Accidentally erased my response, but here's a version...
Originally Posted by
SpeshulEd
You're going 40mph on a single speed on small hills in NYC ??? Umm, good job.
No no no... I was steadily going over 40 on my road bike that got stolen (topping 50 downhill if the park's empty)... and now I pretty much hit highs of the mid-to-high 20s... sometimes into the low-30s (though that's rough in the joints, so I'm okay not going there), but my point is I don't NEED to go any faster than that.
I mean, looking at my trip times, I would only be able to sustain those high speeds for very short times (traffic, turns, etc.) and, as Night_Shift suggested, my total trip time has gone down... probably due to quicker acceleration (less time spent shifting up from a stop, even though I have to push harder), an easier time dealing with road hazards, etc.
Originally Posted by
jnep
Go fast take chances
Look, my point about the speed is I already have like 7-10 demons on my shoulder saying just that (I don't need another! lol), so it's kind of nice to have a mechanically imposed speed limit, because I lack the self-discipline to ride at a safe speed if an unsafe speed is attainable.
Speaking of speed, I almost never get out of the saddle, which suggests I may want a higher gear ratio, right? That said, as has been pointed out, NY is pretty flat, so maybe I'm cool with this stock 42x17 joint in case I ever need to go somewhere more hilly. I am thinking about trying for a century (MS fundraiser, nothing competitive) in September and, for that, it may make sense to go bigger, as it's a long, flat ride and I'm an impatient person.
Any tips on how to find your personal optimal gear ratio or do you just have to keep trying stuff out for several miles at a time and see how it feels? FWIW, I have no immediate plans to mess with anything, given what a good time I'm having, but... looking to the future... am just a li'l curious.
FINALLY, howeeee... you have put 5k miles on a singlespeed in the two years between when you were 60 and 62? You can't see me, because of the internet, but I'm bowing down right now. And curious what you have for breakfast.
And thanks for all the responses!