Fixed/Single Speed Commuting

Gussio

This machine from IF Bikes would turn heads:

woodford2barbican

FixedNewbie wrote:

woodford2barbican wrote:

I am now able to join in and recycle the jokes about my big ring.....

But I am not a tart.

In that case you can always make jokes about your small ring :P

£99 for a bike sounds dman good!

£99 for frame, fork, headset and seat post clamp - about £400 for the other bits.....!

lost_in_thought

Well done ITB, join the club!

Have you got your massive ring yet?

ride_whenever

I have a question re FCN.

I'm about to order a new fixed wheelset for my pompino. Will buying deep v's to match the frame and using cx-ray spokes (bladed) make me into a huge fakenger? Particularly considering I nearly always cycle in jeans with spuds and am planning on getting a messenger bag as my rucksac is just too big for my needs.

On another aside, pale blue rims to match the pomp, but white or black halo track hubs?

il_principe

ride_whenever wrote:

I have a question re FCN.

I'm about to order a new fixed wheelset for my pompino. Will buying deep v's to match the frame and using cx-ray spokes (bladed) make me into a huge fakenger? Particularly considering I nearly always cycle in jeans with spuds and am planning on getting a messenger bag as my rucksac is just too big for my needs.

On another aside, pale blue rims to match the pomp, but white or black halo track hubs?

Wearing jeans will make you look like a hipster and that's far worse...

White hubs of course!

edhornby

hello - new person to the forum here, although I have the worlds oldest and crappiest fix

riding through manchester on my daily commute, please feel free to say hello if you see me

acutally I have a question that I will use the search functionm for also, how long do chains usually last on a fixie for commuting ???

cheers
Ed

lost_in_thought

jashburnham wrote:

ride_whenever wrote:

I have a question re FCN.

I'm about to order a new fixed wheelset for my pompino. Will buying deep v's to match the frame and using cx-ray spokes (bladed) make me into a huge fakenger? Particularly considering I nearly always cycle in jeans with spuds and am planning on getting a messenger bag as my rucksac is just too big for my needs.

On another aside, pale blue rims to match the pomp, but white or black halo track hubs?

Wearing jeans will make you look like a hipster and that's far worse...

White hubs of course!

People scalping you may actually start pushing you off as they go by if you continue to be such a massive fakenger/hipster.

How on earth do you ride in jeans? Ohhhhhhh I see................. slowly. :twisted:

il_principe

edhornby wrote:

acutally I have a question that I will use the search functionm for also, how long do chains usually last on a fixie for commuting ???

cheers
Ed

*Tart Alert* I have no idea as I usually change my chain colour waaay before the chain is worn... *Tart Alert*

Joking aside (was I joking?), it really depends on chain quality, upkeep and mileage. A well maintained, good quality chain should last at least 1000 miles but prob much more.

Littigator

ride_whenever wrote:

I have a question re FCN.

I'm about to order a new fixed wheelset for my pompino. Will buying deep v's to match the frame and using cx-ray spokes (bladed) make me into a huge fakenger? Particularly considering I nearly always cycle in jeans with spuds and am planning on getting a messenger bag as my rucksac is just too big for my needs.

On another aside, pale blue rims to match the pomp, but white or black halo track hubs?

OMG, I can't believe this post...you are such a tart...nay slut even

white obviously

ride_whenever

Yes I'm a nasty slut.

So white hubs, both silver and black spoke and deep-v's it is then...

As for cycling slowly, i'm not that slow, 75.6 GI and it's quite spinny for me. I still haven't been overtaken yet, although there aren't too many players in oxford. I might have to start commuting via london.

itboffin

Tart Police here.... hands up how many of you have colour coordinated chains and or saddles?

+2 on both counts

Edit - okay so if I'm truthful then not just chains and saddles, but frames, bar tape, etc etc etc you get the picture.

8)

itboffin

lost_in_thought wrote:

Well done ITB, join the club!

Have you got your massive ring yet?

