First century
06-09-03, 07:12 AM
#1
Spawn of Satan
Thread Starter
First century
I did my first century on my fixed gear. It was the 100 Grand ride in Grand Rapids Mi. I had a great time!! Weather was good, the route was very flat and I knew it would be a good match for a fixed. I didn't draft because I wanted to see what I could do.
I recorded the whole ride on my heart rate monitor so the numbers are:
Total time - 5 hours 55 min.
Ave speed - 19.2 mph (30.9 kph)
Ave cadence - 94 rpm
Max cadence - 150 rpm (new high for me)
Total acsent - 1581 ft (482m) ( I told you it was flat!)
I did it in a 42x16 with 172.5 crank arms. It was geared light but I figured for the first time I should play it safe. If I had to do it again I would go 42x15.
I have done many centurys on road bikes and they are always fun. I really enjoyed this one though and I think I will start taking the fixed out for longer rides more often!
Got some interesting comments. I do not think alot of people know about the whole fixed idea.
I recorded the whole ride on my heart rate monitor so the numbers are:
Total time - 5 hours 55 min.
Ave speed - 19.2 mph (30.9 kph)
Ave cadence - 94 rpm
Max cadence - 150 rpm (new high for me)
Total acsent - 1581 ft (482m) ( I told you it was flat!)
I did it in a 42x16 with 172.5 crank arms. It was geared light but I figured for the first time I should play it safe. If I had to do it again I would go 42x15.
I have done many centurys on road bikes and they are always fun. I really enjoyed this one though and I think I will start taking the fixed out for longer rides more often!
Got some interesting comments. I do not think alot of people know about the whole fixed idea.
06-09-03, 11:00 AM
#2
hello
Congratulations, Captain.....
Although I've done many centuries on my road bike, I've yet to do one on my fixie. All century rides in the So CA area involve climbing so therefore I might have to cheat a little and use a flip-flop rear wheel with maybe a 17 freewheel on one side for those long fast decents. Otherwise, on flatlands I like about 75 gear inches....
Although I've done many centuries on my road bike, I've yet to do one on my fixie. All century rides in the So CA area involve climbing so therefore I might have to cheat a little and use a flip-flop rear wheel with maybe a 17 freewheel on one side for those long fast decents. Otherwise, on flatlands I like about 75 gear inches....
06-10-03, 09:43 AM
#3
Lord of the Manor
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Posts: 77
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally posted by captsven
I did my first century on my fixed gear. It was the 100 Grand ride in Grand Rapids Mi. I had a great time!! Weather was good, the route was very flat and I knew it would be a good match for a fixed. I didn't draft because I wanted to see what I could do.
I recorded the whole ride on my heart rate monitor so the numbers are:
Total time - 5 hours 55 min.
Ave speed - 19.2 mph (30.9 kph)
Ave cadence - 94 rpm
Max cadence - 150 rpm (new high for me)
Total acsent - 1581 ft (482m) ( I told you it was flat!)
I did my first century on my fixed gear. It was the 100 Grand ride in Grand Rapids Mi. I had a great time!! Weather was good, the route was very flat and I knew it would be a good match for a fixed. I didn't draft because I wanted to see what I could do.
I recorded the whole ride on my heart rate monitor so the numbers are:
Total time - 5 hours 55 min.
Ave speed - 19.2 mph (30.9 kph)
Ave cadence - 94 rpm
Max cadence - 150 rpm (new high for me)
Total acsent - 1581 ft (482m) ( I told you it was flat!)
I'm only at the point where I'm riding my commuting route on a fixed gear, 21 miles round-trip. I've wondered how much I want to push it up, though, on some recreational rides that will take me on some hills.
There's one that I do that's only 26 miles, one way, ending at an old New England inn -- well, at the pub at an old New England inn.
I sometimes work this into a 63 mile loop, but other times the wife does come out to meet me in the cah for drinks and a free ride home.
There are two short, steep climbs along the way that I want to get the fixie onto. One is a little nasty because it requires a left-turn across an oncoming traffic lane while climbing, but I've done it often enough (on a geared bike) that I'm not worried about it. The other is just a glacial esker of the type that occur in large numbers here, no big whoop.
Your message is inspirational. Maybe I should try to ride a century, fixed? The Naragansett Bay Wheelmen (in Rhode Island) run "The Flattest Century in the East" in September, tho' Little Rhody has big winds that sometimes make up for its hills.
Here's what the NBW say about it --
https://www.nbwclub.org/forms/TFCE/TFCE2003announce.html
06-10-03, 10:33 AM
#4
Spawn of Satan
Thread Starter
QUOTE]The Naragansett Bay Wheelmen (in Rhode Island) run "The Flattest Century in the East" in September[/QUOTE]
That ride sounds beautiful!!!
The nice thing about an organized century is that they supply sag support. This means that if something happens they will get you back to your vehicle. So it's a good place to try something new.
Don't worry about the climbs, it the decents that scare me
(but they make the beer taste better)!!!
That ride sounds beautiful!!!
The nice thing about an organized century is that they supply sag support. This means that if something happens they will get you back to your vehicle. So it's a good place to try something new.
Don't worry about the climbs, it the decents that scare me
(but they make the beer taste better)!!!
06-13-03, 04:21 PM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 18,138
Bikes: 2 many
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1266 Post(s)
Liked 323 Times
in
169 Posts
I have seen a couple of fixies on "The Flatest Century inThe East"
(TFCE). Maybe three or four out of over 1600 riders.I was watching for them.I think I read something similar to "track bikes are not wanted" or something like that, on something they printed.To me that means "have brakes on your fixie".Not sure exactly, it was a couple of years ago.That is a very flat ride compared to other century rides.I ride it almost weekly.I am considering trying it with a friend on fixies.We have already done part of it.The route changes slightly every year,but there have not been any hill I could not go Up on my track bike.There is a big downhill that I could NOT handle without brakes.With a stop sign at the bottom,at a main road.
One of the fixies had,in big letters on the down tube "ONE F-----ING GEAR" I would have left out the middle word. Maybe he was refering to the website by that name?
(TFCE). Maybe three or four out of over 1600 riders.I was watching for them.I think I read something similar to "track bikes are not wanted" or something like that, on something they printed.To me that means "have brakes on your fixie".Not sure exactly, it was a couple of years ago.That is a very flat ride compared to other century rides.I ride it almost weekly.I am considering trying it with a friend on fixies.We have already done part of it.The route changes slightly every year,but there have not been any hill I could not go Up on my track bike.There is a big downhill that I could NOT handle without brakes.With a stop sign at the bottom,at a main road.
One of the fixies had,in big letters on the down tube "ONE F-----ING GEAR" I would have left out the middle word. Maybe he was refering to the website by that name?
