single speed century

[PBWrench]

I achieved a personal goal yesterday. I rode my single speed, 42X16, on a rolling hill century -- the Minnesota Ironman. My previous maximum distance on the ss was 60, and I wondered whether I could manage a century on it. Notwithstanding the difficulty, it was liberating as well. I love ss! Any other nuts out there who have done this? Cheers PBW

[rpm]

Bravo! You not only did it, but you did it in a cold rain, early in the season.

[sg8357]

Time to take the final step to enlightenment, cast off your freewheel. :)

[AngryScientist]

i'm very impressed. how are your knees?

i commute to work on a SS, and love it, but when the road turns uphill, i wish for gears!

[jlwdm]

Nice ride.

Search "double century" on the forum and you will see that RudAwkning did 3 double centuries on a fixed gear last year. Not easy ones either.

There is your next goal!

Jeff

[PBWrench]

Jeff - I'm suddenly feeling dizzy and am considering taking up a new sport . . .

[onekgguy]

I achieved a personal goal yesterday. I rode my single speed, 42X16, on a rolling hill century -- the Minnesota Ironman. My previous maximum distance on the ss was 60, and I wondered whether I could manage a century on it. Notwithstanding the difficulty, it was liberating as well. I love ss! Any other nuts out there who have done this? Cheers PBW

Bravo!

[jlwdm]

Jeff - I'm suddenly feeling dizzy and am considering taking up a new sport . . .


I get cramps just reading his ride reports. I hope he is getting in some relaxing time this year. That triple double is a once in a lifetime goal.

Jeff

[rcnute]

I did a fixed 200k brevet a few weeks ago. More fun in the remembrance. Sadly I don't think I was that much slower overall...

[sjbraun]

Nice job!!!
I rode the 2009 El Tour de Tucson fixed last November, 109 miles (118 miles for the day if you include riding to and from the ride.)
I rode in a 42x15 gear combination. It was a blast.
I don't think it was any more difficult than riding geared, though my gearing limited my speed going up or down hills.

Steve

[RFC]

This is an interesting thread. I ride about 25% of 8,000 miles a year on single speeds. Thus far, my longest ride has been 50 miles, but I want to try a century this summer. Once you get the hang of it, which means increasing your pain tolerance, the hills are not so bad. Here is my ride -- an off brand Ti roadbike converted to SS with 52/19 gearing (about 72 gear inches). It is an absolutely deadly Sunday morning poser killing rocket.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/RCopple/IMG_0002r-1.jpg

[twin]

I love singlespeed and congratulations. I have ridden fixed and I liked it also but singlespeed most of the time for me.

[WadePatton]

I achieved a personal goal yesterday. I rode my single speed, 42X16, on a rolling hill century Cheers PBW
congrats man! i went over 7 hours in the dirt on 32x20 once, plan to go back and knock off a couple hours. going back is easy, the knocking off part takes half a year.

I love singlespeed and congratulations. I have ridden fixed and I liked it also but singlespeed most of the time for me.
it's all i'll ride off-road and although i like fixed on-road, i'd choose a freewheel if i had to pick only one. so my next roadie will be a flip/flop. there are a few things in front of that.

[markie]

Nice going. I find fixed much more fun on the road....

I tried doing a road 300k fixed, but only managed 200k.

Last year I did a 12 hour mtb race fixed and got in 102 miles. That was silly fun.

[Velosmith]

CONGRATULATIONS!!! That is a tough thing to do.

A couple of years ago I completed a very hilly fixed gear century. I accompanied my wife on her first century and wanted a challenge along the way. Boy was it. It wasn't so much the legs as the butt that was painful. That long in the saddle was difficult with your legs in constant motion. :butt:

I'm not sure I would repeat this adventure, but it is nice to be able to say I did it once.

As for the single speed, always felt it was all of the disadvantages of fixed gear with none of the advantages. :rolleyes:

[Andreas]

I achieved a personal goal yesterday. I rode my single speed, 42X16, on a rolling hill century -- the Minnesota Ironman. My previous maximum distance on the ss was 60, and I wondered whether I could manage a century on it. Notwithstanding the difficulty, it was liberating as well. I love ss! Any other nuts out there who have done this? Cheers PBW

Congratulations!


Never done centuries single speed, only fixed. I ride fixed mostly for commuting (for the reliability) and in early spring training, but get a few long fixed rides in every year just to mix it up.

There is a forum member here (forgot the name) who did the last PBP fixed.

[RudAwkning]

I achieved a personal goal yesterday. I rode my single speed, 42X16, on a rolling hill century -- the Minnesota Ironman. My previous maximum distance on the ss was 60, and I wondered whether I could manage a century on it. Notwithstanding the difficulty, it was liberating as well. I love ss! Any other nuts out there who have done this? Cheers PBW

Awesome! Finishing stuff in one gear makes you wonder what else is possible. When you fight through those moments when you'd usually reach for a shifter and you make it, it's one of the most rewarding feelings (after the pain subsides!).

