Gearing for Richmond Park Scalps

redvee

Coming to he Summer ride/drinks in July and fully intend to do a lap or half but need to know what gearing on a SS people have used/recommend. Currently running 42/16 around Brizzle though I can change back to the original 42/18. Fitness level is nothing for the regulars to worry about at the moment but come July who knows.

attica

I think 44 or 46:16 ish should do you, assuming you've reached spinageddon on the 42:16 by then.

I can carry off 24mph on my 42:16 on the flat but my legs do go a bit blurry around the edges

Christophe3967

I'm riding 48x16 which gets me round RP in about 20 minutes, so you should have no problem with gearing up a bit.

roger_merriman

yup the hills aren't that steep, its more lumpy and windy, it might not be high but it's one of the high points in the area so there is wind always.

lost_in_thought

I can get round there in 46:14, but I wouldn't advise it - slow up the hills.

redvee

Good to know that I'm geared OK for RP. Going to give Park Street in Brizzle a blast on 42/16 later.

attica

Hehe, that'll be fun, don't bother coming back down Park Street though, it's a death trap

redvee

I might only get to Zero G :oops:

gtvlusso

Ooooh! I may fixie RP then if 48/16 is okay!

redvee

Didn't bother with Park Street, spent the afternoon swapping BBs in the new bike and I found out it wasn't the BB that needed replacing, it is the rear hub that needs attention and only knocks when accelerating/pushing hard Anyhow back to RP, does this lap of Ashton Court compare to RP.

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/As ... rt-circuit

jonginge

Redvee, map/stats of RP in my sig

redvee

Saw that but I'm tired, been a stressy day with one thing and another and can't think at the mo.

roger_merriman

ashton court (at least as far as one can trust a online map) is shorter with more hieight gained, so RP should be easier.

attica

roger merriman wrote:

ashton court (at least as far as one can trust a online map) is shorter with more hieight gained, so RP should be easier.

Much more height

There's way more hill in that loop, Beggar Bush Lane is one killer false flat, similar to one section of RP (anticlockwise, the bit after the cafe) but a bit longer and steeper, It'd definitely be good training but there have to be quieter roads you could train on, Gimme a shout and I'll take you out for a spin after my hols.

roger_merriman

next time i'm down at my sisters (chew valley) yes be great to go out for a spin.

Sea_Green_Incorruptible

Hey Redvee,

Is that knocking coming from your hub or your freewheel (if you use one and if it's your SS you're talking about here)?

I've had the same issue on my Pearson and have tracked it down to the crappy cheapo freewheel on the flip flop hub. So crappy in fact that the bearings aren't even sealed. I guess I could get round it by just riding fixed, but TBH I have too many fast downhills on my route for this to be comfortable/realistc.

The solution seems to be here: http://www.whiteind.com/singlespeedgear ... heels.html - but at nearly a hundred quid that's bloody expensive.

How about the rest of you? You ride SS rather than fixed don't you Attica? Any of the rest of you had this problem?

Greg T

roger merriman wrote:

next time i'm down at my sisters (chew valley) yes be great to go out for a spin.

Is that Chew Valley - Greenfield?

roger_merriman

Greg T wrote:

roger merriman wrote:

next time i'm down at my sisters (chew valley) yes be great to go out for a spin.

Is that Chew Valley - Greenfield?

no idea it's the valley just south of Bristol, nice riding around there the one time i've got my act together and taken the bike down.

_Brun_

Just back from RP. Met up with a few folk from FGSS in Regent's Park with the intention of a leisurely ride down there, but they weren't fancying the rain much and had all bailed by the time we got through Kensington.

I figured that since I was already out there and wet I might as well stick with it. Weather had cleared up by the time I got down there although it was still blustery, as usual.

Only did a couple of laps, but am very pleased with the second one which was 22:33, or 17.8mph. Considering that's the sort of time I was doing on my road bike last year, it feels like quite an accomplishment.

Somewhere around 70 gear inches seems perfect for scalping roadies, although if you're fixed it could make going downhill a bit frustrating.

redvee

Sea_Green_Incorruptible wrote:

Hey Redvee,

Is that knocking coming from your hub or your freewheel (if you use one and if it's your SS you're talking about here)?

I've had the same issue on my Pearson and have tracked it down to the crappy cheapo freewheel on the flip flop hub. So crappy in fact that the bearings aren't even sealed. I guess I could get round it by just riding fixed, but TBH I have too many fast downhills on my route for this to be comfortable/realistc.

The solution seems to be here: http://www.whiteind.com/singlespeedgear ... heels.html - but at nearly a hundred quid that's bloody expensive.

How about the rest of you? You ride SS rather than fixed don't you Attica? Any of the rest of you had this problem?

I've changed everything on the transmission, BB, chain, freewheel, axle, cones etc and still the knock knocks. The bearings are still as I got the bike but can't see me putting the same 9/10 bearings back into the same side of the hub they came from. The LBS reckons it's down to the torque I put into the hub being a SS, it is still present on the fixed side but less so and less so now that I've put a new spindle/grease into the hub but still there . I'm on the second freewheel, took the first one back after a week as the knock was still there.