Bristol and hipsters

secretsam
secretsam Posts: 5,120
edited February 2014 in Commuting chat
Was in Bristol at the weekend, visiting family, etc.

Can't believe how much the place has changed

Loads of bikes but how many "hipsters" riding single speeds?!?!?!?!?!? In Bristol? Is insanity now in fashion as well!?!?!?!

For those who don't know, Bristol is fcuking hilly
It's just a hill. Get over it.

Comments

  • anonymousblackfg
    anonymousblackfg Posts: 2,029
    A city I know very well, as for hipsters and cycling, just look at the arts/music scene, leadership on cycling, good mtb provision close to the centre of town, very large student population with the highest retention rate of any university city but I always thought the hills would kill people riding fixed?

    Very poor Road scene but that is improving.
    If I know you, and I like you, you can borrow my bike box for £30 a week. PM for details.
  • Widgey
    Widgey Posts: 157
    Poor road sense, dont get me started. Now the speed limit in the city centre has been reduced to 20 it should cause a few less problems.

    The single speed/fixed is odd. I followed a guy the other day up Park street (where the Red Bull hill climb was) that just cannot be comfortable up or down. You can avoid the hills though, well maybe not avoid but take a hill with less gradient, takes many more miles in diversion.
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  • anonymousblackfg
    anonymousblackfg Posts: 2,029
    Widgey wrote:
    You can avoid the hills though, well maybe not avoid but take a hill with less gradient, takes many more miles in diversion.

    From where I grew up to town would have been a two mile detour along the Portway, hardly a delightful route.
    If I know you, and I like you, you can borrow my bike box for £30 a week. PM for details.
  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,120
    Widgey wrote:
    You can avoid the hills though

    What, in Bristol? Only by moving to Yate or something!
    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • EKE_38BPM
    EKE_38BPM Posts: 5,821
    When I was riding fixed and visited Bristol and the very idea of riding a fixie around there made my knees hurt.
    Around London, fine. But only an idiot would ride a fixie there.
    FCN 3: Raleigh Record Ace fixie-to be resurrected sometime in the future
    FCN 4: Planet X Schmaffenschmack 2- workhorse
    FCN 9: B Twin Vitamin - winter commuter/loan bike for trainees

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  • Widgey
    Widgey Posts: 157
    Isn't Redvee a single speed user? it is manageable not sure what gear you would want but I having being stuck in the big ring for a month or so most hills are ok in 50-28 . My 8 mile commute this morning consisted of 450 feet. That's probably a mountain to you London guys.
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  • msmancunia
    msmancunia Posts: 1,415
    What we all really want to know, is, is Redvee a hipster...
    Commute: Chadderton - Sportcity
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 29,090
    SecretSam wrote:
    Widgey wrote:
    You can avoid the hills though

    What, in Bristol? Only by moving to Yate or something!

    Now there's a place that doesn't get enough mentions :lol:

    Does depend which hills you're talking about, but with a good choice of gearing they're all doable; just might be a bit spinny on the way down.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
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  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    Widgey wrote:
    Isn't Redvee a single speed user?

    Guilty as charged, 50x17. Which is good for all round commuting for the routes I ride to/from work and also good for some Strava segments.
    http://app.strava.com/segments/4749350
    http://app.strava.com/segments/5115910
    http://app.strava.com/segments/3384257

    I've done the Park street thing after a few beers :oops: Two of the party lived Clifton way so we all set off through the centre and as we did sort of decided to have a race up Park Street, girl on a hybrid, male on MTB, male on CX and me on my SS. Due to the gearing options I had to go for it from the bottom and was within 50m of the top when CX man passed me. I had to pause for breath for a few minutes.
    msmancunia wrote:
    What we all really want to know, is, is Redvee a hipster...

    No, I struggle to get into normal jeans so skinny jeans are totally out of the question, large thighs yousee. My local barista is the girl behind the counter at Ronald's coffee shop and I made the decision to avoid the large flock and chose Android mobile and tablet.
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,120
    redvee wrote:
    Widgey wrote:
    Isn't Redvee a single speed user?

