Fixed/Single Speed Commuting

il_principe

itboffin wrote:

who the hell is this interloper????

How's the shoulder?

It's telling me off for trying to move some boxes around! !st physio session tomorrow, woo hoo.

itboffin

Il Principe wrote:

itboffin wrote:

who the hell is this interloper????

How's the shoulder?

It's telling me off for trying to move some boxes around! !st physio session tomorrow, woo hoo.

Me too but best of all i'm cycling there and back 18 miles roughly 2 hrs :shock: then on Sat I'm putting on our annual MASSHOOF fireworks display with literally a barn size bonfire last year we had 80 people, lots of food & drink and explosives what could possibly go wrong

Oh and I'm cycling there as well another 20 miles I hope all you SCStats people are happy i could be causing long term damage just to keep you dogs at bay

I already have a hit out on the top 3

itboffin

Go one you know you want to

http://www.utahtrikes.com/PRODINFO-SCHL ... NRING.html

65T MASSHOOF RING!

don_don

itboffin wrote:

Go one you know you want to

http://www.utahtrikes.com/PRODINFO-SCHL ... NRING.html

65T MASSHOOF RING!

That's sick :shock:

Are you using a 30 tooth sprocket or something?

itboffin

don_don wrote:

itboffin wrote:

Go one you know you want to

http://www.utahtrikes.com/PRODINFO-SCHL ... NRING.html

65T MASSHOOF RING!

That's sick :shock:

Are you using a 30 tooth sprocket or something?

Well I don't like to boast but.....

I have considered buying such a beast then fitting the biggest rear sprocket I could find. I wonder if getting the gears going would be more difficult?

MonkeyMonster

Not with your knee's they'd explode!

don_don

itboffin wrote:

don_don wrote:

itboffin wrote:

Go one you know you want to

http://www.utahtrikes.com/PRODINFO-SCHL ... NRING.html

65T MASSHOOF RING!

That's sick :shock:

Are you using a 30 tooth sprocket or something?

Well I don't like to boast but.....

I have considered buying such a beast then fitting the biggest rear sprocket I could find. I wonder if getting the gears going would be more difficult?

65x20 = 86" gear. Not ludicrously big I suppose, but you might have to walk up even the easy hills!!

I now imagine a custom made sprocket carrier to take a small chain-ring, and perhaps an even bigger front ring. How about 100x39?? :shock:

Thanks for the link BTW. I'm enjoying reading about recumbent trikes. A bit too much actually. I want one.......

gtvlusso

I have a custom 57 chainring on my geared TT bike for the 10 mile stuff....but I would not go above 50 x 15 on a fixie in general.

Mostly I am on 48 x 16 for Brizzle hills and so on.

Hate to see the length of chain for 100 x 39!! Probably add 2 kg to bike weight! :-)

Oddjob62

itboffin wrote:

Well I don't like to boast but.....

I have considered buying such a beast then fitting the biggest rear sprocket I could find. I wonder if getting the gears going would be more difficult?

well a 65/20 would only be about 85GI
I think your main issue would be fitting it without the chainring rubbing the frame.

Oddjob62

Try this on for size!!...

_Brun_

I wonder why he's not moving?

don_don

_Brun_ wrote:

I wonder why he's not moving?

He's doing 70. The photographer used 1/8000 sec exposure

itboffin

_Brun_ wrote:

I wonder why he's not moving?

Because his left foot is on the ground. You caught up with that drinks trolley then :P

biondino

He'd better hope he doesn't have to go right at any point with that chainring scraping the ground already...

vorsprung

Single Speed now has a new generator hub wheel so I can use my LED uber light again!
Hurrah!
Also I geared down to 66" for the season of falling leaves

Onan

I picked up my new bike today, and will begin single speed commuting tomorrow. My excitement is already somewhat dulled by the fact that my knee has been feeling pretty ropey since the weekend, and I don't think mashing up hills is going to help. Oh well. We'll see how it goes.

