Distance rides on a fixed / ss - anyone do this?

[AJosiahK]

A friend is designing a season full of rando style 120k, 150k etc rides this summer. We went out for a test of part of one if his routes.

I ended up riding a bike solely because it had generator lights installed, a favorite saddle etc, but also happens to be a fixed gear running 48x18.

I was a little nervous as I've never done distance like this on a fixed bike

It turned out great! Could keep a solid pace with my buddy at av 17/19mph easy, and passed on all the climbs. Legs felt like I could do more after nearly 120k. The route was one of the less climby legs one could do, so my gearing could be tuned to more hills or less. This I could have had a 17t and maybe been ok.

Only issue was both calves at about 100k starting knotting and seizing up. This made the decents and false flats (downish) really uncomfortable.

I've decided to do all these rides with him, on this bike.

Mind that I ate a ton, bananas, bonk bars and bloks, drank a good 32 us ounces if water during and a pint before the ride.

Any thoughts on all this?

Happy riding !

[thirdgenbird]

I did nearly a whole season fixed a few years back. It was great. I could see doing it again. This year may even end up that way.

[FlashUNC]

There are folks who do PBP fixed.

This might be a question for PlattyJo...

[bcroslin]

A good friend of mine who's a rando nut only rides fixed. He did a 600k just a few weeks ago to get qualified for P-B-P on his fancy new Moots fixed gear. He's done several 1200k's fixed and has even done Ventoux fixed. I think he's nuts but he wouldn't have it any other way.

[AngryScientist]

oh yea. done many 100+ mile rides fixed. good stuff.

one of the keys for me is to know when to get off though. if an incline starts pushing hard on double digit slopes, i'll hop off and use my "2-foot" gear. saves the knees and saves burning a few matches.

a good saddle and a well fitting bike are key. not pushing too hard, too fast are also good things to keep in mind, but once the fixie fitness sets in, you're good to go!

[AngryScientist]

did someone say moots fixie??

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1O0ui6UJI1o/VTRU3SYx5qI/AAAAAAAACAo/6pz52JsXXmk/s900/P1080461.JPG

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zfGBtb2auxc/VTRU3dqKQ3I/AAAAAAAACAw/7F4p2Jt1g9Q/s1100/P1080466.JPG

[Lewis Moon]

I've noticed I do almost every ride without overt hills on my Hodala SSCX. I just did a 55 mile "'round SoMo" ride on it. It was great...until at 50 miles, I hit a long slightly uphill stretch right into a headwind.
I'd do it again and plan to. Good for the soul.

[AJosiahK]

Very cool!

This bike had been my main commuter until the snow of all snows came last December / January. Never thought I could put so many miles on it in one ride so easily and enjoy it so much, and will be doing it again.

I've known a few friends who ride the NER series up here that do it fixed. I've thought them crazy but now I get it.

And I thought this year was going to be a cx race type of season...

[AJosiahK]

did someone say moots fixie??

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1O0ui6UJI1o/VTRU3SYx5qI/AAAAAAAACAo/6pz52JsXXmk/s900/P1080461.JPG

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zfGBtb2auxc/VTRU3dqKQ3I/AAAAAAAACAw/7F4p2Jt1g9Q/s1100/P1080466.JPG


Love the moots fixie angry, and those roads look dreamy

[guido]

Emily O'Brien who is a member here (I forget her handle!) has done many Brevets including BMB and PBP on a fixed single speed...

[8aaron8]

I haven't ridden my fixed gear in a long time, but the first century ride I did was on a fixed gear. My legs felt great the entire way and I had no soreness the following day. I need to jump back on that bike.

[oldpotatoe]

A friend is designing a season full of rando style 120k, 150k etc rides this summer. We went out for a test of part of one if his routes.

I ended up riding a bike solely because it had generator lights installed, a favorite saddle etc, but also happens to be a fixed gear running 48x18.

I was a little nervous as I've never done distance like this on a fixed bike

It turned out great! Could keep a solid pace with my buddy at av 17/19mph easy, and passed on all the climbs. Legs felt like I could do more after nearly 120k. The route was one of the less climby legs one could do, so my gearing could be tuned to more hills or less. This I could have had a 17t and maybe been ok.

