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4605278108_7fbfc350c0_b.jpg

I use it for crawling around the Adirondacks, lots of backroads and firetrails.

nice. thats hot. love it.
i'm trying to do the monstercross thing with my soma build (replaced the crosscheck linked below).
currently running h-bars. might pick up some woodchippers...

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq334/Masifan/DSC02286.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4066/4657907412_6bf54ee784.jpg

More pictures (http://www.flickr.com/photos/defragmenteur/sets/72157623636735371/)

My brevet bike is a 1974 Raleigh Pro built up as a fixed gear. I use a 42X16, or about 70 gear inches. I don't use a flip flop hub, and I never change the gear. There's a photo here showing how it looks for brevets:
http://www.emilysdomain.org/bayern1200k/index.html
I love this bike. It fits really well, it's really comfortable, it has very responsive handling. The paint is not original; I had it re-painted (just like it was before, only newer) a couple of years ago, and had the bottle cage eyelets added as well. I've ridden all of my longest rides on it. On really hilly rides of course it isn't as fast as a geared drivetrain, but it gets me there. :)

My brevet bike is a 1974 Raleigh Pro built up as a fixed gear. I use a 42X16, or about 70 gear inches. I don't use a flip flop hub, and I never change the gear. There's a photo here showing how it looks for brevets:
http://www.emilysdomain.org/bayern1200k/index.html
I love this bike. It fits really well, it's really comfortable, it has very responsive handling. The paint is not original; I had it re-painted (just like it was before, only newer) a couple of years ago, and had the bottle cage eyelets added as well. I've ridden all of my longest rides on it. On really hilly rides of course it isn't as fast as a geared drivetrain, but it gets me there. :)


I know that bike, from the BBS!
Nice bags too.

Looks like a great ride. Love the photos... did you put reflective tape on your spokes - or is that an actual product you can get?

I have family in Germany - Great Aunts and Uncles in a village in Bavaria.

What the hell, all of the other forums have one of these threads.

Seriously, I have been riding more and more SS (about 50%). Nothing yet over 50 miles, but I want to extend that this summer.

Presently, I am riding the Mad Max Ti Frankenbike below. It is a conversion from a good, but no name Ti road bike I picked up for a song. At 14-15 pounds, it is an absolutely deadly Sunday morning poser killing rocket. It is perfect in all but two ways: 1) For the long haul, I need a size or two larger; and 2) Because it has vertical, rather than horizontal or rear dropouts, I am limited to a small number of "magic gears."

What I am thinking about is finding a new or vintage road frame with horizontal or rear dropouts to build up.

So, please inspire me. What are you riding? What is your gearing? All thoughts and opinions welcome.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/RCopple/IMG_0002r-1.jpg

very nice bike. i am in sort of the same boat except i ride an even cheaper aluminum frame and fixed gear. i would keep your frame and get an eccentric hub.

edit: i use a 42x16 for the long rides. (we have many long 6%+ grades around here)

my vertical dropout bike:
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk177/thirdgenbird/fixed/img1268599038949.jpg

eccentric hub:
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk177/thirdgenbird/fixed/DSC00749.jpg

chainline with standard road crank:
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk177/thirdgenbird/fixed/DSC00746.jpg

My rando bike is a Redline 925, geared 42x15.
http://velospace.org/files/925.JPG

My ultra-distance racing bike is Jamis Sputnik, geared 42x15 or 45x15, depending on the event.
http://velospace.org/files/Sputnik2.JPG

I've also done long fixed gear rides on my Surly Travelers Check and On One Pompino.

All my fixies have flip-flop hubs so I can use different cog brands when the cogs wear out (typically I'll use Euro-Asia on one side and Shimano on the other, then buy whichever is on sale when it's time to replace the cog).

My rando bike is a Redline 925, geared 42x15.
http://velospace.org/files/925.JPG



Couldn't get comfy on the 925 I had (back when they sold stock with moustache bars) - used it as a run-about from home to office and town, then sold it.

What seatbag is that?

Couldn't get comfy on the 925 I had (back when they sold stock with moustache bars) - used it as a run-about from home to office and town, then sold it.
Mine came with moustache bars. I didn't even put bar tape on them. I know I like drop bars, so I didn't feel like trying something else.


