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Singlespeed & Fixed Gear "I still feel that variable gears are only for people over forty-five. Isn't it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailer? We are getting soft...As for me, give me a fixed gear!"-- Henri Desgrange (31 January 1865 - 16 August 1940)

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Old 11-17-07 | 08:16 PM
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Long distance

Today I rode 60 miles in the hilly Pacific NW, and it felt great. I think I'm a convert for life: I've only ridden my road bike once since building up the SS, and I see no pressing need to do it again.

There wasn't ever a time today when I REALLY felt like I had to shift. Even the 1 mile, 6% grade at the end was completely doable. Gear ratio 46-18, 69 gear inches or thereabouts.

Obviously this discussion's been done before, but how far have you have you gone on a FG/SS and how do you feel about it?
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Old 11-17-07 | 08:54 PM
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From: four 1 OHHH , Maryland

Bikes: nagasawa, fuji track pro

farthest ride straight was a 40 miles loop for me. mild temp, now wind, little hills

i plan on entering a century with my dad next season
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Old 11-17-07 | 08:58 PM
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From: ~Serenading with sensous soliloquies whilst singing supple sentences that are simultaneously suppling my sonnets with serenity serendipitously.~ -Serendipper

Bikes: Guerciotti Pista-Giant Carbon-Bridgestone300- Batavus Type Champion Road Bike, Specialized Hardrock Commuter, On-One The Gimp (SS Rigid MTB/hit by a truck)- Raleigh Sports 3-speed,Gatsby Scorcher, comming soon...The Penny Farthing Highwheel!

Around a half century, same as you.

I'd rather not ever do long-distance riding with a fixed gear and a bag on my back again, thanks. I have a road bike for that, and prefer a rack to a mess bag any day of the year.

A fixed tourer with panniers and dual brakes would be nice.
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Old 11-17-07 | 09:07 PM
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125 miles. It was flat, and with the Brooks saddle there was no discomfort. I was moving along pretty good too until the last 15 miles or so.

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Old 11-17-07 | 09:13 PM
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From: MSP

Bikes: Rush Hour

115 with 42x15 with a couple killer hills.
105 with 48x15 (century in 5.5 hrs) into a crazy headwind for about 1/4 of the ride.

It's fun riding fixed for distance, but I often feel that my cadence is either too high or too low. When I run 42x15 I feel like I spin too fast downhill or with a tailwind. 48x15 sucks going uphill or into a headwind, but is awesome when you got the wind to your back and can hold 25-30 indefinitely.

I am training for a non-stop, 320 mile gravel race... lots of my base mileage will be fixed gear.
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Old 11-17-07 | 09:25 PM
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Originally Posted by Serendipper
A fixed tourer with panniers and dual brakes would be nice.
would be? i'll build you one for 400 bucks. its not a hard thing to do.
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Old 11-17-07 | 09:47 PM
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From: ~Serenading with sensous soliloquies whilst singing supple sentences that are simultaneously suppling my sonnets with serenity serendipitously.~ -Serendipper

Bikes: Guerciotti Pista-Giant Carbon-Bridgestone300- Batavus Type Champion Road Bike, Specialized Hardrock Commuter, On-One The Gimp (SS Rigid MTB/hit by a truck)- Raleigh Sports 3-speed,Gatsby Scorcher, comming soon...The Penny Farthing Highwheel!

Originally Posted by time bandit
would be? i'll build you one for 400 bucks. its not a hard thing to do.

The bags and panniers, plus lights and fenders alone would break that bank.


I have a couple of crappy city bikes with racks already, thanks. I mean a dedicated tourer with a long top tube, really long chainstays (so I won't hit the bags), and all the braze-ons.

More like $800 (good luck)-$4000 in reality.
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Old 11-17-07 | 10:11 PM
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I've done 80 on my fixie at once. It wan't bad at all but forget about doing it with a bag. You can but it's hell.
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Old 11-17-07 | 10:16 PM
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I rode 75 and then 75 the next day (MS 150) and the fixed gear was not a problem at all. I didn't even really think about wanting to shift or coast; I guess i'm jst used to it. What did hurt after getting back the second day was just the sitting-area, you know
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Old 11-17-07 | 10:17 PM
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From: brooklyn, ny

Bikes: 1984 Peugot P8

40 miles around NYC in 4 of the boroughs. Went up and down a couple different bridges. 42 x 16. I think I could have gone another 40 that day if it wasn't getting so cold!
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Old 11-17-07 | 10:19 PM
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From: Bronx, NY

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I've done 130 miles on a 49/17 gear with dual Aerospokes. Not to many hills but a blast none the less.

Did 60miles in a very hilly NJ with a 49/18.

Heck today I rode around 50 miles today for Cranksgiving.
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Old 11-17-07 | 10:57 PM
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Insane wind and hills notwithstanding, it's more about whether the bike fits you well. From what I see around town, most people's FG rigs don't.
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Old 11-17-07 | 11:06 PM
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A fixed tourer with panniers and dual brakes would be nice.

I ride a 1955 Raleigh Lenton fixed gear that runs a 46 up front and an 18 and 16 on it's flip flop hub and my longest ride this year (on this bike) was 90 miles of rolling hills and steep headwinds... I could have easily ridden farther but had some time constraints.

I ran the 46:18 most of the way so that I wouldn't drop my riding mates on the flats and needed the lower gear on the way back due to the high winds and still was pulling folks most of the way.

This bike fits me like a glove btw.
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Old 11-17-07 | 11:56 PM
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From: Auld Blighty

Bikes: Early Cannondale tandem, '99 S&S Frezoni Audax, '65 Moulton Stowaway, '52 Claud Butler, TSR30, Brompton

Fixed wheel: 600km in under 40 hours, 400km in under 27. I skipped doing 1200km in under 90 hours this year but quite a few others did.
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Old 11-18-07 | 12:06 AM
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Oh yeah... I am also planning to ride across Canada... on a fixed gear.

That will be rather epic.
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Old 11-18-07 | 12:23 AM
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A buddy of mine did
Furnace Creek 508 miles.
Something like 33,000 feet of climbing
30 hours and change. Fixed gear.
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Old 11-18-07 | 02:31 AM
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Longest single day ride on fixed for me was the LA Wheelman Grand Tour highland, 201 miles.
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Old 11-18-07 | 02:44 AM
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35 or 40 miles with the roadies. Not to be bad but I wish i had a bottle cage. I do get saddle pain after that far though, it's probably about time to upgrade to that Fizik Arione.
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Old 11-18-07 | 03:09 AM
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From: Van BC
I've done a bunch of fixed cents with climbing but haven't cracked 250+ kms yet. My bike fit is still a little weird and ultra distances can start to get painful. One day I'll pay someone to set my **** up for me really well.
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Old 11-18-07 | 04:00 AM
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I did Vätternrundan one year on a fixed (front brake required) and I thought I was going to die. It is 300 kilometers (184 US miles) and claims to be the longest/largest (15,000 participants) single day bike event in the world with some 34 countries participating (by the way, it's in Sweden).

More info Vätternrundan

It almost killed me but the funny thing is I am considering doing it again...
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Old 11-18-07 | 10:03 AM
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From: Amsterdam for now
Originally Posted by ZeroG
I did Vätternrundan one year on a fixed (front brake required) and I thought I was going to die. It is 300 kilometers (184 US miles) and claims to be the longest/largest (15,000 participants) single day bike event in the world with some 34 countries participating (by the way, it's in Sweden).

More info Vätternrundan

It almost killed me but the funny thing is I am considering doing it again...
Oooh. I want to do this race for '08.
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