Fixed/Single Speed Commuting

Littigator

ok ok ok ok I missed a lot of chat on this topic yesterday, but don't you people think you may have casually swung it all past me cos HAH....you haven't yeah!

A big bundle of flirty tartiness I might be Monsiuer Le GT but you love it you little sprocket rocket

Anyhoo :shock:

When I say spin out...WGBGWWWGWURTONBARWARBG...I didn't mean spin OUT yeah, not lit'rally right! 120rpm spin out...PAH! What sort of sparrow legged set up do you think I've got eh!?? tsk

At full short burst sprint I can, of course, hit much higher (cough) but what I meant is at about 120 I start to bounce about on the saddle and look like a bit of a 'nana so to speak which of course blows all 'I'm not trying' karma from my Game plan u seeeee?

Greg T

Littigator wrote:

At full short burst sprint I can, of course, hit much higher (cough) but what I meant is at about 120 I start to bounce about on the saddle and look like a bit of a 'nana so to speak which of course blows all 'I'm not trying' karma from my Game plan u seeeee?

But this is my point > 120 rpm it all gets a bit too wobbly and bouncy - 110 rpm seems to be a the magic "about right" spinning speed - north of this is hurly whirly silly south of it is too hard.

itboffin

It's on order baby oh yeah!!!

130 x 60T @ http://www.vueltausa.com/products/chain ... nrings.htm

According to Sheldon

For 700 X 23 / 23-622 tire with 170 mm cranks with Custom Sizes Cassette
60 x 16
98.6

I have goose bumps.

biondino

May I refer IT boffin to my previous post about his insatiable lust for massive rings?

Littigator

itboffin wrote:

It's on order baby oh yeah!!!

130 x 60T @ http://www.vueltausa.com/products/chain ... nrings.htm

According to Sheldon

For 700 X 23 / 23-622 tire with 170 mm cranks with Custom Sizes Cassette
60 x 16
98.6

I have goose bumps.

But...you still haven't...quite...beat 100

Come on ITB take a big fat sip of toughen the F**K up!

itboffin

Duly noted Mr B

wgwarburton

Greg T wrote:

> Littigator wrote:

>>At full short burst sprint I can, of course, hit much higher (cough) but what I meant is
>> at about 120 I start to bounce about on the saddle and look like a bit of a 'nana so to
>> speak which of course blows all 'I'm not trying' karma from my Game plan u seeeee?

> But this is my point > 120 rpm it all gets a bit too wobbly and bouncy - 110 rpm seems
> to be a the magic "about right" spinning speed - north of this is hurly whirly silly south
> of it is too hard.

...and you're missing mine, which is that if your technique is good you should be smooth at 120, 130, 140 etc... Even if your body can't spin at that speed for any length of time (mine can't- but then the fast descents are short enough that I can survive them!) you need to work on your style if you get all wobbly at top speed. That's part of the point of fixie riding, anyway: it improves your "souplesse":

http://www.geocities.com/yosemite/rapid ... #souplesse

I clocked 33mph on the way home last night- that's 160rpm, about the best I can manage but with the upper body still, weight on the saddle and the legs spinning like a roadrunner!

Sustained cadence is very personal- some people are more comfortable at 100+, others at 80 or less... Naturally, gear choice should match this to your typical roadspeed. But trying to push too big a gear is no path to glory :-)

We should sympathise with those who need big gears to achieve what those with better style can do without...

Cheers,
W.

Littigator

He is...of course...correct. We shouldn't bang on about big rings and powering into it. The style and finesse of a pedal dancer shows so much more skill control and subtlety.

I will also, of course, flatten WGBARTONBURTONGWWWGWG with my witheringly large ring powersmashgrab mnve if he ever minces anywhere near me in his tutu but that is, of course, a completely different matter

wgwarburton

Hah.

BTW- a 700x32c tyre would get you into three figures, I reckon. It wouldn't be as elegant, of course, but then we've already established that elegance isn't what you're pursuing (ducks) :-)

Cheers,
W.

Greg T

WGWarbutonHovisLoaf's username is too hard to type l suggest we call him "Buns"...

Any other suggestions?

Littigator

hmmmmmstrokesbeardthoughtfully

How about Gracey...as in WG Grace?

Clever Pun

if it's a burd... crumpet or muffin

otherwise

Scone given his rpm?

itboffin

WGWarburton wrote:

Hah.

BTW- a 700x32c tyre would get you into three figures, I reckon. It wouldn't be as elegant, of course, but then we've already established that elegance isn't what you're pursuing (ducks) :-)

Cheers,
W.