What seatbag is that?

It's a Jandd Mountain Wedge III. It comes with straps to tie it down to your dropouts, but it works well enough with one strap under the seatstays. I've got at least 10,000 miles on it and still like it a lot.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d114/bitsa/europa250710.jpg

This is my bike. I can't really claim she's my LD bike yet, because I'm only just considering getting into it. I bought her new in 80's, rode her until about 5 years back when I bought a new bike and she wound up in the shed. Couldn't handle her being ignored so, having heard about fixed gear, fitted a suicide hub, loved the ride and started a slow conversion to how she is now.

Gearing is 48x18 (70"). I guess I'll only find out if that's suitable by giving it a go won't I.

Anyone else in Adelaide, SA into this long distance, fixed gear foolishness?

Richard

PS, if you're looking at the 'large frame', you should be aware that the top tube is 3cm higher at the saddle than it is at the handlebars. That slope is no optical illusion - it looks a lot worse than it is.

My fixed gear is very comfortable for long distances - this year I am running 42x17.
http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj140/northbend/IMG_1069.jpg

http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/2661/img0337de.jpg

my new LD Fixed setup, running a 46x17 right now, only done about 60 miles, planning on doing a 100mile charity ride (Hotter'n Hell), a weekend 80 miles out then 80 miles the next day..

all of this is training for a two day ride from Dallas to Austin, TX about 240 miles..

any suggestions on training and gearing? I have done one century on a geared bike early this year, and several 60-80 supported rides. Austin and the 160 mile will be semi supported so I don't have to carry my gear.

wow missed this thread.
I have a vintage Italian Steel Olmo as an FG bike I use it for my Saturday rides usually between 45-50kms that's 28-30miles. The longest yet has been about 85km - 53miles. I have 52 crank & 18t cog.

http://i474.photobucket.com/albums/rr102/kkiyer27/17042010148.jpg

Well that was fun, and surprisingly easy! was able to keep in a pace line going 24mph for 40 miles of the ride. After that I was having a problem finding pace lines and ended up training off with a few individuals in the 18/20 range. Then the last 30 miles was pulling a line of 15 people or so keeping 16/18mph depending on the wind. Total time was about 7, but a few rest stops were way packed and I was off the bike for way too long. Only problem I came into was keeping my feet clipped in once I hit 33mph, I'd loose a foot, and just have to clip out and ride on the seat stays. then I'd explain how I re clipped in once I got to 20/24mph but Im not even sure how I did it my self.

You guys are running really low gearing...I find that even with 48X17 (170mm cranks), I run out of gear just cruising around. Hills also work well...with 46X18? I'd lose my mind. Granted, my longest distance on it is 50 miles, but I didn't have a problem with that.

define hill...

10% grade for about 1/4 mile. Northern Indiana is pretty flat...My house is on the top of that hill though, and I'm not even winded going up it. In Crawfordsville, put that hill up to about a mile, and I was a bit winded, but that's not saying much for a fat former-smoker. I just bought a set of fixed gear wheels from Ebay that came off of a Schwinn Madison. With 27c tires and double fixed gear (standard cog/lockring on one side, suicide on the other), I'm thinking 16t for the fixed/lockring and 19t for the other side, to give me a bit of a break. That should work well for around here.

Just did 22k in a triathlon with my Madison geared at 52/15. I know that isn't long distance, but I feel I could easily do a century on it if I ever had the time.

Will be gearing it higher for the next tri, 4 guys passed me and I couldn't keep up with them and I was spinning like mad.

120 rpm with a 52-15 and 700x23 wheels is almost 33 MPH. Some of you guys are obviously quite a bit stronger than average.

I suspect that there is fairly good agreement among riders that actually ride long distances on their fixed gear. Tell us how the 52/15 works on a double century with 15000 feet of climbing.

Simple enough, Unterhausen. Basic arithmetic shows us that he'll finish in a bit under six hours. Duh.

we need to know what 'long', 'hills' and 'spinning like mad' mean.
22km fixed? that is shorter than my usual morning route around town.