DevUK

Just picked up my single speed bike tonight and had a bash around the local streets. Bring it on tomorrow! Can't wait

Onan

First impressions of getting around with no gears:

So far, I bloody love it.

I was worried, because my bit of england is chock full o' hills, but I actually much prefer trying to get up them on the single speed than I do on the geared road bike. This is because, on the bigger hills, even in my lowest gear on the road bike, I usually gas out anyway and end up pushing. Doing it without any gears forces me to get out of the saddle and climb faster, and there's less shame when I do have to get off and push.

Going to have to keep an eye on my right knee, which has been complaining a bit, but otherwise, spot on.

chaley

Well, I'm back in the saddle on the fixed after my off, a bit scary at first, but soon got back in the groove. Why is it that if you take it easy everyone in a car has their radar set to kill, I suppose I just got used to it :roll:
Chaley

chaley

Onan wrote:

First impressions of getting around with no gears:

So far, I bloody love it.

I was worried, because my bit of england is chock full o' hills, but I actually much prefer trying to get up them on the single speed than I do on the geared road bike. This is because, on the bigger hills, even in my lowest gear on the road bike, I usually gas out anyway and end up pushing. Doing it without any gears forces me to get out of the saddle and climb faster, and there's less shame when I do have to get off and push.

Going to have to keep an eye on my right knee, which has been complaining a bit, but otherwise, spot on.

Don't worry remember that it's not really a single speed,
you've got 3 speeds;
Sit down,
Stand up and
PUSH

Chaley

DevUK

Rode my SS for a few days last week and promptly switched to fixed at the weekend! Loving it. Had a few moments whilst out getting used to the idea on Saturday (looked like a circus clown on a few of my more serious fluff ups!) but managed to not fall off.

I'm finding some hills not as bad as I thought I might. The momentum/flywheel effect is actually pretty good if you get a bit of a run up.

Swapping pedals this eve so I can fit some power grips. Managed to go too fast a few times and have to ride along with my legs flailing, trying to get back onto the pedals

Clever Pun

you'll need to change your FCN, it's just skyrocketed

unscarred

I'm feeling vindicated after a conversation in the Fenchruch Street branch of Evans last night:

Me: My chain's snapped, can you sell me a new one?
Shop Assistant: What sort do you need?
Me: er...
SA: How many gears do you have?
Me: It's got five cogs at the back...
SA: Five? OK... (sends colleague downstairs to find appropriate chain)
SA: Thing is, you're going to need a new cassette too.
Me: Really? :shock:
SA: Yeah, you always have to change the cassette if your chain snaps. I can guarantee as soon as you put any power down the chain will jump.
Me: Is that cos the cogs get worn?
SA: Yeah, the chain stretches and the teeth wear down so if you put a new chain on it'll just slip off.
Me: :? OK, so how much does one of those cost?
SA: Fifteen, twenty, no more than twenty-five pounds.
Me: And do I need a special tool to change it?
SA: Yeah, there's two tools actually.
Me: So how long would that take?
SA: About half an hour, you'd have to book it in, costs £25, but for that you get a full gear serveice, I'd take the front and rear deraillers apart, clean them, adjust them everything you need...
Me: (interrupting) OK, well I don't have any derraillers, it's a bodge-job single speed.
SA: Single speed? Oh. Well, you'll be fine then, you just move the wheel.
:roll:
Bought chain, fitted chain, adjusted wheel, adjusted brakes, cycled home. 8)

will3

Never heard of a five speed cassette, five speed freewheel, yes, but you only need one tool to take those off.

