Hills you've climbed - Fixed/Single
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Hills you've climbed - Fixed/Single
Postby yehuwdiy » Fri Oct 01, 2010 6:48 pm
After climbing my first real hill today on my single speed I started to wonder what hills around Canberra (or anywher to be honest) you fixed/single road types like to climb? Also, in what gear! I'll start:
Location: Mt Rogers Reserve. Starting from Ginenderra Drive head up Kingsford Smith Drive to the top. ~130 metre climb over ~3.5k. Very steep in a couple of sections.
Gearing: 63"/ 4.5 gain ratio
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Re: Hills you've climbed - Fixed/Single
Postby hartleymartin » Sat Oct 02, 2010 1:28 am
http://raleightwenty.webs.com - the top web resource for the Raleigh Twenty
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Re: Hills you've climbed - Fixed/Single
Postby yehuwdiy » Sat Oct 02, 2010 10:19 am
I was just amazed when I discovered hill climbing was possible with the same gear. The same gear on my (now unused) roadie would be impossible for me. Just freaks me out a little, mucks with my 'gear sense', thus the post
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Re: Hills you've climbed - Fixed/Single
Postby hartleymartin » Sat Oct 02, 2010 7:11 pm
Here are a couple of shots of me with the Raleigh Twenty when it still had steel rims, and the single-speed set-up with the band-brake rear wheel. The front brake was useless in the rain, but the rear brake worked a real treat in wet weather. It's now being re-built as a 3-speed with a coaster brake and with alloy rims. I don't think I'll use the front brake much. Whenever I've got a bicycle set up for coaster, I rarely touch the hand-brakes.
http://raleightwenty.webs.com - the top web resource for the Raleigh Twenty
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Re: Hills you've climbed - Fixed/Single
Postby larren » Sat Oct 02, 2010 7:13 pm
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Re: Hills you've climbed - Fixed/Single
Postby yehuwdiy » Sat Oct 02, 2010 9:39 pm
@larren...yeah, the 63" is seeming perfect for me as well. I was going to put a 16T fixed cog on the other side for flatter runs (or when I build up a bit more strength). Now, I'm just not sure. I'm loving single speed, coasting down hills, flying up them. And when on the flat I'm noticing so much more around me. Most important though is the rideability when I'm tired.
I'll gived fixed a fair try, but honestly I feel that single-speed is where it's at for me. Anyone else out there feelin' the same way?
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Re: Hills you've climbed - Fixed/Single
Postby drubie » Sat Oct 02, 2010 10:47 pm
...sorry.
There are folding twenty clones in Big W now - they look identical to the originals!
but really, that's rubbish. We get none of it because the choices are illusory.
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Re: Hills you've climbed - Fixed/Single
Postby yehuwdiy » Sat Oct 02, 2010 10:54 pm
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Re: Hills you've climbed - Fixed/Single
Postby nickobec » Sat Oct 02, 2010 11:42 pm
Usual ride 42km, total altitude gain 150m. Nice, flat run, wind is not usually that bad, but I do live in the 3rd windiest city in the world.
My 2nd favourite ride includes 400m at 8% from an almost standing start, 90 seconds of standing on the pedals at 50rpm.
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Re: Hills you've climbed - Fixed/Single
Postby yehuwdiy » Sat Oct 02, 2010 11:57 pm
78"...no way for me atm..maybe in a year or so we'll see
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Re: Hills you've climbed - Fixed/Single
Postby nickobec » Sun Oct 03, 2010 1:11 am
Note I rarely ride the full 42km home, as that is almost always into a sea breeze. I catch the train some or all the way home.
And I do alternate between S/S and geared.
I do not enjoy riding fixed, when you spend 90 minutes in the saddle, the odd bit of freewheeling is good.
I did start at 67 gear inches, but found that too easy to spin out, my max cadence is only 110 over more than 5 minutes. I graduated to 69, then 73 and finally 78.