Only issue was both calves at about 100k starting knotting and seizing up. This made the decents and false flats (downish) really uncomfortable.

I've decided to do all these rides with him, on this bike.

Mind that I ate a ton, bananas, bonk bars and bloks, drank a good 32 us ounces if water during and a pint before the ride.

Any thoughts on all this?

Happy riding !

I think you would be better served on a single speed, rather than a fixie. Maybe even a single/single..18/19....Ya had brakes anyway, yes?

[Shortsocks]

When I was "younger" that's all I did. Fixed gear, actual Japanese Track Bike, for years. I rode from Dallas To El Paso once, and then I rode from Dallas to Austin twice. (south by South fixed). I loved it. But things to keep in mind, I'm fairly light, and there are not any mountains In Texas. I did Ragbri as well...on top of a TON of local Texas rallies. Including hotter than hell. As well, I rode the track too.

But riding long distance on Fixed is really fun, except on the rare occasion one very warm Texas summer days, at the end of a 70 mile ride, I would forget that I was on a fixed and get tired and I would get mule kicked for forgetting....other than that it was a really fun few years. I'm really happy I did it, but would I do it again? No. I enjoy riding my geared by and I LOVE coasting as well, climbing is really fun but nothing is worse than climbing and being exhausted and then having to ride fixed down....also I went through tires way way faster on fixed then I do on geared as I recall.

[gdw]

Deanna Adams has ridden the Furnace Creek 500, Tour Divide, and toured extensively on a fixed gear.
http://www.seizetheworld.org/tag/deanna-adams/

[ptourkin]

Emily O'Brien who is a member here (I forget her handle!) has done many Brevets including BMB and PBP on a fixed single speed...

And the Furnace Creek 508.

The infamous Pudu is also a member here. He has done many of these dumb things.

[redir]

I used to do long fixed rides but it's too hard living in the mountains for me now. As Potatoe suggested an SS would be better just to be able to coast down miles of descents.

[JAllen]

I'm with the old spud on this one. I could never get into fixed gear riding. I pretty much exclusively ride SS 48x20. I do like coasting as an option too.

That being all said... I'm now really inspired to ride fixed a little more. Awesome job, by the way, on riding further and better than you thought you would! :beer:

[Lewis Moon]

I'm with the old spud on this one. I could never get into fixed gear riding. I pretty much exclusively ride SS 48x20. I do like coasting as an option too.

That being all said... I'm now really inspired to ride fixed a little more. Awesome job, by the way, on riding further and better than you thought you would! :beer:

Yeah, I've done enough fixed miles to not want to do any more. I think of fixed as the "hair shirt" of cycling.

[JAllen]

Yeah, I've done enough fixed miles to not want to do any more. I think of fixed as the "hair shirt" of cycling.

oy vey. Thank you for that. lol

[marciero]

Emily O'Brien who is a member here (I forget her handle!) has done many Brevets including BMB and PBP on a fixed single speed...

Not sure but I think she is Coluber42. Is veteran of many long brevets on fixed. Maybe she will chime in.

[Bstone]

Have to be careful. Did a ton of club rides (Central Florida) on fixed gear last year. 42 x 16. After several months of crazy spinning, my knees were starting to get pretty sore. I just think that the gearing was way too low.

[miguel]

A friend is designing a season full of rando style 120k, 150k etc rides this summer.

what is a "rando style" ride?

[spiderman]

Before I fell off the map
I was riding a century a week
And loved riding fifty fixed to jakes pizza
And then turn around ride home!
46x16

[Ti Designs]

I've done a number of really stupid things on a fixed gear, mostly 'cause it was parked closest to the door and had air in the tires. The real trick is to ignore that you're on a fixed gear, it's just the bike you're on for that day...

I have done Mt Ascutney on a fixed gear, it's only 4.2 miles each way, the first half is all up hill, the second half was really hard.

[AJosiahK]

Brakes are a must on every bike I own, even this fixed gear rig obviously. It tends to run the full time commuter duty unless there is slit of snow or ice.

I know Emily and Jake, they are good peoples and run NER rides out if my lbs a few times a month (coming up).
Emily makes some nice custom bags too if your into that.


As for gearing, for that route, fixed was fine and fun as most were rollers. A freewheel would have been nice for the few descents. I do like that feeling of 'going all the time' no real rest but momentum helps nice your legs back around.