120 rpm, for me, would be the upper limit i'd be comfortable on for any length of time aside from some pedaling drills on the trainer.
130 rpm, for me, would be 'spinning like mad'.


BMB was completed fixed by a sometimes poster here. She's a very strong cyclist riding at 42/16 IIRC. (she's also a fixed finisher of the 508, countless US and Euro brevets, etc.
BMB crosses the Green Mountains twice @ Middlebury Gap, with extended climbs @ 8-12-15% over 6-8 miles. Descents of similar length and grade.
And the countless sharp rollers in high single digit and double digit climbs, longer than 1/4 mile.


My dirt road fixed century was run @ 42/16 on 700x32 tires.
Other fixed long rides were done @ 42/19 on 700x35 cross tires.



Long is relative, as much as gearing.... ;)

Tell us how the 52/15 works on a double century with 15000 feet of climbing.
Chicago is flat. if I were to go on a ride with 15000 feet of climbing, i would not be geared at 52/15


we need to know what 'long', 'hills' and 'spinning like mad' mean.
...Long is relative, as much as gearing.... ;)
spinning like mad means I was spinning fast and would have liked to shift up into a taller gear if I had the option. No computer for me, so my rpm is unknown.
i don't think 22k is long at all, i meant that is the farthest i've had a chance to ride this bike. I've done centuries on geared bikes and I feel confident i could ride my SS even farther if given the time and opportunity to do so

I've ridden a lot of long distances (my longest was over 900 mi) fixed, and I've run into a fair number of other people who have, many of whom are plenty faster than me. In general, you don't see a whole lot of them geared over 75 inches, and most are geared lower. My gear is 70", which is about average; but I've seen some people manage quite well even on 1200k's with gears as low as 60". My experience is that what makes you faster and more comfortable on a fixed gear for long distances in the long run isn't necessarily about grinding a higher gear, it's about getting more comfortable at high RPMs. For me, 110 RPM on the flats in a paceline is a lot of work, but I can do it on a club ride without cooking myself too quickly. With a 42X16, that's 23mph. My max speed downhill is around 40mph, or 200 RPM, although I don't hit that very often. For most moderately rolling club rides, downhill speed is only occasionally an issue. On rides over about 200 mi, I tend to limit my descending speed to around 30-32mph, and for really long descents, it's more like ~28mph. Yes, this is considerably slower than I'd go if I were coasting, but rides that have descents like that usually also have matching climbs, and the flat parts are often right after a stiff climb or fast descent, so I want to be geared to recover. IMHO, it's not so much a matter of gearing for the steepest climb you'll see, or the longest descent or fastest speed you'll see, as it is about gearing for the steepest climb or fastest descent you'll see FREQUENTLY. If there's one point on a ride where you're spinning like mad, it's not worth gearing up for it if it means that you'll be overgeared the rest of the time. It's also not worth gearing down for that one 15% climb if it means you're spinning madly at 15mph, either. Gear for the speeds you spend the most time at when you're riding alone. It does get easier to stay with a group, but it takes time.

But what I've found more than anything else is that gearing is personal. There are people both faster and slower than me riding long distances with higher gears and with lower gears. What's important is picking the one that works best for you.

I've had several long distance bikes in the last 5 years or so, and I've done long rides on all of them.

My first was a Peugeot. No idea what model or year but it was white with black Nervex lugs. I was just getting into long distance at that time, so I think the longest ride on that bike was around 100k.

Next, I converted a Univega Viva Sport. I did a few centuries, and a 200k on that one.

After that I converted a Schwinn Voyager II, and I have finally settled down with a Witcomb USA.

I have tried a wide range of gears. I did a notoriously hilly 200k brevet at about 83 gear inches, and several rides in the mid seventies. Currently, the Witcomb is set up with a 44 tooth chain wheel, and 15 and 17 tooth sprockets on either side of the hub. I think that works out to around 80 and 70 inches respectively. I prefer the lower gear for anything over 100k or so.

My pista frame had a crack in it, found it a week before a 225 mile ride

so I built this up
http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/361/adayin10photo08pinp.jpg

owned it about a week now and it has 335 miles on it so far..

here are the cyclemeter data from my ride this weekend
http://j.mp/af9ziH
http://j.mp/bISPUt