Nope and after my shockingly slow fixed progress I don't think i'll be needing it for some time, phew :oops:

I've just been out on a warm up ride on my trusty old single and the strangest thing happened, I managed to go so slowly up a smallish hill that I came to a complete stop and performed a perfect track stand, in the end I had to use my heals to push the pedals hard enough to continue, WTF is that about :?

www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=2073

ride_whenever

that is about not being fit enough for your gearing on that hill.

I have real issues, I've been looking at aerospoke wheels...

itboffin

I know but I ride that hill all the time, I was truly shocked today it almost owned me :oops:

il_principe

itboffin wrote:

Tart Police here.... hands up how many of you have colour coordinated chains and or saddles?

+2 on both counts

Edit - okay so if I'm truthful then not just chains and saddles, but frames, bar tape, etc etc etc you get the picture.

8)

Yep - coordinated tyres, tape, saddle and chain. Wheels and hubs following soon...

Littigator

itboffin wrote:

I know but I ride that hill all the time, I was truly shocked today it almost owned me :oops:

perhaps you've got what LiT told me I had the other week where your legs get really heavy and tired. You've over done it mate, LiT told me I needed to rest and let them recover

Everyone else told me not to be such a HOOJ stinking poof about it, MTFU and get back on the bike

lost_in_thought

Littigator wrote:

itboffin wrote:

I know but I ride that hill all the time, I was truly shocked today it almost owned me :oops:

perhaps you've got what LiT told me I had the other week where your legs get really heavy and tired. You've over done it mate, LiT told me I needed to rest and let them recover

Everyone else told me not to be such a HOOJ stinking poof about it, MTFU and get back on the bike

And what did you do?

It seems hooj-stinkin-poof-ness is a bit rampant on this site...

il_principe

Nah we all need the odd rest day.

Some more than others apparently.

(I think it has something to do with their age...)

Littigator

I carried on riding everyday and it still hurts.

Greg LeMond once said "It never stops hurting you just get faster" I like that but I'm still waiting for the faster bit

I did 80 miles on Sat'dee and my flippin legs have been aching ever since. Every evening as I cycled home I'd tell myself 'take it easy it's not a race' cue 20 seconds later a quick check over the shoulder (for traffic obviously) and accelerate to 24mph all the way home.

This ends with me collapsing through the front door, scaring the cat and promising to take a day off the bike tomorrow...yes we all know about that 'tomorrow' don't we!

il_principe

I had a great ride on monday, few laps of the park. You know those days when your legs just don't hurt - i felt like I could ride all day. Yesterday morning was a different matter, did just 8 miles and my legs were like lead. Mind you I was on the Pearson. As much as I love that bike the Pinarello is just sooooooo much better. TBE of course but the difference still surprises me.

cjcp

jashburnham wrote:

Nah we all need the odd rest day.

Some more than others apparently.

(I think it has something to do with their age...)

What's a rest day?


(Says the man who kept commuting after Flanders and Highclere and grimmaced all week long)

<realises he's in the wrong thread :shock: , and legs it >

lost_in_thought

I've got a 50-mile round trip planned on the weekend, over to a lovely old hall for lunch an dback, little country lanes for almost the entire thing - put a link up on the SCR thread.

Luckily for me, it's with a friend on an MTB, bless his heart he's not the quickest, but he doesn't mind my abandoning him temporarily for particularly fun stretches. I'll consider it a rest day, a bit of slow riding on a light gear will probably do wonders for loosening up my legs.

And I know what you mean about the dead legs some days, and the brilliant legs others. I find monday is a good fresh legs day, usually because I've had an early night over the weekend.

biondino

I actually feel guilty how much I enjoy riding with slower riders. I sometimes think that gear inches and SCR and personal bests are all red herrings, which get in the way of the beauty of pootling through a leafy glade at 14mph.

Which reminds me, must encourage the gf to start riding regularly when she gets back from Oz. Her bike's heavy enough already, I'm sure she won't feel it if I attach a picnic basket and a champagne bucket, and a small fridge, and a map to the New Forest...

woodford2barbican

lost_in_thought wrote:

I've got a 50-mile round trip planned on the weekend, over to a lovely old hall for lunch an dback, little country lanes for almost the entire thing - put a link up on the SCR thread.

