rubiksoval

Are you being serious now?

WhyFi

I think he is.

bbattle

I've been on group rides with a fixie rider who had no trouble on the climbs or the flats. I've done a few with my Bianchi San Jose, even climbed Monte Sano. My fixed gear ratio is 42-17. When it was time to come down, I flipped the rear wheel so I could coast.


Steepest part is over 9% through some S-curves.

My freewheel gearing is 42-18. My fixed gear bike also has front and rear brakes.

I once built a fixie with a double chainring and a Surly Dingle double cog on one side and a freewheel cog on the other side. I had 6 gear ratios to choose from although I only tried the cross-chain options when I first set up the bike to see if it could be done. The frame had a long wheelbase and long dropouts which made it possible.

cthenn

I appreciate the entertainment this thread has provided.

Reynolds 

Does the UCI allow fixed gears at road races?

Dean V

I have done quite a few group rides and events on a fixed gear. If the terrain is moderate it isn't too much of a handicap, but if you start getting extended climbs/descents of 10% percent or more you just can't hold on. Even favourable fast conditions like tail winds or mild downhills you are in trouble if the group starts hammering it. This can easily put you at 150rpm + for mile after mile which for me certainly isn't doable. You may well be required to be putting out a reasonable amount of power too so its not like your legs are freewheeling around.

TimothyH

Chunk this, rOaDiE

redlude97

Tim why dont you just pin on a number? If you're interest in comparing your fitness its best to do it against those who are on the same page as you.

canklecat

This fixie thread is heavy on smack standing and entertainment.

rubiksoval

Ha! No one would use one. It'd be pointless. It was bad enough for Aqua Blue trying to run 1x. This would be 11x worse.

At one point it was allowed in time trials. It still may be. I remember Mike Creed winning U23 national TTs in Texas on a fixed gear. He obliterated everyone.

indyfabz

As was stated above, pin a number on.

And get back to us when you've HTFU and done some actual climbing.

bonsai171

Tim's trainer fixed gear can beat up your road bike, nevermind the Rodriguez! lol.

https://www.pedalroom.com/bike/2015-...a-chrome-25191

I have ridden behind it a few times, usually while wearing sunglasses

WhyFi

You're comparing a Pista to a custom Ti? Okaay.

fietsbob

Lean them both against a wall, step back, & see which one moves first & furthest ..

shelbyfv

IIRC, he has competed in some gravel races recently. Maybe he'll post his results.

LesterOfPuppets

Fixed gravel? If so mucho kudos to Tim.

bonsai171

It's campy! forget about that dura ace stuff ;-)

Zaskar

Timothy, does my single speed count? 53-15

rubiksoval

Did you stop for lunch and a nap or something? Why the 1:30 hour difference in time?

TimothyH

All I see in your post are photos of pretty scenery. How about you quantify "real climbing" with some numbers of your own?


-Tim-

TimothyH

Let's change gears for a moment.

(see what I did there?)

This thread isn't about the riders but the bikes and the superior aesthetic, efficiency and capability of a fixed gear bike over a geared bike is undeniable.

Many examples can be given. Look at this drivetrain...



Comparing a burly 1/8" fixed gear drivetrain with a road bike's anorexic 3/32" drivetrain is like comparing a big block Chevy with your younger sister's pollution controlled Kia. At the same time, the fixed gear drivetrain lacks flaccid appendages and Rube Goldberg actuators which make geared bikes inefficient, expensive and time consuming.

Ask your financial advisor which makes more sense - a $16 cog or a $60 cassette. Ask an engineer which makes more sense - a heavy and complex systems of pulleys, levers and cables or a light and durable fixed gear system. Ask you wife which drivetrain she would prefer you to maintain - a simple fixed gear which allows more time for the family or a complex drivetrain which keeps you in the garage all day. Don't you love your chidren enough to want to spend time with them?

And the fact that the pro racing industry frowns upon or outright bans fixed gear bikes from direct competition with geared bikes is telling. Their superior performance would instantly expose the geared bike for what it is - one of the greatest scams ever perpetrated on consumers. My guess is that Specialized and Trek would instantly cut their workforce by 75% the day after a fixed gear runs in a pro tour.

I could go on. Frames, comfort, weight, pleasing lines. It's obvious to anyone with eyes to see.


-Tim-

Cyclist0108

I would get a single-speed if I could find one that has a back cog with the same number of teeth as the front.

colnago62

What is interesting is a lot of national teams are using road chains because that is where the technology is right now. Road chains have a lot less friction than a 1/8 inch chain.

redlude97

Why run gears on your gravel bike then? Plenty of SS MTBs tearing it up on the trails out there you should start a new trend with fixie gravel.

mstateglfr 

This the as isnt about the riders?! You sure fooled a lot of players into thinking it was about the riders since, you know, you made it about the riders.

A fixed gear is more capable than a geared bike? Huh? Some can ride a fixed gear just as well as others can ride geared bikes, but there is a reason geared bikes are so popular...their versatility and ability to open up more riding options for most riders.

Bringing $ into this by claimi my a single cog is financially smarter than a cassette is a terrible argument. Don't ever make it again since its absurd when you are riding a custom frame. Ask your accountant which makes more sense- a $200 used road bike or a $3500 fixed gear.
hmm...that argument of yours doesnt help you.

My wife couldn't care less which drivetrain I have as it pertains to time spent on maintenance. Just like i dont care about unimportant details as it pertains to time she spends on her hobbies.

As for my kids- both of them like working on their bikes(in limited amounts) and the shifting drivetrain is what fascinates them the most. The interaction between cable, derailleur, and chain is fun for them. I wpuld miss out of time with my kids if we didn't have multi-geared drivetrains. Why do you want my kids to lose out of family time? <---that question is just as dumb as your accusation.


As has now been said to you- if geared bikes are a scam, then get rid of yours. It would be inconsistent to ride sonething you think is a scam. Looks like that di2 gravel bike is in hot need of a conversion.