100 mile fixed gear ride - Spring 2014

[totallyfixed]

Is it just me that mashes a big gear then?
I currently ride 45/15 78.9" or 45/14 84.5"
I find anything lower than 70" way too spinny

Depends on how you look at it Paul, dr_pink and I did fossy's ride with you [still I think the leader as the wettest forum ride ever] and did notice you struggled a bit on the steeper bits [also the leader for the least friendly fixed ride ], but for racing TT's a strong rider would be looking at over 100". I have always been a "big gear" man for general riding and have been on a 75" gear for the last 40,000 miles. I wouldn't like to go higher than that because I want to be able to get up all the hills in these parts. I don't know about you but I also have long cranks - 175's, not usually recommended on fixed but I have no problem with them and it does make climbing a touch easier, though spinning is a bit harder.
As a very general rule you tend to get taller people riding bigger gears and longer cranks and the opposite for shorter folk. This isn't set in stone by any means but the law of physics with regard to levers agrees.
[it is why dave r twiddles a little gear with I suspect, short cranks ]

I tend to ride 48/18 70.2" most of the year but will as the mood / weather suits flip to 48/16 78"9. I don't think that even in the flatlands of Suffolk I would like to go higher than that.

That's a big step up , but then again you live in a funny place .
Edit just noticed in your post Dave that you do ride short cranks, blimey colly, you and Dave are going to be churning out some revs, waiting for us at the top of hills and the other way round on the downhills.

 

[jazzkat]

Is it just me that mashes a big gear then?
I currently ride 45/15 78.9" or 45/14 84.5"
I find anything lower than 70" way too spinny

I'm looking at trying a bigger gear sometime next year as it is a bit spinny.
The problem I have is that I live half way up a very steep climb that I can only just get up with my current 48/18 set up (serious square pedalling, just to keep going forward!). It does mean that I'm spinning out at about 24mph, which in itself is no big problem, but I could easily push a bigger gear. If I go too big though I won't be able to ride my bike anywhere around here! Ok I know Oldham is hardly flat, but you don't have many really steep short hills like we get up here.
I'm quite interested to see how everyone does what they do on the gearing they have.

 

[Pennine-Paul]

I run 170 cranks,the highest ratio I've tried is 91" on my commute but I found it just a bit too hard up the two 10% hills i have to climb on the way home,one of my colleagues who is into pumping iron at the gym runs 50/13 on his commute.Most of my weekend rides I tend to avoid the really steep hills preferring rolling hills around the 5-10% mark

 

[colly]

So at a rough guess how many up hill feet will we be covering over 100 miles? What sort of gradients?

 

[colly]

91" on my commute but I found it just a bit too hard up the two 10% hills

You reckon ??? Blimey.

 

[totallyfixed]

Well, the 2 toughest climbs I have done on fixed are 17% that went on a bit and a shorter one of nearly 20%, on the first one I was passed by an old lady on her bike who asked if I was ok as apparently I was doing a good imitation of a goldfish on dry land. On the 20% I did a lot of weaving, and I do mean a lot.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Depends on how you look at it Paul, dr_pink and I did fossy's ride with you [still I think the leader as the wettest forum ride ever] and did notice you struggled a bit on the steeper bits [also the leader for the least friendly fixed ride ], but for racing TT's a strong rider would be looking at over 100". I have always been a "big gear" man for general riding and have been on a 75" gear for the last 40,000 miles. I wouldn't like to go higher than that because I want to be able to get up all the hills in these parts. I don't know about you but I also have long cranks - 175's, not usually recommended on fixed but I have no problem with them and it does make climbing a touch easier, though spinning is a bit harder.
As a very general rule you tend to get taller people riding bigger gears and longer cranks and the opposite for shorter folk. This isn't set in stone by any means but the law of physics with regard to levers agrees.
[it is why dave r twiddles a little gear with I suspect, short cranks ]

That's a big step up , but then again you live in a funny place .
Edit just noticed in your post Dave that you do ride short cranks, blimey colly, you and Dave are going to be churning out some revs, waiting for us at the top of hills and the other way round on the downhills.

How I go on the downhills tends to depend on the temperature on the day, as the temperature drops so does my ability spin, if it gets to freezing or below I can have problems with my right calf cramping up at high revs, on the climbs I'm slow and steady these days, don't expect me to romp away, I don't have the power in the legs I used to have, thats possibly age related, though having a chest full of stents probably doesn't help.

 

[Pennine-Paul]

I don't find it that much harder climbing hills at 78" compared to say 66" but descending is so much easier,I'll never be a spinner,I much prefer to grind everywhere, must be down to my long legs I reckon!

 

[totallyfixed]

A frantic 44 x 18 for me which is a little over 64''. Weather permitting I'll try a 17 cog this weekend which would make it a whole 68''
Managing 45 x 14 would be hard on the old knees, let alone trying to crank that uphill.

From your post on "your ride today" I would say you are being a touch modest, 16 mph in the wind we had yesterday is very good, we were nowhere near that, barely averaging 14 mph.
Our plan is to do a ride of at least 50 miles once per week, building that up from the end of Feb to a minimum of 70 miles, in between we have a training agenda to fit in ready for the TT season.
If anyone wants to come over for a social ride over the next few weeks to get a feel for riding fixed in this area [the flatter bits!] you are very welcome.

 

[Vikeonabike]

Put my name down TF, was just telling my mate on today ride, I'd like to ride a fixed century!

 

[totallyfixed]

Put my name down TF, was just telling my mate on today ride, I'd like to ride a fixed century!

Good news! You still exist! How about doing the odd ride with us on fixed in the New Year? I might be building a new fixed as my Pearson is showing signs of stress in the frame, it's done over 40,000 miles now and it's an Alu frame and I am hankering after a nice steel one [hope dr_pink is reading this

]

 

[Vikeonabike]

Would be cool, I'm recovering from Bronchitis which has knocked me back a long way, hoping to pick up again now. First ride in 6 weeks was last Saturday in that 25mph Headwind and nearly killed myself!

 

[totallyfixed]

Would be cool, I'm recovering from Bronchitis which has knocked me back a long way, hoping to pick up again now. First ride in 6 weeks was last Saturday in that 25mph Headwind and nearly killed myself!

You have my sympathy, I am going into hospital this Monday for quite a serious procedure so won't really have much of a Christmas nor will I be riding a bike for a while.

 

[ColinJ]

You have my sympathy, I am going into hospital this Monday for quite a serious procedure so won't really have much of a Christmas nor will I be riding a bike for a while.

Good luck with the operation, and I hope you make a full and speedy recovery!

 

[jazzkat]

You have my sympathy, I am going into hospital this Monday for quite a serious procedure so won't really have much of a Christmas nor will I be riding a bike for a while.

Good luck with the procedure, hope it all goes well.