Bike Forums - Fixed for distance

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What an informative thread.

Here in Oregon we have the Cycle Oregon week long ride, which this year will cover 450 miles in seven days.

http://www.cycleoregon.com/

I think they call these assisted rides, in which the organizers carry your camping gear and feed you.

Last year they had 2000 riders, and this year the same at $850 each.

They've already sold out on this September's ride.

I'd like to try this on a fixed gear bike.

I noticed the OP's gearing of 73+ gear inches.

I consider 72 gear inches the highest at which I can brake with only my legs.

I presently ride at 61 gear inches, and I would choose that for a 450 mile ride in the mountains.

Over the past year I have really focused on learning how to brake with my legs going downhill, and I find it involves technique much more than it does strength or stamina.

Anyway, thanks for the great thread.

great thread and stories...

i ride about 20 miles everyday and about 100 or so on the weekends usually. id love to do a full on voyage.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lemurhouse (Post 8922344)

Long distance on fixed gear is good fun and really not that tough once you are used to it. Or I should say that 100 miles is no biggie. I do that pretty regularly, but do not have experience doing longer brevets or ultra distance rides of the type you are thinking about. There is a subset of ultra riders & racers who ride fixed, and if you google the PBP or LEL and fixed gear you'll find a couple of guys who have written about their experiences including bike setups, gearing, tire sizes and the like. Furnace Creek 508 has a fixed gear division and there are some write-ups of that as well.

Bike setup is important, IMO. I can't imagine riding a true track bike over roads for that distance. Or a bike with with the kind of aggressive or urban setup that one sees here and on the street. I have a track bike, but all of my long distance fixed gear riding is on an old steel frame w/classic road geometry and corresponding setup.

I've been mulling over the idea of going for Furnace creek in 2010. It helps that I live in Bakersfield which averages only about 10 degrees less temperature wise so I have the local for training down.