[/pedant]

el_presidente

unscarred wrote:

I'm feeling vindicated after a conversation in the Fenchruch Street branch of Evans last night:

Me: My chain's snapped, can you sell me a new one?
Shop Assistant: What sort do you need?
Me: er...
SA: How many gears do you have?
Me: It's got five cogs at the back...
SA: Five? OK... (sends colleague downstairs to find appropriate chain)
SA: Thing is, you're going to need a new cassette too.
Me: Really? :shock:
SA: Yeah, you always have to change the cassette if your chain snaps. I can guarantee as soon as you put any power down the chain will jump.
Me: Is that cos the cogs get worn?
SA: Yeah, the chain stretches and the teeth wear down so if you put a new chain on it'll just slip off.
Me: :? OK, so how much does one of those cost?
SA: Fifteen, twenty, no more than twenty-five pounds.
Me: And do I need a special tool to change it?
SA: Yeah, there's two tools actually.
Me: So how long would that take?
SA: About half an hour, you'd have to book it in, costs £25, but for that you get a full gear serveice, I'd take the front and rear deraillers apart, clean them, adjust them everything you need...
Me: (interrupting) OK, well I don't have any derraillers, it's a bodge-job single speed.
SA: Single speed? Oh. Well, you'll be fine then, you just move the wheel.
:roll:
Bought chain, fitted chain, adjusted wheel, adjusted brakes, cycled home. 8)

yes but if your rear cog is worn you'll still need a new one, bodge-job or not. this conversation doesn't mak sense

Zachariah

I've had my new Gary Fisher Triton for a couple of weeks, and I'm loving it. Previously had a cheapo Giant town hybrid and there's just no comparison - this thing flies.

The big sell with single speed was low maintenance, which I'm hoping will prove to be the case. I was a cleaning refusnik and let the grime build on the old bike to the point where the chain snapped off. I'll be taking better care of this one though, as it's twice the price. Kitted out with panniers and mudguards (it's got to carry the shopping too).

Another amazing discovery is proper pedals. Nobody told me you could have pedals that grip your shoes without clips! Wellgo magnesium set - I felt like a sucker paying another £30 for them, but now I'm a convert.

Now at work I'm slowly turning into another bike freak. My can of GT85 is in the post...

Onan

Quick question. I bought a set of MKS chain tugs, and I've ended up with the ones for up to 8mm drop outs. The fork ends on my plug are about a 5mm width. Will it matter if the chain tugs are wider than the drop outs?

I don't see that it will, as if you had for instance, 6mm fork ends, you'd need the 8mm ones anyway, and if it's tight enough to keep chain tension, I dunno if it will be able to slip about sideways, but I'd appreciate expert advice.

Onan

Zachariah wrote:

Another amazing discovery is proper pedals. Nobody told me you could have pedals that grip your shoes without clips! Wellgo magnesium set - I felt like a sucker paying another £30 for them, but now I'm a convert.

I think with flat pedals, the tread of your shoes makes a bigger difference than the shape of the pedal to be honest.

The best shoes I've got are a pair of synthetic trainers with soles made from recycled car tyres. They grip pretty well onto even my crappiest pedals.

ride_whenever

Onan wrote:

Zachariah wrote:

Another amazing discovery is proper pedals. Nobody told me you could have pedals that grip your shoes without clips! Wellgo magnesium set - I felt like a sucker paying another £30 for them, but now I'm a convert.

I think with flat pedals, the tread of your shoes makes a bigger difference than the shape of the pedal to be honest.

The best shoes I've got are a pair of synthetic trainers with soles made from recycled car tyres. They grip pretty well onto even my crappiest pedals.

I call BS on that, a pair of £5 plastic pedals cannot be gripped by anything, whereas the MG-1 even grip my dress shoes.

Onan

ride_whenever wrote:

Onan wrote:

Zachariah wrote:

Another amazing discovery is proper pedals. Nobody told me you could have pedals that grip your shoes without clips! Wellgo magnesium set - I felt like a sucker paying another £30 for them, but now I'm a convert.

I think with flat pedals, the tread of your shoes makes a bigger difference than the shape of the pedal to be honest.

The best shoes I've got are a pair of synthetic trainers with soles made from recycled car tyres. They grip pretty well onto even my crappiest pedals.

I call BS on that, a pair of £5 plastic pedals cannot be gripped by anything, whereas the MG-1 even grip my dress shoes.

Well, maybe theres a limit then. I can't say I have any £5 plastic pedals.