I have a relative in SC who does a 100 mile ride every two months on his fixed. I would assume that is pretty impressive.

depends on the terrain. i just a did a pretty flat 100 miler in NY. now if he's riding in the mountains... that's impressive.

i haven't tried a century yet, but i think a few people have.

https://www.bikeforums.net/singlespeed-fixed-gear/445075-my-track-bike-century.html
https://www.bikeforums.net/singlespeed-fixed-gear/327136-fixed-gear-century-ride.html
https://www.bikeforums.net/singlespeed-fixed-gear/342521-planning-using-my-track-bike-century-potomac-pedalers-any-fg-guys-going.html
https://www.bikeforums.net/singlespeed-fixed-gear/451377-century-fixie.html
https://www.bikeforums.net/singlespeed-fixed-gear/79758-anyone-know-anyone-did-century-ride-fixed-gear.html
https://www.bikeforums.net/singlespeed-fixed-gear/125121-nyc-century-fixed.html

There are riders who do some insane rides on a fixed gear up here. The Cannonball and the S2S are both races from Seattle to Spokane. One is 250 miles, the other is 285 (IIRC) and both of them mean you have to cross a 3000+ elevation gain mountain pass.

If I remember correctly I think this years RAM (Race Across America) winners rode a fixed gear ... now that's impressive.

There was a two person team riding fixed that got 4th out of 4 in that division.

Still ****ing insane that that they finished over 3000 miles as a two person team, but not winners.

https://stats.raceacrossamerica.org/2.../overview.html

Impressive isn't exactly the word I'm searching for.

I mean, sure, you can wear it on your arm like a tat that you did this long ride on a fixie, but it's kind of like using a scooter at a crotch rocket race. It's not the right tool for the right job.

Good for you I guess, but I don't ride a touring bike as my winter commuter/bar bike/city bike because it's not right for the job. I ride ss/fg for that.

Anyone else see this?

I ride gears most of the time, but I still don't see that a fg bike isn't the "right tool for the job" when considering long distance rides. I think it depends on the rider, more than anything. I'm not going to try hauling my bulk up and down 2000' of hills every day on a fixed gear, but some of the lighter riders with a better power/weight ratio might do just fine with it.

they came by our shop. nice guys. didn;t change gear ratios, never took their feet off the pedals. they started with the solo teams and finished way ahead of the overall solo winner.

I do centuries sometimes fixed. It's nothing special and if I had a freewheel I would probably flip to that for a long ride.

True that.

I mean, don't get me wrong, it might be fun, but I just don't think it's worthy of immense praise and adoration (not to mention mur and frankincense).

"Like wow man you did 100 mile ride on a bike that was invented for a track and track-like conditions? Sweet"

The fixed drivetrain was not invented for the track

the brits tend to do their time trial fixed.

well then I guess fixies are better than everyone.

I see it more like taking your vintage motorcycle with a rigid rear end on a long distance ride with the guys on baggers and cruisers. Wrong tool for the job, sure, but fun...? Hell yes!

I never see long distance riding as a race, for me it is all about getting away from computers/phone/work/problems for a couple hours to get my head back on straight. It is the same reason I go on long rides on my old motorcycles. Riding out into the middle of nowhere, out of phone range... pure bliss.

Still waiting on the fixed century. Done some somewhat longer hill rides in the 60 mile range, but haven't had the time to get out and just do it. Need to get one in before the weather turns.

did my first ride over 45 miles on a single speed on sunday.
it was the hotter 'n hell century.
finished about the middle of the pack or so, i imagine.
me and my buddy both rode singlespeeds.
saw 2 other people on a fixed gear.
the other 11,000+ people were on geared bikes.
it was tons of fun, and in no way a competition.
i rode a single speed to prove to myself that i could.

i wouldn't have done it any other way.

I can see that for sure. There's a photo floating around of a guy in vintage bike and clothes at the top of the Alpe De Huez from this years tour.

My guess would be about 70% of the people on this forum could do a century right now if they really wanted too.

I do a few organized centurys every year. Each year I am amazed at some of the people who complete them, obese, elderly, mtb's and so on. Like most things, a lot is mental.

The real question is how long would it take to finish and recover?

tis my goal, give me a month or two

if you want to get that picky about, you might as well say a bike is not the right tool for the job. Might as well drive or ride a motorcycle.

It's all about bragging rights... "Oh you road 100 miles on a geared bike? well I did it on a fixed gear"

I personally like doing long distances fixed because I enjoy pushing my body to the limit and not relying on shifting or coasting to make it easier. For all the BS about 'zen', riding fixed for hours and hours brings me a hell of a lot closer to the 'bike and rider as one' stuff that so many people talk about. You bomb hills as hard as you can so you can make it up as much of the next incline as possible without having to tap into your dwindling energy reserves. Your muscles ache, your lungs burn, and you feel like you're going to pass out. When you get home, laying down and not spinning feels like the greatest time of your life. And when next you go out on geared bike, it feels like it's powering itself.
Sure it's less efficient, but if you're riding to push yourself hard and get a brutal workout, it's it own reward. Gears are a lot better in most ways but not all.

here's the link to my most recent fixed 100-miler. fairly flat. (florida)

https://trail.motionbased.com/trail/i...kValue=6364858

Maybe it's just me but I feel like my fixed gear is more efficient than a geared road bike. I tried riding my friends geared bike and i felt like it was a lot harder getting up hills on it. Downhill was nice, but downhill is nice on a fixed gear too (as long as I'm not spinning too fast). I beat him everytime we ride too... By a long shot. (me on a fixed, him with 12 gears)

You just don't know how to use gears properly. You beating him is irrelevant.

YOU need to do the same course on a fixed and on a geared bike. Preferably, you want to try a couple of different gear combos on the fixed. I think you will find that you are faster on the geared bike then the fixed. I have done this, several times, and the end result is always the same.

If fixed gear bikes were faster on the road, believe me, the TDF guys would be all over them!!!

This is for real world conditions over longer rides.