Originally Posted by 79pmooney

Two good and one city geared bikes and two good and one city fix gear here. Started riding SS circa 1972 when I'd trashed my Peugeot UO-8's dropout enough times that getting the derailleur to work right was iffy. 1976 I started racing and set it up fixed for training. Absolutely loved it and never had an ounce of desire to go back to SS.

Fixed gear is, at it's best, simply a completely different mind set. You are always pedaling at an RPM you didn't choose, other than you can modify it little by speeding up or slowing.

Now, as I approached my 60s, I knew that I could not keep climbing the big hills I love going up on the fix gear in gears like 42-17 and also that going down in those gears amounted to crotch abuse I was no longer willing to suffer. I'd been turned on to the ride of titanium bikes and knew the builder of mine would build me any bike I could dream up. So, how 'bout a ti fix gear with a really long dropout (dropout, not track end to keep wheel changes fast and easy) and a flip-flop wheel? Ordered it, received it, loved it from the first ride and a few weeks later, learned that year's Cycle Oregon was going to Crater Lake. Also that every hilly day had one big up and ope big down except Crater Lake day which also had 3 1000' climbs to go around the rim.

Brain cells fire. I can do this on my brand new fix gear! Very few wheel flips! But I need a cog wrench so I an screw on a tiny cog to go downhill. I could make a lightweight one and strap it to the bike!

The bike. On Cycle Oregon, 14% grade, the flip-flop hub, the chainwhip, a Trixie fix gear wrench and lockring tool under the saddlebag and a 12 tooth cog strapped to the other side of the bag.

That hill was hard! The muscles standing out weren't just for show. When I touched my forearm with the bar of soap in the shower after, it hurt! (If you are thinking "but he isn't in his low gear", you're right. I thought the big hill was the next one. By the time I learned my error it was too steep to stop and start again. The now 61 yo body paid!

And Crater Lake's rim fixed? Easy. Flip-flop hub, a 23 or 24 big cog and a 12. 42 tooth chainring. All you need. There is no flat. (Well a mile of gentle up you can do in either cog.)