I do agree that the knees take a beating. A few weeks ago I did 115 miles fixed. Here in Iowa we have a great trail system. In my area there are over 600 miles of paved trails most of them being old rail road tracks converted to bike trails. Because they were train tracks at one time the grade can't exceed something like 4%. So these are great for fixed long distances training rides. The only traffic you have to worry about are crossing gravel roads out in the farm lands. Every 6-12 miels on my 115 rout hits a small town. But even with only 4% grade at the end my knees were feeling it for sure. Great way to work out the winter rust from your legs!

There are actually two speeds on fixed gear. The first is pedaling and the second gear is pushing your bike. There is no shame in pushing your bike if you were packing lots of gear. I generally start doing the snake method by turning the path into switchbacks to make it up.

Momentum is the key. Once you lose that it hurts (more).

The problem is he is ten times more bad-ass than most people on this forum can ever hope to be.

FIFY

My first post in the touring forum, and I don't mean to be trolling. I haven't done any multi day tours yet, but I do a lot of 100+++ milers. I don't use geared bikes, I have two singlespeeds and one fixed gear. The longest ride I ever did on my fixie was 174 KM, in one day. I don't ride as a fashion statement,my fixie has full fenders and front and rear racks... and FRONT and REAR brakes. Riding brakeless is a hipster fad and it is stupid and irressponsible.
I use 46/18 ratio which is about 68 GI, I have also used 42/18 about 63 GI. I often ride my bike loaded when doing grocery shopping. The extra weight is noticible,a heavily loaded fixie with 68 GI takes a lot of effort to stop without brakes, especially when going downhill, sure you can skid but you'll just end up destroying your tire and if your chain breaks or comes off and you don't have brakes then you are as good as dead. I reccommend front and rear brakes especially if you gona be touring with any type of a load.
If I was touring on a fixed gear, I would also choose a lower gear ratio , something around 60-63 GI or even 58 GI if it's very hilly. I believe that bike touring is all about getting out there and riding, it doesn't matter what type of bike a person chooses, as long their bicycle is in good working condition and has front and rear brakes , then they are good to go. I say go for it OP.

Does everyone realize that bicycle tourists criticizing another bike tourist for making his tour a little more difficult is kind of like the pot calling the kettle blacker? If you don't want a challenge, just take a car. Or stay home. Once you're on a bike, it's only a matter of the degree of difficulty you're willing to accept.

Eric
no fixed gear touring here, but maybe some SS in the future...

i want to keep this post alive by saying that i think fixed or singlespeed is real touring. i think real touring is going slow, and when i go on my fixed/ss tour(s), i will be walking my bike up hills. i will try to stay on flat ground by strategically choosing my routes so i don't have to walk a lot. the only thing is, it may be hard to find a partner to go, because we'd probably have to both be fixed or singlespeed. the other thing is, fixed/ss is cheaper to replace cogs, and wheel dish is not there, so wheels are more reliable.

RE: going slow

On a tour in France we saw an older man walking his bike down a nice long descent, so we stopped to ask if he needed help or was having trouble with his bike. He told us he was "going back to the calmness", that riding down hills goes too quickly and you don't put forth any effort. He preferred taking it slow and always climbed the hills then walked down.

I guess the point is that just because you have gears doesn't mean you can't take it slow, and sticking to the flats and ignoring mountains sounds boring to me.

Anyway, enjoy your tour trafficcasauras, and be sure to give us a trip report.

I prefer geared bikes just because they give you more options. If I want to attempt doing a trip in only one gear I could just not shift the entire time.

That said, do whatever you want.

I'm doing a 3 day single speed tour this summer. First day riding up from San Simeon to Big Sur, camping two nights at Pfieffer Big Sur State Park, and returning to San Simeon on day 3.
There's wonderful restaurants in Big Sur so we'll leave the cooking stuff at home.
We're running seat post racks and rear panniers. We're sleeping under a tarp pitched as an a-frame with hiking poles. The rest of our load will be bag, pad, and clothes.
We're both riding SS road bikes, mine with a moustache handlebar.
I've decided to go with my everyday gearing, 76 GI. I'm lightly loaded and familiar with the terrain.
I will post pictures.

