A question for those who ride fixed gear and road bikes and record their rides.
10-30-12, 01:41 PM
#26
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Kinda makes sense that a fixed gear would be equally fast in the city. Without hills and with constant traffic, i would not expect someone to shift all that much. Even if they did, it would probably have a marginal benefit
10-30-12, 02:00 PM
#27
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My total speed doesn't vary much between the bikes. I climb faster on the fixed gear, but that also exhausts me a lot faster. I ride the road bike on long/hilly rides simply because it's a more effective tool for the job.
10-30-12, 02:02 PM
#28
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fify
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10-30-12, 03:36 PM
#29
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In the flats, its a tie, light timing is the real constraint here.
Rollers and long expressways, the roadie goes faster, the cadence to spin in the high 20s fixed on 48x16 is just simply too high for me to maintain.
In light climbing, I've found that I have set many of my PRs on the fg, I think its the slightly harder gearing which makes me more inclined to stand and put more effort into it.
In steeper climbs (8%+), there's no question about it, the roadie is much faster. Right around 18% is where the fg starts to become unbearable, thats where standing on the pedals no longer actually does anything @ 48x16 and I have to pull on the bars while pressing down in order to move the cranks over.
Rollers and long expressways, the roadie goes faster, the cadence to spin in the high 20s fixed on 48x16 is just simply too high for me to maintain.
In light climbing, I've found that I have set many of my PRs on the fg, I think its the slightly harder gearing which makes me more inclined to stand and put more effort into it.
In steeper climbs (8%+), there's no question about it, the roadie is much faster. Right around 18% is where the fg starts to become unbearable, thats where standing on the pedals no longer actually does anything @ 48x16 and I have to pull on the bars while pressing down in order to move the cranks over.
Last edited by danvuquoc; 10-30-12 at 03:42 PM.
10-30-12, 04:35 PM
#30
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^ Yep. I have the same ratio... tried taking it up Conzelman a couple weeks ago when I thought I was getting strong enough; I didn't even make it to the first little viewpoint area before I literally couldn't keep going. There's only so many seconds or minutes you can force yourself up steep grades by pulling up on the handlebars while using all your weight, it's just impossible (and stupid). That's what gears were invented for. Fixed isn't inherently faster in any category, but it forces you to have better technique and put in more effort on hills and stand more often, which is faster. You could just as easily put in the same amount of power on a geared bike and it would be just as fast uphill, you're just not forced to so you usually don't.
10-30-12, 05:50 PM
#31
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YES the fg is more efficient. Will it make you climb faster at a given power output? Yes, by fractions of seconds.
Also the reason why you can't keep up with the roadie on rollers and long flats is due to your gearing.
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"Your beauty is an aeroplane;
so high, my heart cannot bear the strain." -A.C. Jobim, Triste
"Your beauty is an aeroplane;
so high, my heart cannot bear the strain." -A.C. Jobim, Triste
10-30-12, 09:51 PM
#32
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Sorry in advance for the aggressive nature of this reply, but I've never interacted with anyone who only reads the first 5 words of any given sentence.
Did you miss the rest of the sentence you partially quoted which explicitly said the gearing requires me to put more effort in?
Um yes thank you, explained that too.
Um yes thank you, explained that too.
10-31-12, 09:34 AM
#33
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ya sry i just wanted something to pick on. i may have stopped right after thoz first 5 words.
alot of ppls dont understand or include the second half of those two sentences so usually it warrants a reply
Rollers and long expressways, the roadie goes faster, the cadence to spin in the high 20s fixed on 48x16 is just simply too high for me to maintain.
In light climbing, I've found that I have set many of my PRs on the fg, I think its the slightly harder gearing which makes me more inclined to stand and put more effort into it.
my bad
alot of ppls dont understand or include the second half of those two sentences so usually it warrants a reply
Rollers and long expressways, the roadie goes faster, the cadence to spin in the high 20s fixed on 48x16 is just simply too high for me to maintain.
In light climbing, I've found that I have set many of my PRs on the fg, I think its the slightly harder gearing which makes me more inclined to stand and put more effort into it.
__________________
"Your beauty is an aeroplane;
so high, my heart cannot bear the strain." -A.C. Jobim, Triste
"Your beauty is an aeroplane;
so high, my heart cannot bear the strain." -A.C. Jobim, Triste
Last edited by TMonk; 10-31-12 at 09:38 AM.
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