Twice this week (geared bike needs work) I swore I should be using a larger freewheel (less gear inches) as I faced tough headwinds. Then I was real happy the next day, I averaged over 32kmh over last 5km before city.
Will I move to 82 gear inches, which is the next step up. Highly unlikely, I might do it if I take the S/S on the Great Freeway Bike Hike next year, because I spun out with 78 gear inches a couple of times last year, while riding in bunches.
Otherwise 78 gear inches works for me, it very flat where I live and ride. Sometimes I have to work hard because of the wind, but that is life.
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Re: Hills you've climbed - Fixed/Single
Postby backofthebunch » Sun Oct 03, 2010 6:31 pm
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Re: Hills you've climbed - Fixed/Single
Postby yehuwdiy » Sun Oct 03, 2010 8:02 pm
My regular hill listed above by comparison averages only 4% over some 3 kilometres (if you do the whole hill). The thing is, there are a couple of sections that are 7.5-8%, one of these being some 600m long. This used to kill me on my roadie even in a 45" gear, now I kill it with a 63" gear on my single speed, figure that one out
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Re: Hills you've climbed - Fixed/Single
Postby y3ntil » Mon Oct 04, 2010 7:03 pm
unfortunately a bit too high for climbing really steep hills, but can climb most hills no problem.
atleast there is almost no chance of true spinning
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Re: Hills you've climbed - Fixed/Single
Postby brauluver » Mon Oct 04, 2010 8:00 pm
It's a fair climb on the roadie.
http://www.adelaidecyclists.com/profile ... l-de-lofty
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Re: Hills you've climbed - Fixed/Single
Postby saintdarth » Mon Oct 04, 2010 9:09 pm
I run the same gearing which provides me with a good mix of "on the flat" speeds and I am still able to climb some local hills. I am on the short 50km Around the Bay ride which is over the Westgate Bridge twice, I am thinking of dropping to 48/18 gearing which will give 72 gear inches down from 76.backofthebunch wrote:48/17 up burgundy st in heidelberg. not sure what gradient etc is, but it's a work out in that gear
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Re: Hills you've climbed - Fixed/Single
Postby yehuwdiy » Mon Oct 04, 2010 10:44 pm
Am I nuts, or is Bikely correct? It shows Black Mountain Rd as being a 9.8% grade?
I fear that I may not make it on the single speed, still worth a try though.
**Ok, the official gradient appears to be nothing but 8.9%. Should be easy then
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Re: Hills you've climbed - Fixed/Single
Postby flashrider » Tue Oct 05, 2010 1:08 am
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Re: Hills you've climbed - Fixed/Single
Postby yehuwdiy » Tue Oct 05, 2010 10:38 pm
It is a fairly steady grade, steepish all the way. Averages 8.9%.
Still, I HTFU and made it to the top. I'm not sure I can claim it thoguh until I have done it without stopping...what do you guys reckon?
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Re: Hills you've climbed - Fixed/Single
Postby BLU_FZ! » Fri Oct 08, 2010 7:35 pm
Hmmmmm, Black mountain,married woman teaching me stuff :oops:driving her back to Jerrabomberra,,,,i also threw up 5 times,i was Cougaredyehuwdiy wrote:Did Black Mountain today. Almsot threw up 5 times. This is how I'm measuring my PB for the time being. Less stops = improvement.
It is a fairly steady grade, steepish all the way. Averages 8.9%.
Still, I HTFU and made it to the top. I'm not sure I can claim it thoguh until I have done it without stopping...what do you guys reckon?
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Re: Hills you've climbed - Fixed/Single
Postby yehuwdiy » Fri Oct 08, 2010 8:17 pm
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Re: Hills you've climbed - Fixed/Single
Postby y3ntil » Sat Oct 09, 2010 3:20 pm
your bike seems pretty similar to mine, all steel and high gearing
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Re: Hills you've climbed - Fixed/Single
Postby il padrone » Sat Oct 09, 2010 8:12 pm
"An unjustified and unethical imposition on a healthy activity."
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