    Guilty as charged

    ...and mental, as suspected!
    redvee wrote:
    I've done the Park street thing after a few beers...I had to pause for the paramedics to use the defibrillator for a few minutes.

    FTFY!
    redvee wrote:
    msmancunia wrote:
    What we all really want to know, is, is Redvee a hipster...

    Blah, blah, coffee...Android mobile and tablet.
    GUILTY!!!!
    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • monkeycowboy
    monkeycowboy Posts: 186
    http://vimeo.com/m/86565128
  • dav1
    dav1 Posts: 1,298
    I have been riding my fixie around bristol for a few months now. Yeah its hard work (I often can't help myself but go up park street for some bonus pain). For the most-part its absolutely fine, for the rest refer to rule #5.

    There are a lot of single speeds/fixies about though, especially around Gloucester road and stokes croft.
    Giant TCR advanced 2 (Summer/race)
    Merlin single malt fixie (Commuter/winter/training)
    Trek superfly 7 (Summer XC)
    Giant Yukon singlespeed conversion (winter MTB/Ice/snow)

    Carrera virtuoso - RIP
  • Widgey
    Widgey Posts: 157
    Redvee is mental! I could not do 50-17 at all. Its hurting just thinking about it. Going down some of the hills would scare me more than up I think.
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  • dav1
    dav1 Posts: 1,298
    I do keep considering a bigger gear. My current is a 44 - 16 (74.3 gear inches), which feels a little slow when pushing on the flat or downhill. Problem is the likes of St. Michaels hill or Constitution hill, which I can just about manage. I think 80 gear inches would kill me by the middle of the week.

    I think i'm going to get a 14 t for the other side and have a monster gear for my visits to the flatlands of the east and/or when I clip on some areobars for club 10s.
    Giant TCR advanced 2 (Summer/race)
    Merlin single malt fixie (Commuter/winter/training)
    Trek superfly 7 (Summer XC)
    Giant Yukon singlespeed conversion (winter MTB/Ice/snow)

    Carrera virtuoso - RIP
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    Widgey wrote:
    Redvee is mental! I could not do 50-17 at all. Its hurting just thinking about it. Going down some of the hills would scare me more than up I think.

    That is SS, not fixed. I tried FG once but my knees said no to riding down hill and I could still feel them complaining 4 days later.
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,120
    Right. You're all barmy.

    @DAv1: St Michael's hill using anything other than a 35" gear or lower is insane. Still, there's some good Orthopaedic surgeons in Bristol, just as well as you'll be needing them soon :lol:
    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • Widgey
    Widgey Posts: 157
    St Michaels hill is ok in 50-28. Its short enough you can just about get away with it. But dont expect anything from legs for a good couple of minutes. Its only like 0.1 mile, doesnt help having to turn onto it from traffic lights but adds to the fun. Talbot Road on the other hand! Nothing like a good 20%

    @ Redvee - even in SS thats some going!
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  • craker
    craker Posts: 1,739
    Seeing as we're willy waving... I ride 42:14 into north Bristol (Aztec West) most mornings. Fern Hill is the stiffest climb, but the hardest bit is cycling over the Severn Bridge into a headwind (like tonight :|).

    It's not silly. Or hip. Look at me for goodness sake. Anyway, I'm normally quicker on my ss than my geared road bike. Just a bit more puffed out.
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    Widgey wrote:
    Talbot Road on the other hand! Nothing like a good 20%

    Getting air on the railway bridge at the bottom in the works 7.5 tonner makes for an interesting few seconds :shock:
    Widgey wrote:
    @ Redvee - even in SS thats some going!

    It's a good all round gear, I can hold close to 20mph along the Portway coming home from work at 22:00 in the red cycle lane from Roman Way to Bridge Valley.
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.

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