Originally Posted by tacreamer
Great commute!! Are there many hills in your route? Are you stretched out on the hoods? I assume that you used the 42X16-SS instead of the fixed.
Here in Athens I’ve a few hills to deal with during my commute. I’ve got a Olmo Pista with a 42X15 fixed and have no problem riding other than dodging the Ohio University Students during class breaks. It’s amazing, they look right at you and still walk right in front of you then are startled.
This is one of the reasons that I’m interested in the 925 SS, BRAKES!
What do you really like about the 925, the handling?
Hi - - Yes, I'm riding S/S not fixed. There are indeed hills, especially going TO work, and what I refer to as pain-in-the-a$$ long gradual inclines. Sometimes my legs feel like I'm pushing a tank up a hill. Last night I stopped by a LBS on the way home (not the shop I bought this bike from) and put lights and a rack on my 925. The owner had just received a new 925 and they were putting it together. It was literally 30 minutes old. While he was very impressed with the hubs & design of the bike, he said he thought the 42X16 gearing might be too tough. Is 42x15 easier going up hills? As this is my 1st adult SS bike, I'm still learning about this stuff.
This morning I timed my commute. The cyclometer said 15 miles. My Casio wristwatch timer said 66 minutes. That is almost the EXACT amount of time it used to take me last summer to do the exact same commute, but on a Trek 4500 aluminum, GEARED mountain bike (with Surley straight fork.) What does that tell me? I guess it means that while the gears on the Trek made it easier to climb hills, (certainly felt a little easier) it still was not faster than a cromoly S/S Redline 925.