Originally Posted by bikeman68 (Post 15121240)

for those of you who ride fixed exclusively, just treat yourself and get a good road bike with 9 or (oh gosh) even 10 speed rear cassettes and you will fly , and want to go further and on any hill, you all have good fitness from so many miles fixed, so you can train the fixie legs on geared bikes and train your big gear efforts on flatland, and in no time you'll be flying in a 53-14, or 13,12?
I started training on fixed gears to get ready for track racing, and after a year of alternating from fixed gear bike to my road bike, I got stronger, and when on my geared-freewheel I pedaled so fluid I didnt even have to be conscience of my technique, it was just that "natural" to keep my rpms high, even when riding hard, on flatland and even hills.Dont worry guys, your never too strong for geared bikes, you will appreciate the gears after 4 hours on a ride , heading into your last batch of false flats on the route, into headwind, with your legs tapped, so you shift from that 53/15 to your 17 or 19, and thank God for the people who made the bicycle evolution possible

Originally Posted by Doohickie (Post 15148051)

Finally did my first FG ride of 2013. 28 miles to Downtown and back.

Originally Posted by -=(8)=- (Post 15151559)

Nice pictures.
IVe never been to FT. Worth . . . If thats what the d-town area looks like, looks pretty cool :thumb:

Originally Posted by Doohickie (Post 15159847)

I shouldn't like it. It's heavy hi-ten steel with very basic components. But the balance and fit of the bike are perfect. It came as a single speed (freewheel only) but after a year or two I starting breaking rear spokes and built a new wheel that was fixed/free (my first wheel build) and I've ridden it fixed ever since. I sometimes think I should get something better, but it really fits my needs right now.

The racer has a coaster brake on the back, doesn't it?

Originally Posted by RGNY (Post 15190582)

just turned 43. spent an hour on the rollers with my singlespeed Leader 722ts.

just a number......

Originally Posted by cynikal (Post 15189373)

well, as of today i can officially post in here.

Originally Posted by europa (Post 15191302)

Cor, 43 and still going nowhere. :roflmao:

Originally Posted by pb12 (Post 15253090)

Current gear is 46 x 16 = 78" (on a 27" wheel). Just ordered a 17T cog which I hope will get me a spinning a bit more at around 72".

Phil

Originally Posted by pb12 (Post 15253090)

Hi all,

I'm 49yrs and been riding old converted FG for a 4mths or so on rolling terrain.
I have been struggling a bit but definately getting stronger but I still was seriously considering a bike 20 gears.
However, previous posts brought me to the conclusion that my gearing is probably a little high.
Current gear is 46 x 16 = 78" (on a 27" wheel). Just ordered a 17T cog which I hope will get me a spinning a bit more at around 72".

Phil

Originally Posted by icyclist (Post 15253874)

That's a little high if you aren't in good shape for hills. 72" will help, and isn't so low you'll spin out on the flats.

If you could get yourself into great shape, not only would you make it up those hills in your higher gear, you'd also have an easier time on the downhills, because you wouldn't spin out so fast.

I have a flip-flop hub, so that I can run a 70" and and 75" gear. I like the former for easy pedaling around the flat portions of town, and the latter – rarely – for when I want to hold a higher speed, on the flats or up or down the hills.

Originally Posted by europa (Post 15253928)

6


I'd agree that you're geared too high. You need to remember that few people riding geared bikes have any concept of good technique and yes, that includes nearly all roadies. How often do you hear people talk about starting to bounce on the saddle with a cadence of 120, often as low as 100?

I used to ride with 70 gear inches. This gives a cadence of 90 at 30km/ hr. Eventually I pulled that back to 66 gi because on the flats, around town, any sort of head wind meant I felt overgeared. Interestingly, the drop in gearing made NO difference to my point to point times but a lot of difference to my overall comfort. Nor do I merely ride on the flats. I live in the Adelaide Hills and any ride involves hills. Any ride that takes me onto the plains, such as my daily commute, involves a 3km hill that includes a stretch at 10%. On my geared bike, I'll do that bit at over 70km/hr, on the fixed gear, I do it at 50 km/hr which is a cadence approaching 180. My point being that you don't need high gearing, just good technique while the only time my geared bike is an easier choice is when going back up that sodding hill - it is never the fastest choice.

By the way, I'm 56, cuddly rather than svelte and ride fixed by preference because I love the skill set and the control it gives you, brakes really are a blunt tool when it comes to controlling speed, even though I always use my brakes to stop.

Is this post relevant anymore? I forget :o

Originally Posted by icyclist (Post 15244047)

I posted the photos below in late October, in the SS/Fixie forum, of my new bike frame (with components transferred from another bike).

With only four rides on the bike, I crashed on November 1st, which put me out of commission with a fractured wrist for three months. I kept in reasonable shape using a bike trainer and by doing a minimal amount of jogging, something I gave up about three and a half decades ago.

A week ago, on my birthday, I finally went fixed again and have had several enjoyable rides. Since it feels as if I'm on a new bike all over again, I'm reposting the pics. There is indeed life, and even resurrection, after 40 (or in my case, long, long after 40).

http://www.pbase.com/davewyman/image...2619/large.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/davewyman/image...740/medium.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/davewyman/image...766/medium.jpg