Thread: One for the bicyclists out there.

I like riding single speeds on weekends since they give me a good workout. Here's my Schwinn Super LeTour that I had converted to single speed.



And my beloved Dawes SST I bought from BikesDirect. She came with a flip-flop hub so I can go Single-Speed or Fixed Gear but I left it Single-Speed. I just can't seem to get the hang of Fixed Gear.


There are afew group rides coming up in my area so I've ordered a Mercier Galaxy Steel which will be good for long hauls. I'll still use my single speeds for shorter rides but specifically ordered the Mercier Steel for rides of 60 to 100 miles.
I use SPD pedals on my Schwinn conversion and switched out the SPDs for CB Eggbeaters on my Dawes SST. My new Mercier Steel will get SPDs also.
Ernest

PS: I'll eventually switch entirely back to SPD pedals for all my 3 bikes. I really just wanted to experiment with Eggbeaters. Eggbeaters are easier to click into but SPDs are (to me) more comfortable on the feet. It's best to use what you're most used to and works better for the long haul.

Nice bike p0rn. I'll have to take some pics. In the garage right now:

Rivendell Atlantis - Touring / Commuter
De Rosa Primato - Road bike, built up with pretty modern campy record 10 speed.
Batavus - Dutch bike I picked up in Copenhagen
Orbit - Cyclecross bike Reynolds 531 frame

Originally Posted by bpave777

Nice bike p0rn. I'll have to take some pics. In the garage right now:

Rivendell Atlantis - Touring / Commuter
De Rosa Primato - Road bike, built up with pretty modern campy record 10 speed.
Batavus - Dutch bike I picked up in Copenhagen
Orbit - Cyclecross bike Reynolds 531 frame

I'm looking forward to pics on the Dutch bike. I have a Puch Meteor Luxe hanging in my garage and with her chrome fenders and chain protector, she kinda has a Dutch bike look. Kinda like a Pashley without the thick tires.
Ernest

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Some that ride these fixed gear bikes don't use a brake at all but rely on back pressure on the pedals to slow down and stop. Any other avid cyclists out there ?

I used a fixed sprocket on the bike many years ago. I wouldn't like to use one on hills/roads with tight turns, or worse, both together. Back pressure on the pedals never seemed to work on steep hills and not being able to lift the inside pedal on tight turns caused a few ground clearance incidents. The best bit was the party trick of riding the bike back to front.

Today I was out riding and I got a reminder of just how slick wet wood can be. I was also reminded how terrible it is to be wearing sunglasses in rain, even if it's just light rain. I hit the ground so hard it knocked the wind out of me. First time that's ever happened.

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

Today I was out riding and I got a reminder of just how slick wet wood can be. I was also reminded how terrible it is to be wearing sunglasses in rain, even if it's just light rain. I hit the ground so hard it knocked the wind out of me. First time that's ever happened.

Aww man! yeah that can hurt. I did that at a nearby park a year ago. A jogger was running on the wrong side of the bridge. I tried to avoid him and put on the brakes while on a wet wooden bridge. Down I went! I made a SPLAT sound when I fell. I stay off the trails nowadays and ride on the street.
Ernest

Originally Posted by welshwizard

I used a fixed sprocket on the bike many years ago. I wouldn't like to use one on hills/roads with tight turns, or worse, both together. Back pressure on the pedals never seemed to work on steep hills and not being able to lift the inside pedal on tight turns caused a few ground clearance incidents. The best bit was the party trick of riding the bike back to front.

Where I am it is all flat except for bridge overpasses so downhills ain't an issue. My current fixed gear has 165mm cranks, my old one had 170mm. Enough clearance on turns for me + my frame is an actual track frame with a high bottom bracket.

Nice, Jimmy, as you know I just ride a mountain bike, and on good trails at that! It's a '95 Proflex 855 full suspension that I converted to single speed at the beginning of this year. I won't go back to gears. I'm actually starting to think about a new frame. All of my other components are pretty good, except for the old fork on it too so I'll just switch everything over (I hope).

Well, my Mercier Galaxy Steel came in. I replaced the pedals that came with it with SPD's. I don' like the rack that came with it and may replace it with a lighter and just as strong rack I have in the garage. This will be for weekend and group rides. Next month there will be some rides nearby held by the Lone Star Randonneurs. Sounds like fun.
Ernest

This reminds me of an article I read not long ago about some of the early Tour de France races. The bikes had only two gears. The rider had to get off the bike and remove and flip the rear wheel around to change gears.

On steep hills they sometimes had to get off and run the bike uphill. The bikes back then were heavier and the quality of the road surfaces was not like today. But some of the average winning speeds for the 2000 mile race were around 16 miles per hour with those bikes.

Today with the more advanced lightweight bikes and many more gears on much better roads I think the winning average speed is closer to 30 miles per hour.