[spiderman]

one of these years...i will be back
and will be packing my fixed gear with me!
i'm looking forward to it already!

[RudAwkning]

I get cramps just reading his ride reports. I hope he is getting in some relaxing time this year. That triple double is a once in a lifetime goal.

Jeff

No rest for the weary here.

On the fixed gear so far this year, 3 200k brevets, a 380km 24 hour Fleche from Mariposa to San Francisco, Solvang Spring Double, and 1/2 a dozen or so centuries.

This week is gonna be back to back fixie centuries on Sat/Sun, followed by another 200k fixed the following weekend with the Davis Double Century on the fixed the week after.

Shoot me now....please!

My hopes of a Hoodoo500 fixed gear relay have been dashed. The course is just too brutal at this point in my cycling career. Am now contemplating this. Same distance, 1/2 the climbing. Maybe I can visit David Kirk while I'm out there :D

http://www.dinosaurtrail500.com/

[fiamme red]

No rest for the weary here.

On the fixed gear so far this year, 3 200k brevets, a 380km 24 hour Fleche from Mariposa to San Francisco, Solvang Spring Double, and 1/2 a dozen or so centuries.

This week is gonna be back to back fixie centuries on Sat/Sun, followed by another 200k fixed the following weekend with the Davis Double Century on the fixed the week after.

Shoot me now....please!

My hopes of a Hoodoo500 fixed gear relay have been dashed. The course is just too brutal at this point in my cycling career. Am now contemplating this. Same distance, 1/2 the climbing. Maybe I can visit David Kirk while I'm out there :D

http://www.dinosaurtrail500.com/You certainly have my respect!

What do you do about your hands? My hands take a terrible beating on long, hilly fixed-gear rides (from all the pulling up on the bars or hoods). What gloves/bar tape do you prefer?

[gomango]

I did the Ironman again as well this year, although certainly not on a single.

Don't know, but I must be getting old.

I never warmed up until the last thirty.

Congrats to you though.

We did rides to Taylors Falls twice last year on singles.

Rode my Casati before I stripped her down for a major rebuild.

[gone]

This week is gonna be back to back fixie centuries on Sat/Sun, followed by another 200k fixed the following weekend with the Davis Double Century on the fixed the week after.


Mad props for this kind of riding. I've never ridden the Davis Double but I have ridden most of the route at one time or another and it's hard to do with gears. Two questions:

What gearing did you use for the Davis Double?
Did you have to walk any of the hills?

To say I'm impressed is a major understatement, gobsmacked is more like it.

[Peter B]

Mad props for this kind of riding. I've never ridden the Davis Double but I have ridden most of the route at one time or another and it's hard to do with gears. Two questions:

What gearing did you use for the Davis Double?
Did you have to walk any of the hills?

To say I'm impressed is a major understatement, gobsmacked is more like it.

The old Davis Double route up Big Canyon had less steep climbing and a bit less overall gain. The current route includes about 2 miles of 11% up Cobb Mountain and adds less than 1,000' of climbing. I've done both routes numerous times w/ 48-17, though that's about the limit for riding straight up Cobb w/o tacking. Neither course would require walking with that gear unless you cramped bad.

[RudAwkning]

The old Davis Double route up Big Canyon had less steep climbing and a bit less overall gain. The current route includes about 2 miles of 11% up Cobb Mountain and adds less than 1,000' of climbing. I've done both routes numerous times w/ 48-17, though that's about the limit for riding straight up Cobb w/o tacking. Neither course would require walking with that gear unless you cramped bad.

Hey Peter! Great seeing you on Saturday. You and Barley were flying! How'd our little CAT2 racer friend do?

I've never done Davis Double before, but I fear Cobb :P

I may roll my usual 50x19 with a 50x21 on the flop for that little stretch. I've gotta tow 180 lbs up that stupid hill.

And don't even get me started on cramping. After last year's Knoxville and DVF.....what a sufferfest those were! I may actually use a hydration pack for the first time on this one. I've heard Davis can get HOT this time of year.

And for the record, if anyone is in awe of my riding, check out Peter's accomplishments. That guy is the final word on Ultra Fixed Gear stuff. My hero :)

[Peter B]

Thanks for the props Jason; you're no slouch though.

Barley and I picked her up at the turn to Calaveras. She was pretty well knackered by then. We pulled her and added a few others from there to the finish. The 3 of us were 6am folks and logged a 13:24. Not sure about the others as they never said a word to me during or after.

Look for Craig and I at Davis. We'll be in 508 kit on the blue Co-Motion tandem. We roll from the T-intersection at 5:15 sharp.

Cobb and the latter half of the course are likely to be HOT. IIRC 2008 was ~113* in Guinda and last year was something around 106*. Hydrate or die cramping. :help: