piece of cake for a fixie rider

[bags27]

Fixed Gear Cyclists Challenge World's Toughest Weekend Bicycle Race

Furnace Creek 508, a non-stop 508 mile bicycle race from Santa Clarita
to Twenty Nine Palms via California's Death Valley and Mojave Desert,
is the world's premiere weekend ultramarathon bicycle race. Produced by
AdventureCOPRS since 1990, but founded in 1983 by John Marino, the
October 16-18 2004 edition celebrates the 21st anniversary, and 30th
edition, of this incredible race. New for 2004, three hardy endurance
cyclists will challenge the brand new Fixed Gear Division at this world
famous bicycle race. They'll tackle the entire event with just one gear
and no coasting, as well as traditional steel frames, standard 32 spoke
wheels, and no aero handlebars.

Furnace Creek 508 is revered the world over for its epic mountain
climbs totalling over 30,000 feet of cumulative elevation gain, stark
desert scenery, desolate roads, and a reputation as one of the toughest
but most gratifying endurance challenges available, bar none. Known as
"The Toughest 48 Hours in Sport," Furnace Creek 508 is "Where the West
is Won!" The fixed gear racers in the 2004 race will be blazing their
way into the history books at this venerable event. They are:

Jeff Parrot Bauer, 44, Nashville, TN, 508 Rookie
Sam Seal Beal, 52, Mountain View, CA, 508 Veteran
Barley Boar Forsman, 33, San Rafael, CA, 508 Rookie

http://lists.topica.com/lists/randon/read/message.html?mid=809952752&sort=d&start=6439

[Smiley]

The fixed gear guys are freaking CRAZY .

[Too Tall]

I was crew chief for two of these insane races. Just finishing is epic in an of it self. Yuck Yuck, I wonder who will be there to pick up kneecaps 1/2 way up Town's Pass ;) Than again, a guy did PBP on a kickbike. Whatever.

[jeffg]

I don't know about Furnace Creek, but I know folks have done the Terrible Two on a fixie. Now, other than the 16,000+ feet climbing (what are they doing on the 20% sections of Skaggs and the 12% climb of Fort Ross, for instance), the thing that is even worse is the descending! These are narrow twisty roads and I cannot see how these riders manage. Crazy!

[Climb01742]

why?

[bags27]

In the immortal words of Sir Edmund Hillary, "because it's there." Climb, your handle is "moderation in nothing," so you actually know the answer already.

And, certainly one never feels quite so alive on a bike as when riding a fixie. My remaining goal this fall is to do a century on a fixie. It'll be a flat one. Then, "all" I'll have to do is add a lot of really, really steep hills over a hot desert and do it five times without stopping, and it'll equal the FC 508. Seems like a snap. :D

[Climb01742]

there is a difference between being extreme and being, well, crazzzzzzzy. :banana:

[Orin]

The other answer is "Because you can".

I've done a century on fixed... including the odd 1 in 3 hill (ie 33% - that's what the sign said anyway - North York Moors in England). How do you get up? You zig-zag... or walk. I've seen someone walk past a rider going up a 20% or so hill in their granny gear BTW.

Orin.

[Climb01742]

you folks are crazy but in an admirable sort of way. thank heavens there are crazy people in the world.

[Dekonick]

Amen.

Crazy cyclists remind me why I ride!
:)

Speaking of fixxies, I just bought an el cheapo Surly Cross-check frame that I am building up fixxie with spare parts. This frame is a fantastic versatile no worries piece of steel. It has braze-on's for everything, wierd 132.5mm spacing on the dropouts (so you can use any wheelset - road or mountain) -it has international disk brake mounts, cantilever mounts, room enough for 44+ wheels WITH fenders!!!

You can set it up for cross for a bit, then change it to fixxie, (has old school horizontal drop outs) then tour with it etc...

Its heavy, ugly (well, compared to any of our main bikes) and just a beast utility bike. I cant wait to get it set up!!! Then I can leave my nice bikes at home and not worry about theft - I am always paranoid at work with my Hors.

If this one gets stolen, its only $300 and an old ultegra groupo thats gone...

It is not a beauty bike
It is not a light bike
it is the perfect 'trash me' bike. :D

[bags27]

Yo Dekonick: my fixie is also a Surly Cross, so watch whose bike you're calling heavy and ugly. :p Okay, it is a little heavy, and maybe it doesn't have the sweetest look in the world, but I love it anyway. Just wish I had bought a bigger size, but am working now on a longer stem. As you said, it's an incredibly good value. (And I also built it up with old Ultegra parts. Hmmm...maybe we were separated at birth?)