xthugmurderx

here goes. preliminary planning stages (i.e brainstorming)...

I want to ride across the country later this year. Ideally, on a flip/flop hub (fixed for flats, free for hills) I think bringing a supply of cogs could make this feasable. I also want this to benefit the Bike Messenger Emergency Fund. I was wondering if folks along the way would want to do benefit alleycats for this as a fundraiser (that we may or may not attend, there would be quite a lull after say, chicago, and a lot of stops on the start (probably boston)) Thinking July/August.

I guess what i want to ask is if any of you know how to turn a bike ride into a fundraiser, and/or are looking for something to do this summer (work is really slow anyways, you won't miss anything) if you or anyone knows a good route, please holler out. or if anyone is gonna be friendly with us, also holler. (just don't get us (not me) too wasted to ride bikes...i know how you guys are!)

thanks for reading this, and thanks in advance for your helpful souls.

-Jason

edit: and also, i don't have any idea what towns even have messengers when you get west of the cities (minneapolis/st. paul) i want to start in boston -new york-phila-pitts-columbus-chi-mke (hopefully-homesick)-cities-...? go to portland or down to sf? yeah, still barn...i mean brain-storming.

sbornia

You could get in on this fundraiser:
https://www.fixhistio.org/

roadfix

I know this isn't the response you're looking for but wouldn't it make more practical sense if your bike is equipped with a derailleur and a multi-coged freewheel?

xthugmurderx

yes, more practical sense. but that wouldn't be as beastly. nor as nuts...come on, i thought you read this forum!

-jason

xthugmurderx

that is seriously worth considering. but, as the ******* vegan guy, how do i find out about the practices of the company/ies that this is going to be donated to? haha, i suck.

-jason

roadfix

ok..ok...
I sometimes think of touring on a fixie myself.....

soyboy

i think this is an awesome idea and would get in on the fixhistio.org ride but i'm a teacher and i work until june 15th assuming there's no snow days so..there's a chance i couldn't make it....but it is feasible, perhaps

summerinside

Oh! From what I've heard, in the summer you should go the other direction (west to east)... that way you're fighting the wind less.

that and holla if you're runnin through Minneapolis.

Thor29

I don't like the idea of all these bike tour (or 10K runs, etc.) fundraisers. Touring is fun, why should someone pay for your fun? They could just donate the money straight to the cause.

Sheldon Brown agrees: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/thons.html

Why don't you just save some of your own money, get on your fixed gear, and ride it across the country?

soyboy

i think any way to raise money for a charity is a good thing and i'd also think that the kind of ride we're talking about here it'll be pretty hard to talk someone into it that doesn't want to do it/isn't ready to do this except for the charity aspect, the idea would obviously be to enjoy the ride and while doing that we can atleast pull up a few bones for a charity

huhenio

72 inches with on flip

60 inches with opposite flip

Flip flop flap flapapadippity

xthugmurderx

i'm not really looking for people to pay for my fun, just to get people to donate to the bmef. i'll have fun either way. and sheldon brown and i disagree on plenty. he isn't a god, just a man. stop worshipping the guy (not that i have anything against him). if people want to throw down for a cause, let them, if you don't want to, don't...it's cool. but at least come out and say hi when we get to your town, if we get there.

and minneapolis is on the agenda.

Sheldon Brown

This is defintiely doable, there's much to recommend this approach. My nephew did a ride like this a few years back on a bike I put together for him, an old Peugeot UO-8 built up fixed/free, with a lowrider front rack for most of his stuff and a cheap rear rack for his sleeping bag and tent. He went from Chicago to New Hampshire, then down to Boston. Had no mechanical trouble at all (the most common serious mechanical problems touring cyclists have is rear wheel failure on those flimsy dished derailer rear wheels.)

When the hills get too steep, you can always "shift to the 24 inch gear (two feet!)"


That's a pretty extravagant generalization!

Sheldon "Extortion? Embezzlement? Prostitution? Counterfeiting? Robbery...?" Brown

Spudmeister

Here's an article from the RUSA newsletter by a dude named Robert Gray. He rode the Rocky Mountain 1200k fixed, rode from west coast to east coast on a freewheel, then rode the BMB 1200k fixed. 8000km total!!
https://www.rusa.org/newsletter/05-04-04.html

see his bike here...

https://www.deepwater.uklinux.net/www...y/rg-fixed.jpg
https://www.deepwater.uklinux.net/www...rg.uk/gallery/

Good luck!

32:17

Go fixed the whole way.
This guy did it in 35 days and then proceeded to ride across Austrailia, Asia and Europe.

xthugmurderx

ideally.we'll see what happens

-jason