Re: Fixed Gear (Fixie) vs Single Speed Gearing

I've got no problem with fixed gear bikes in concept, it's just my
hills don't make them very worthwhile here. My commute starts with a 2
mile downhill coasting around 25 (though I do often pedal to bring it
to 30 so I don't feel as lazy or cold in the winter). Then I have ~1
mile of several stop lights through traffic before climbing a shorter
steeper hill. I do okay on my race bike with 40x23 gearing, but even
that's only 46.5 inches. Anything slower than that and I feel like I'm
really pushing my knees.

That's why I'd love a fixed multispeed bike. Then I could still ride
anywhere from 36 - 117 inches on my commuter and still be fixed. Best
of both worlds (well, minus still having to maintain all the parts).

Andy

On Mon, Feb 7, 2011 at 12:50 PM, PATRICK MOORE <[email protected]> wrote:
> I ride in rolling hills (and in windy conditions) in 67" to 75" gears,
> depending on bike and load (gofast, 75", groceries, 67" or 65") and have
> found over years of fixed riding that you adapt tremendously to different
> torques and cadences -- one of the pleasures of riding fixed and, to a
> lesser degree, ss/coaster. In fact, I now find that uphills are often less
> of a challenge than long or steep downhills. You learn to push hard and
> slowly or, where one must be careful of one's knees (mine are almost 56
> years old), you learn to stand for a mile at a time. And for the very steep
> sections I don't mind walking.
> That said, for very long hills, I do run flip flop hubs but rarely flip
> unless the hill is 3 miles long or more and steady and steep; most of the
> hills I ride are rolling, so that even long and steep climbs have respite
> with half mile standing sections interspersed with shorter sitting sections.
> AND, most of my riding is short distances -- sub 35 miles -- where a fixed
> gear's liabilities don't appear. I am sure that for longer distances I'd
> start thinking hard about coasting if not multiple gears.
> I do love hills, though, on a fixed -- for me, one of cycling's great
> pleasures. And again, to emphasize, you do adapt surprisingly to torque
> demands.
> I do realize that my cycling tastes are very peculiar, but I do indeed like
> grunting up steep hills fixed better than flying down long inclines
> coasting.