Training with a Single Speed
09-19-12 | 02:42 PM
#51
Old fart
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 26,314
Likes: 5,225
From: Appleton WI
Bikes: Several, mostly not name brands.
Ride fixed exclusively for a couple weeks, then go back and ride your freewheel bike again. I think you'll be surprised.
09-19-12 | 06:58 PM
#52
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,708
Likes: 73
From: 5200' Boulder, CO Area
Bikes: Specialized 6Fattie, Parlee Z5, Cannondale SuperX
Don't be so sure. The first time you ride a fixed gear you'll be astonished at how often you try to coast when the bike doesn't let you. For most people, it starts to happen within the first second or two after mounting the bike.
Ride fixed exclusively for a couple weeks, then go back and ride your freewheel bike again. I think you'll be surprised.
Ride fixed exclusively for a couple weeks, then go back and ride your freewheel bike again. I think you'll be surprised.
09-19-12 | 09:22 PM
#53
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 481
Likes: 0
From: New York and San Juan
Bikes: Kestrel Talon SL, Surly Steamroller, Equipe SS/FG Beater
Yes, I've seen them. I've also seen major league batters spend 5 minutes in the box twitching and adjusting their sweatbands and helmet just so. Does that increase their batspeed?
If you still think swinging a heavy bat is the way to faster bat speed read this: Warming up with a weighted bat does not increase swing speed.
There's no question you can train on a fixed gear. You can also train equally well if not better on a regular bike. For example, if you want to do muscle tension intervals you want to find someplace where you can ride at 90-100% of FTP at 50-60RPM. You could do this on hills of a certain gradient with a fixed gear bike, but there are many more locations and conditions (i.e. headwind) that you can achieve this with a geared bike.
If you still think swinging a heavy bat is the way to faster bat speed read this: Warming up with a weighted bat does not increase swing speed.
There's no question you can train on a fixed gear. You can also train equally well if not better on a regular bike. For example, if you want to do muscle tension intervals you want to find someplace where you can ride at 90-100% of FTP at 50-60RPM. You could do this on hills of a certain gradient with a fixed gear bike, but there are many more locations and conditions (i.e. headwind) that you can achieve this with a geared bike.
I'm simply making the analogy that riding a steel framed FG/SS daily as a training exercise is akin to swinging a lead bat in that it will build muscle mass and make your pedal stroke more powerful. It's not being used as a warm up exercise.
10-23-13 | 08:24 PM
#54
Casually Deliberate
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 4,449
Likes: 11
From: Should have made a left turn near Albuquerque.
Bikes: 1995 Trek 820, 1994 Trek 930 (project), 1/2 of a 1980s Colin Laing tandem
Are you at 207? Are you under 200? Is the Caletti the "something nice" you got yourself as a reward?
10-24-13 | 11:27 AM
#55
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 234
Likes: 0
From: Reading Berkshire UK
Bikes: Trek 7.5fx, Specialized Roubaix Comp, Allez , Create 2013, Dutch sit up and beg, Mountain bike,
I am 54 own 8 bikes from carbon to an Amsterdam old bike but the best money I have spent was two months ago was my Fixie/SS it was cheap as I wasnt sure I would like it I love it more than any bike I own its just amazing in fact I want to keep it 24/7 on fixie and have ordered a Cooper Spa which I will use in SS for starters I will iuse the Create in the winter and for trips to the Gym have already done long 34 mile rides with inclines
My Create 2013 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gX74KxvabWs
I read this will help with the pedal stroke and cadence and to date thats my experience I blew away a racer the otherday
My Create 2013 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gX74KxvabWs
I read this will help with the pedal stroke and cadence and to date thats my experience I blew away a racer the otherday
10-25-13 | 03:01 AM
#56
Trek 500 Kid
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 2,563
Likes: 399
From: Spokane WA
Bikes: '83 Trek 970 road --- '86 Trek 500 road
A friend of mine used to train with the East German cycling team back in the old days. They used to train on fixed gear bikes in the winter and early season. The coach would make them go up crazy steep grades until they fell over!
If I were to begin my racing career over again, I'd go out on group training rides on a fixed gear. You're working harder on the steeper hills, you're developing a fluid spin on the flats, you're spinning like a fool on the descents. You're unlikely to win the town line sprints, but just staying with the sprint as long as you can gives you far better training that will pay off when you're on the geared bike. While everybody is coasting, you are working. You are getting a FAR, FAR better workout than everybody else, so why would you even think of giving up this advantage?
Back in the 70's I was out on one or two early season training rides with the Berkeley Wheelmen where Mike Neel (one of the top US riders of his day) would show up on a fixed gear bike (a track bike with a front brake attached and a 15mm Campag "peanut butter wrench" strapped under the saddle with his spare). He'd power away from the group on his 66" gear and win the town line sprints!
Now most of my riding is on a fixed gear. I think that in the longer events (like Paris-Brest-Paris), it's actually an advantage. On a geared bike, the temptation is to ride in the biggest gear you can spin, so you're always on the verge of "pushing" a gear. On a fixie, you have no choice. Most of the time you are spinning too small a gear. However, what this does is to flush out the lactic acid from your muscles. So after 150-200 km, your legs feel heavy on the geared bike, but you're still fresh on the fixie!
Luis
If I were to begin my racing career over again, I'd go out on group training rides on a fixed gear. You're working harder on the steeper hills, you're developing a fluid spin on the flats, you're spinning like a fool on the descents. You're unlikely to win the town line sprints, but just staying with the sprint as long as you can gives you far better training that will pay off when you're on the geared bike. While everybody is coasting, you are working. You are getting a FAR, FAR better workout than everybody else, so why would you even think of giving up this advantage?
Back in the 70's I was out on one or two early season training rides with the Berkeley Wheelmen where Mike Neel (one of the top US riders of his day) would show up on a fixed gear bike (a track bike with a front brake attached and a 15mm Campag "peanut butter wrench" strapped under the saddle with his spare). He'd power away from the group on his 66" gear and win the town line sprints!
Now most of my riding is on a fixed gear. I think that in the longer events (like Paris-Brest-Paris), it's actually an advantage. On a geared bike, the temptation is to ride in the biggest gear you can spin, so you're always on the verge of "pushing" a gear. On a fixie, you have no choice. Most of the time you are spinning too small a gear. However, what this does is to flush out the lactic acid from your muscles. So after 150-200 km, your legs feel heavy on the geared bike, but you're still fresh on the fixie!
Luis
That's Mike Neel, 1976 Montreal Olympian & winner of The first stage, and then the Boulder Mountain road race stage of the 1980 Coors Classic. That's also the Mike Neel who coached the '80s 7-11 Team.
I'm probably a little old to start riding a fixie by now myself.