I've been riding SS (not fixed) road bike for three years now. I am in the best shape that I've ever been in.
I never experienced anything like it in the 20+ years that I rode geared road bikes. I thought I knew everything but I have learned so much about riding a bicycle from riding SS. I have gotten to the point where I'm as fast (or faster) on SS as I was on gears. I can climb standing for miles at a time. 99% of cyclists can't stand for 100 yards at a time and I couldn't before I rode SS. I can hang in the pack at 30+ mph and be in the front half or better when we get to the climbs. I haven't attempted to see where I'm at on a geared road bike because I'm having way more fun and getting so much better training riding SS. If geared bikes are faster then I would be faster than I've ever been.

Any improvements you noticed were due to the fact that you worked harder, the kind of bike is kind of irrelevant I think.

I trained hard before I rode SS but I didn't get the same results. I suppose I could have hired a trainer but guys who did haven't improved like I have. And, it was excruciatingly boring for them where it has been nothing but fun for me.

Maybe you guys weren't training as hard as you should have to begin with

cool story bro

le

Obviously, but I had no way to know. I think it works like this. Go as fast as you went before on an SS and you automatically improve. I guess it takes more effort but it's so much fun that you don't really notice.

Thank you.

Funny how people want to argue with 20 years of experience and personal observation. Usually, they are ones who just can't comprehend what it is like to ride differently... and enjoy it. Even though they also want to say "to each their own".

Anyway, as to the bolded part, I did a ride yesterday with a reasonable length climb, and I counted the pedal strokes standing (yes, I know, but anythng to while away the time)... and it was 300 exactly from bottom to top.

The bike was geared, and I did have to shift up and down about 10 times (while still standing) because of variations in slope. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience, and is due in no small part to my fixed gear experience (including touring).

Eh, I've seen you write about it before. It helped me convince my partner to try a singlespeed bike. He's one of those guys who is a natural masher, big time. These days, his only bike is geared around 65". He mostly spins at 80-90rpm, when it used to be barely 60rpm. And his hill climbing is improving. It has really worked to improve his pedaling form too. He's a lot better about keeping his heels down. (he recognizes that fixed involves some technique changes, and he's not really interested in the changes that only come from fixed right now.)

Assuming the bike will take enough cargo, I lean towards your first tour should be on the bike you like best. Doing a tour is a better education in what works than any amount of forum posts.

Did you stand on the hoods?

I ended up ditching road bars altogether. When bikes were all one speed the handlebars looked nothing like they do today. And, as I found out, that they used the bars that they did because they worked for the kind of bikes they rode, 1 speeds. The bars were wider and provided much more leverage.
Here's some photos of the bike that was in the first Tour in 1903.





Here's the bar I ended up using.

It's true, fixed riding has vastly improved my ability to climb out of the saddle. Also has helped in the way I attack the hills and keep my momentum going. I noticed that on my most recent weekend tour (geared, fully loaded).

I'm not exactly sure what you mean, but if it is what I think... yes, standing to pedal wih my hands on the hoods and within reach of the shifters.

My fixed gear has bullhorn bars. I am about to rebuild it with a new paint job, but it will retain the bullhorns. The most significant difference will be the braking system. I will use bar-end levers instead of the aero levers (which worked very well but looked a bit odd) and 105 calipers instead of the old Shogun OEMs (which also have been very serviceable up to now).

The bullhorns with the bar-ends will give me a bit more room for hand placement when climbing.

A friend of mine recently did an overnight touring up here in Vancouver, BC, 66ish miles both ways with rolling hills.

If you're interested, we've got a thread that shares our thoughts on the "tour".

Yep, that's what I meant.
Bullhorns would be my choice if I didn't use a moustache bar. The "horns" can be gripped much better than hoods AND you're out further over the front wheel, better for climbing.
A trick for you. "Candy cane" the horns with friction tape. It's like using rosin. I saw a pic lately of a pro track rider with ghostly looking hands, it's rosin. Weightlifters couldn't lift what they lift without it.