Luckily for me, it's with a friend on an MTB, bless his heart he's not the quickest, but he doesn't mind my abandoning him temporarily for particularly fun stretches. I'll consider it a rest day, a bit of slow riding on a light gear will probably do wonders for loosening up my legs.

And I know what you mean about the dead legs some days, and the brilliant legs others. I find monday is a good fresh legs day, usually because I've had an early night over the weekend.

Where are you going? Not that I want to stalk you....... :oops:

Just if it is Essex way i might do it myself one day if i ever get a pink slip from the wife & baby

lost_in_thought

woodford2barbican wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

I've got a 50-mile round trip planned on the weekend, over to a lovely old hall for lunch an dback, little country lanes for almost the entire thing - put a link up on the SCR thread.

Luckily for me, it's with a friend on an MTB, bless his heart he's not the quickest, but he doesn't mind my abandoning him temporarily for particularly fun stretches. I'll consider it a rest day, a bit of slow riding on a light gear will probably do wonders for loosening up my legs.

And I know what you mean about the dead legs some days, and the brilliant legs others. I find monday is a good fresh legs day, usually because I've had an early night over the weekend.

Where are you going? Not that I want to stalk you....... :oops:

Just if it is Essex way i might do it myself one day if i ever get a pink slip from the wife & baby

Here you go - just realised I've unwittingly posted the location of my house on the SCR thread... ah well...

This is my cunning plan for a there-and-back this weekend with my mate on his MTB - it may well kill him. Sorry for the giant link.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&saddr ... =UTF8&z=11

woodyonthebeach

I need a SS. Don’t think the GF will let me buy another bike. What she don’t know won’t hurt her I suppose.

Another thing is I don’t live in the city. I'm way in the sticks (Marlow) a few more hills than the city as well.

guys any advice on a nice single speed.

Answer on an particularly abusive postcard if necessary, a polite one will have the same response

itboffin

Littigator wrote:

itboffin wrote:

I know but I ride that hill all the time, I was truly shocked today it almost owned me :oops:

perhaps you've got what LiT told me I had the other week where your legs get really heavy and tired. You've over done it mate, LiT told me I needed to rest and let them recover

Everyone else told me not to be such a HOOJ stinking poof about it, MTFU and get back on the bike

Pah! I think it's more likely because I rolled my car into a field landing back on it's wheels facing the wrong way bruising the hell out of myself with added whiplash to boot.

Now MTFU all of you and lets not have any more talk of small rings of recovery rides.



Very happy to be alive!

itboffin

woodyonthebeach wrote:

I need a SS. Don’t think the GF will let me buy another bike. What she don’t know won’t hurt her I suppose.

Another thing is I don’t live in the city. I'm way in the sticks (Marlow) a few more hills than the city as well.

guys any advice on a nice single speed.

Answer on an particularly abusive postcard if necessary, a polite one will have the same response

Well your in luck then as you sort of already have one, pick a gear and don't change out of it, it's the best way to decide you want to make the commitment and find out which gear you prefer. If you're really stuck for cash buy a second rear wheel from ebay and convert it to SS and leave you mech and dérailleur in place until your ready to go the whole way.

always_tyred

itboffin wrote:

Littigator wrote:

itboffin wrote:

I know but I ride that hill all the time, I was truly shocked today it almost owned me :oops:

perhaps you've got what LiT told me I had the other week where your legs get really heavy and tired. You've over done it mate, LiT told me I needed to rest and let them recover

Everyone else told me not to be such a HOOJ stinking poof about it, MTFU and get back on the bike

Pah! I think it's more likely because I rolled my car into a field landing back on it's wheels facing the wrong way bruising the hell out of myself with added whiplash to boot.

Now MTFU all of you and lets not have any more talk of small rings of recovery rides.



Very happy to be alive!

The windscreen wipers aren't damaged.

itboffin

Make me an offer?