I am having a little back of the knee pain so might take old potatoes advice and go ss.

I actually tried to set up a different wheel for that ride and with 17t freewheel the chain was too slack.

The rando type of rides are really just a series of random rides. Nothing to do with the actual sport of randonneuring, just using some common phrases and distances I guess.

Cheers

[Drmojo]

me cross country fixed
200 k per day
bigfix 2006
and wheels north
Santa Rosa to Seattle fixed
plus 9 double centuries
too many centuries to count

Peter B
12 hr fixed record holder
PBP fixed
wheels north

Smead
terrible two fixed record holder
devil mountain double fixed record

and Jason...
bad company to ride with
fixed gods

[Lewis Moon]

me cross country fixed
200 k per day
bigfix 2006
and wheels north
Santa Rosa to Seattle fixed
plus 9 double centuries
too many centuries to count

Peter B
12 hr fixed record holder
PBP fixed
wheels north

Smead
terrible two fixed record holder
devil mountain double fixed record

and Jason...
bad company to ride with
fixed gods

Wait a sec...can you do this in Haiku?

[spiderman]

I've done a number of really stupid things on a fixed gear, mostly 'cause it was parked closest to the door and had air in the tires. The real trick is to ignore that you're on a fixed gear, it's just the bike you're on for that day...

I have done Mt Ascutney on a fixed gear, it's only 4.2 miles each way, the first half is all up hill, the second half was really hard.

one rule of thumb I have on my fixie is
NEVER forget/ignore that your fixed and let that feeling
carry over into all your riding;)

[miguel]

A friend is designing a season full of rando style 120k, 150k etc rides this summer. We went out for a test of part of one if his routes.

what is a "rando style" ride?


The rando type of rides are really jut a serious of random rides. Nothing tondo with the actual sport of randoneuring, just using some common phrases and distances I guess.


so its sort of like watching TV but saying you're going out to a movie

[blasdelf]

The rando type of rides are really just a series of random rides. Nothing to do with the actual sport of randonneuring, just using some common phrases and distances I guess.

It behooves you to do actual randonneuring before bogarting the name

Don't be like John Prolly

[bironi]

Others here have much more distance riding on fixed gear than I do. A group of my friends and I took up fixed riding 8-9 years back. I was ~55 yrs old. We got hooked. My gears don't come out to play very often. When I had my geared bike out recently I tried to back pedal to slow down a bit, and thought that I had spun my cog loose. I just forgot I could coast. One big difference riding fixed vs gears is being able to control your speed through corners. On a geared bike I have to calculate more carefully how fast to enter a corner. On the fixed I can brake with my feet thru the corner and I feel more connected to the road. I don't know if that make sense to those who do not ride fixed. Spinning down a mountain pass on a fixed gear can really be a pain in the ass. Sometimes I'll release my feet from the pedals and tuck them behind my saddle bag. A buddy refers to this move as the, "Flying Squirrel". I know it is not the safest riding style, but it is fun.

[saab2000]

It's not a fixie but it is a true single speed and I've done numerous 50 milers on this bike with various gearings from a 44x16 to the current 53x16. This is a Hampsten from fellow Paceliner and honorable man Kohlboto. I use a White Industries 16-tooth single-speed freewheel.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7595/16907129612_aa19413fe6_o.jpg

I also did a number of longer rides (150 miles....) on my Redline single speed, then set up with the 42x16 and they were mostly a success. I wish I had had a bigger gear at the time. The 44 would have been extremely welcome.

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8375/8511565664_64178e0652_o.jpg

The key here is flat to gently rolling hills. Any 'real' hills and the single speed is immediately out of its element. If the ride will be steady and relatively flat, a single speed road bike can be really nice. There's less drag of the mechanical and the aero kind and while it seems trivial, it's not. Both of my single speeds have had very low drivetrain friction and this is noticeable when riding.

I really enjoy riding my Hampsten, the only single speed I have left and hope to be able to keep riding it for years to come. I did make some upgrades after I bought if from Kohlboto and now it fits me pretty much perfectly. I ride it on group rides fairly regularly.

Fellow Paceliner Ergott built up these terrific wheels - White Industries hubs laced to Pacenti SL23s. I ride them with Vittoria Open CX 23mm clinchers and the ride is nearly as good as a high level tubular.

