That Was Quite Tough

Mark Elvin

Feeling a bit tired this morning, did the Help For Heros New Forest Challenge yesterday, which worked out at 70miles.

Why take a bike with gears I thought to myself, so I took the fixie, which in hindsight may have been a mistake. Still, I completed it in a touch under 5hrs so I'm really pleased.

Met a really friendly bunch of people, I recommed doing a H4H bike ride if you get the chance, they feed & water you really well, even had a hog roast waiting for us at the end.

Kieran_Burns

70 miles on a fixie :shock:

Mind you - didn't you get bored of the same GI?

Mark Elvin

Kieran_Burns wrote:

70 miles on a fixie :shock:

Mind you - didn't you get bored of the same GI?

GI?

asprilla

GI = Gear Inches

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gear_inches

Mark Elvin

Didn't really think of it TBH, (80.4GI), just enjoyed the ride & scenery.

Als felt very humbled by the two guys who had each lost a leg who completed it & the guy who had no legs, who also completed it, maximum respect.

EKE_38BPM

GI = Gear Inches. It works out as what size wheel the drive wheel on a Penny Farthing would have. The gearing on my fixie is 50:18 and would work out to the same gearing as a Penny Farthing with a drive wheel diameter of 73 inches.

Sheldon says:
"Gear Inches
It is the equivalent diameter of the drive wheel on a high-wheel bicycle. When chain-drive "safety" bikes came in, the same system was used, multiplying the drive wheel diameter by the sprocket ratio. It is very easy to calculate: the diameter of the drive wheel, times the size of the front sprocket divided by the size of the rear sprocket. This gives a convenient two- or three-digit number. The lowest gear on most mountain bikes is around 22-26 inches. The highest gear on road racing bikes is usually around 108-110 inches. "

This is a good page to work out your GI when you are contemplating what gear to build your fixie to.

So Mark, whats your GI?
Kieran, I did about 70-80 miles on Friday on a fixie (mainly along canal tow-paths so it hardly counts) and am planning my first fixed century. Its more of a challenge on a fixie and thats the fun part.

Mark Elvin

EKE_38BPM wrote:

This is a good page to work out your GI when you are contemplating what gear to build your fixie to.

So Mark, whats your GI?

80.4

Some nasty hills & the last 10miles were on a bloody awfull road surface, with a damed headwind.

Yet to get the GPS data, but I think I averaged around 15mph.

EKE_38BPM

I tried a gear in the 80s for a few days. It was a bit too much for me when I was starting out on a fixie and probably still is now.

Much respect both for doing the HfH ride and for doing it in that gear.

Mark Elvin

EKE_38BPM wrote:

I tried a gear in the 80s for a few days. It was a bit too much for me when I was starting out on a fixie and probably still is now.

Much respect both for doing the HfH ride and for doing it in that gear.

I hindsight a 17t on the rear was little bit too much, some of the climbs may have been easier if I had an 18t on the rear instead of a 17t, but I managed all of climbs without having to dismount, using the "attack it & worry about the pain afterwards" technique.

I the day before the ride I had an 18t on & was going to pop a 19t on, but a little voice in my head told me to fit the 17t instead. Damn those voices.

Mark Elvin

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/250997

Mark Elvin

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/250997

Gussio

Dropping from 80.2 to 75.2 was the best thing that I have done recently and my knees thank me for it.

redvee

I roll with 77.6 with the rest option sprocket.