Now then buns if your using 700x32c tractor tyres why would you care about speed :P

Size is everything, HUGE ring TINY tyres

BUICK

I've been trying to resist but simply have to say... that I prefer a smaller ring. I've got a 42t on the front and have been on a 16 rear until today when I downsized at the rear to a 15t - bizarrely a gain of almost 4 GI?! I found it really strange after getting use to a VERY high cadence... kept thinking I was going slow then looking down to the computer to find I was at above my usual average speed. As such the 15 mile round trip was faster than ever... and my legs feel like I've had a kicking! I presume that I will get stronger rather than just hurt more. Eventually?

ride_whenever

I've got a 14th on my jump bike atm, which i feel will probably migrate to my pompino at some point resulting in a leap from 75.6 to 86.3!

Coriander

Pompino???? Is it really called a pompino????

Given what that means in Italian. :shock:

attica

Maybe it's refering to the tyres?

Clever Pun

just picked up a campag record crank 1/2 price in the sale of my lbs...sweet

purdy

pbt150

Coriander wrote:

Pompino???? Is it really called a pompino????

Given what that means in Italian. :shock:

Yes. And yes, it's rather rude. Then again, looking at Cove's range of MB frame names it's not THAT shocking!

redvee

Want one of these but need to find the money first

http://aurumania.com/#

Got an On One but didn't get a Pompino as the name is a bit of a mouthfull Inbred is easier to say and easier for friends etc to take the ipss with.

lost_in_thought

OK, boys, ok, calm yourselves down with your big rings....

ITB, what are you thinking going for 98 GI on a hilly commute? You will be dead, dead I tell you! I hope you were joking.... :shock:

This GI arms race is going to be the demise of all your creaky femurs!

Furthermore, don't you know that small sprockets are much cheaper and easier to fit/change than big rings? Hmmmm? Although, I grant you, the potential for jokes is substantially worsened....

How are the peeps going with the fixed riding? CleverPun? Getting used to it 5 pages in? My bowery's back tyre has a very slow puncture.... like it takes 4 days to go down slow... I'm too lazy to change the tube :oops:

Clever Pun

yeah I've done about 100 miles on it now, the must keep peddling thing settled in pretty quick

I'm trying not to use brakes on hills I don't have much choice at the moment and my calves are sore, soon they'll be like thighs

I find it much more of a muscle work out rather cv in that I'm barely sweating once I get where I'm going

Adimo

Hi all

Just arrived in London last week and am currently in the process of bulding up a ss commuter for under £150 (not going to be pretty, but should do the trick until I get some decent cash).

What ratio would you recommend for the trip from WIllesden Green to Chancery Lane area?

From browsing the 32 odd pages of this thread 46-48/ 16 or 17 seems to be a good starter.

All my previous ss's had to contend with severe Wellington hills, and this flat land seems a little strange to me at the moment.

Im not super fit, but not super unfit either.

lost_in_thought

I'd definitely go for a 46/48t chainring, gives you lots of room for manoeuvre, as sprockets are a hell of a lof cheaper and easier to fit than new chainrings. I'd go for a 46/16 to start with, and see how you go.

Saying that I started on a silly-big GI, and it was fine for me...

Littigator

Adimo wrote:

Hi all

Just arrived in London last week and am currently in the process of bulding up a ss commuter for under £150 (not going to be pretty, but should do the trick until I get some decent cash).

What ratio would you recommend for the trip from WIllesden Green to Chancery Lane area?

From browsing the 32 odd pages of this thread 46-48/ 16 or 17 seems to be a good starter.

All my previous ss's had to contend with severe Wellington hills, and this flat land seems a little strange to me at the moment.

Im not super fit, but not super unfit either.

Hmmm, well for a civilised answer then yes, a 48/16 would see you fairly well equipped for any of the steeper (as if) terrain around town, but I think you'll find that you'll reach your RPM comfort limit at only about 18mph which I found alarmingly slow.

For the less civilised response...take a big fat sip of toughen the F*** up and get yourself some decent gearing. I wanna see a 50 min on the front soldier and if you even consider more teeth than a 17 then you might as well just move back home now and hand your scalp in at Departures!

Adimo

50th - would that give me the "Mr Universe Thighs / Miss Universe Ankle" look I have been striving for all these years?

il_principe

Adimo wrote:

Hi all

Just arrived in London last week and am currently in the process of bulding up a ss commuter for under £150 (not going to be pretty, but should do the trick until I get some decent cash).

What ratio would you recommend for the trip from WIllesden Green to Chancery Lane area?

From browsing the 32 odd pages of this thread 46-48/ 16 or 17 seems to be a good starter.

All my previous ss's had to contend with severe Wellington hills, and this flat land seems a little strange to me at the moment.

Im not super fit, but not super unfit either.

I commute from Willesden Grenn to Borough a couple of times a week (GF lives oop north London) It's perfectly doable on a 50/16. Do you Edgeware road? In which case I'll keep my eyes peeled for you!

Adimo

Sweet

I will give 50/16 a go and se how it feels, I imagine trying to start of quick is a bas"ard with a 50 in front.

But ill go take that tall glass of concrete now.

I will be on the bike that looks like frankenstein's monster, looking lost.

il_principe

It's really not that bad - unless you're on a hill!

Adimo

Right - now I just have to find myself a 50