Touring: SS or Fixed?
10-07-10, 02:53 PM
#26
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This past weekend I did a "tarck tour", which is 11 miles carrying a messenger bag.
10-07-10, 03:02 PM
#27
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Last weekend I did the track tour. Duncan>Victoria>Vancouver with a loaded backpack. Two ferry rides and a metric century later I was home.
81 gear inches fixed. Any ride is what you make of it. I think riding a bike with gears is something you use for going over long mountain passes. Look at where you want to go and what the terrain is. If you will go (loaded) over a 1000ft differential summit take a bike with gears. Example: Start at 2000 ft and the summit is 3000ft. Start at sea level and peak at 1000ft. Unloaded? I'd tackle that on a ss/fg with less than 75 GI.
Either way, the easy route is derailleur>ss>fg
81 gear inches fixed. Any ride is what you make of it. I think riding a bike with gears is something you use for going over long mountain passes. Look at where you want to go and what the terrain is. If you will go (loaded) over a 1000ft differential summit take a bike with gears. Example: Start at 2000 ft and the summit is 3000ft. Start at sea level and peak at 1000ft. Unloaded? I'd tackle that on a ss/fg with less than 75 GI.
Either way, the easy route is derailleur>ss>fg
10-07-10, 03:16 PM
#28
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More info (thanks for responding)- I will be "camping" but in the lightest way possible- about a 30-35lb at most pack, probably less- apart from the bike, which has my water supply and toolkit/spare parts on it, I will be carrying a sleeping bag, change of clothes, basic firestarting equipment in case of a campsite, a folded bota bag incase I need water when away from the bike, music player and spare batteries, flashlight, radio, poncho, small length of rope, swiss army tool, two knives (one for general use, one for protection), probably about 5 or less lbs of food at a time, and shelter of some kind (this being my most irritating issue; I don't have much money but it isn't fun to sleep in the rain, in the open).
I do have previous experience doing touring (150-300 miles) on a geared bike, and lighter touring (70 miles over 2 days) on a single-speed, though it was a mountain bike and ridden on trails. I also have experience "ultralight" or lightweight camping, though tent/shelter choice is perplexing me currently- I had previously toured with someone else who could carry a much larger pack containing a foldable tent.
I assumed as much about the SS versus fixed- I will definitely get a BMX freewheel rather than a track cog.
I do have previous experience doing touring (150-300 miles) on a geared bike, and lighter touring (70 miles over 2 days) on a single-speed, though it was a mountain bike and ridden on trails. I also have experience "ultralight" or lightweight camping, though tent/shelter choice is perplexing me currently- I had previously toured with someone else who could carry a much larger pack containing a foldable tent.
I assumed as much about the SS versus fixed- I will definitely get a BMX freewheel rather than a track cog.
Actually, the truth is I wouldn't be going on a loaded tour with either FG or SS. My current touring bike has a lowest gear of 24 inches, and loaded (admittedly with somewhat more than 35lbs) I sometimes need it. I live in, and tend to tour in, fairly hilly country so your mileage will most certainly vary - I doubt if you're planning to encounter >15% gradients - but if you are going to do this I'd look in the touring forum and get some advice from the ultralight guys on cutting the weight of your load. Some of them tour for months with 20lbs of gear including tent.
10-08-10, 07:59 AM
#29
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Camping gear ? I'd tour that on a mountain bike, perhaps with skinnier tires (1.5-1.85 vs 2.10 or wider). You'll definitely be a little slower and add some riding time to each leg of the tour, but I figure the mtb/atb has the gears and sturdier frame, in bad weather that might be a plus ? Another consideration ? Not all campgrounds are paved, so riding to your assigned site might be do-able.
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