[bironi]

Try the Vit 25's with latex and you'll never go back.

[BobbyJones]

This:

I've done a number of really stupid things on a fixed gear, mostly 'cause it was parked closest to the door and had air in the tires. The real trick is to ignore that you're on a fixed gear, it's just the bike you're on for that day...


Not to rain on anyone's parade, but everytime I see a 14 year old on a 20" BMX bike 30 miles away from home I'm reminded to ignore the "labels" and smile at whats going on.

Then again, a rider on a 50 mile ride on a unicycle impressed the *&! out of me.

[bironi]

This:



Not to rain on anyone's parade, but everytime I see a 14 year old on a 20" BMX bike 30 miles away from home I'm reminded to ignore the "labels" and smile at whats going on.

Then again, a rider on a 50 mile ride on a unicycle impressed the *&! out of me.

I chatted with a guy who did Seattle to Portland on a unicycle. I think he did it in one day. He did have aero bars.

[jischr]

A year or so ago an 'old' guy (50-60) rode the local MS Bike century on a unicycle while carrying a 2X3 foot American flag. Tres impressive.

[Joel]

I do many 60+ mile rides on a fixed gear. In fact most of my riding is on a fixed gear (48x18). I started back on a fixed gear about five years ago after not having used one since '78. It was in training for riding mountains (which we don't have a lot of here in Florida).

I've stayed with probably 95% of the 6,000-7,000 miles per year being fixed.

Why? Training for overseas rides, yes that's part of it.

Honestly, I just like the fixed feel better than a geared bike!

[sjbraun]

I did 118 miles on a fixed gear a few years ago. Except for an 8 mile downhill stretch, it wasn't much different than riding a geared bike. My buddy started cramping at one point, that was a problem as he had to stop every time he needed to stretch.
It's all just pedalling, except on a fixed gear, there's no coasting.

[Gordito]

Did 2 winters on a fixed gear for a good base training. Good to strengthen the muscles in the climbs, supposedly good for the pedal stroke on the flats and downhills but honestly the most substantial benefit was in the climbs. (but anyway we could do it with the big ring on a geared bike)

I understand the attraction of having only one gear, a very simple bike, etc. But for the kind of terrain I ride, it wouldn't make sense to ride it for fun, only if you want a "special training".

[Likes2ridefar]

i did a 200k and 300k brevet series on a fixed gear a while ago. I've also done a number of century and beyond rides. for a little while I had the dumb idea of qualifying for RAAM on a fixed gear. i got bored with the long distances and time required to train...

the only reason i was riding a fixed gear was because I spent all of my bike fund on a mountain bike and couldnt afford a decent road bike.

going downhill is a drag if you like to go fast. other than that it's nice to just pedal and not think about anything else.

I'd probably never do those rides again after working my way to a parlee ESX on carbon clinchers:)

[Mark McM]

One big difference riding fixed vs gears is being able to control your speed through corners. On a geared bike I have to calculate more carefully how fast to enter a corner. On the fixed I can brake with my feet thru the corner and I feel more connected to the road. I don't know if that make sense to those who do not ride fixed.

I've ridden both freewheeling and fixed, and this doesn't make sense to me. Not only is there no reason you can't brake in a corner on freewheel, but you can apply more deceleration at all times (cornering or not) with brakes vs. back pedaling. Not to mention that freewheel bikes can typically corner faster than fixed gear, due to pedal clearance when leaning (pedal strike can happen at a lean angle of only 30 - 35 degrees, whereas when coasting you can usually lean at 40+ degrees).

[Gordito]

"I don't know if that make sense to those who do not ride fixed."
he says!! :banana:

You don't make sense at all

[merlinmurph]

I'm surprised RudAwkning hasn't hasn't chimed in.

He used to give ride reports when riding double centuries fixed.

[ultraman6970]

Fixie is the way to go to accumulate miles in the legs... just the basic work out for the legs and the head. Legs get a lot stronger after a couple of months in a fix gear, pedaling technique gets more precise and the bad custom of shifting each 1 minute is gone big time.

Miss a lot to ride fix gear eventhought I can recommission my old racing bike for that hmm.... Sold the wheel again.... mark??? you there?? want both wheelsets back :P