Tag Archives: fixed gear

Kona Paddywagon

Away from the big hill.

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12°C, no real wind, but some NE, dry
I rode single-speed with MapMyRide+! Distance: 47.85mi, time: 03:02:27, pace: 3:49min/mi, speed: 15.74mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/796848735
Once up to speed, the winter wheels aren’t too slow. But, under acceleration, hill climbing or out of the saddle it is obviously heavy. Out of the saddle, throwing the bars side to side was nowhere as free as before. Still, the outing was fun despite me shying away from Bannister Hill.

This should work.

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Heavy rain, then humid sun.
Upgrade wheels for the fixed gear. For £99 you can get a trendy pair of wheels with painted, deep aero rims. Mine are orange but like others of the breed- they are heavy.
After the success of those Aksium wheels, I looked at the single-speed bike.

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Nothing ready-made in the catalogues, so I ordered a pair built. Though they look nice, but the spokes are different front and rear. They have not been pre-tensioned and not laced with the pattern I asked for. I still expect a considerable improvement in their handling.
It’s going to be more than a week before I find out.

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Fixed the longest.

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18C, N breeze, bright sun.
I rode fixed- Distance: 72.17mi, time: 04:42:03, pace: 3:54min/mi, speed: 15.3mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/626397815
This is most likely my longest ride on a fixed gear bike. I sometimes claim that riding fixed is worth about 10% distance on top of a geared ride. Also, I got up Bannister hill without too much difficulty. I got over the top gasping, but not painfully so. Not bad when I am still over 15 stone.
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A great day in the saddle.

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29um,

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16C, no wind, feels warmer.
29miles fixed.
Back on the bike. it’s been a week since the last ride, and three weeks since that cold came on. That makes today’s ride a recovery one. They are characterised by a feeling of sluggishness. You have to push in an unnatural way.
Hay-fever is in full force. It must look like I am crying.
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The flats behind Churchtown in Southport. I like this area, big skies.

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Best without wind.

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Cycle fixed: Distance: 55.6mi, time: 03:27:33, pace: 3:44min/mi, speed: 16.1mi/h. On 42×16.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/557777869
On low rolling lands and light wind you can find perfect single-speed bike conditions. Even the hills don’t seem as intimidating as on a windy day.
Tendonitus flared up yesterday during a long drive. It does seem to get aggravated by long periods of sitting still. Three and a half hours of cycling has soothed most of it away. Odd how that happens.
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This Laburnum at work is in full bloom, whereas mine at home shows no yellow at all. Perhaps view are different varieties. I know not.
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Gales. Soft Drizzle

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9°C, light showers on a strong S wind. Grey. CK:40.1

Ride- Distance: 39.97mi, time: 02:48:11, speed: 14.3mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/490717905
fought the strong south gale all the way home. All that time and miles to regret leaving the 16t on the bike. I failed to make Bannister Hill without getting off. I can blame the headwind and 4lbs extra I have about me.

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Thaw.

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-2° to +7°C, E wind, clear.

Lancashire: with MapMyRide! Distance: 57.2mi, speed: 14.8mi/h. http://mapmyride.com/view_route?r=5025384110261010433
Well, that was much easier. In comparison to the ride on Friday; faster, further and easier. All that on the fixed too. Traffic was light, either because it was Easter Sunday or fewer tourists in cold weather.
Bannister Hill has turned into a standard to measure myself with. I got up the climb with a slight, chilly head-wind. A descending cyclist shouted “nearly there!” while I was pulling the last steep bit.. That actually doeshelp on the last 100 yards. You know, the bit where your legs are burning along with the back of your arms and traps.

Friday is a good day to…

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-1~+2, NE wind, light, dry. …to ride. I rode fixed 42×17 with MapMyRide! Distance: 56.90mi, time: 04:10
http://mapmyride.com/view_route?r=3819258234418495489
The big problem today was to keep warm. The penetrating icy wind occasionally blew light snow flurries from the east. At half-way, I pulled into a cafe that is part of a garden centre. It wasn’t all that warm in there either. But they did a decent onion soup and tea came in a pot with a knitted Cosey. Then I noticed an excellent space-heater. This roaring great machine blew hot air that could be directed inside your jacket. I stood there for a while, turning slowly as if on a spit to dry out my damp clothes. Damp layers are a quick way to cool very quickly, not what I wanted at all. Further, pulling layers up to let the warm air into base layers, I felt prepared to resume the ride.
This ride included Bannister Hill which is a beast. It’s always satisfying to reach the top without a stop on the fixed gear. Today, I failed near the top where it starts to level out. Shame, but not really uprising considering how I felt on the approach. Two weeks ago the climb was okay even though I was still recovering from the winter’s cold. Perhaps today’s cold air was the cause.
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Fix the head-wind.

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I rode fixed gear 42×17. MapMyRide! Distance: 43.36mi, time: 03:27:35, pace: 4:47min/mi, speed: 12.53mi/h. http://mapmyride.com/view_route?r=620135990495698553
Took a similar route to last week after I said I should do the same distance. Difference was that I rode up Bannister Hill (without a stop). The hill felt fine. No, that hill never feels fine, but it didn’t make me feel sick or wobbly afterwards. So that as fine as it can be. Even the wind failed to reduce my progress as much as last week. I could still pump the pedals round rather than grind them over on each stroke. I give myself a pat on the head for all that. Even the post ride recovery was reasonably painless. Okay, the road speed was low, but I argue that the air-speed was much higher in that westerly wind.