50 miles...

[dds]

A guy from my base organized a 50 mile bike ride to gather some money for some refugees in Bosnia this weekend. Last year on the same ride I snapped a chain link on a LeMond Poprad and the bike self destructed. So I decided I'd so it on my On-One Inbred SS this year.

The flats really sucked spinning 32:16. Everyone else was on road bikes or geared MTBs. I lost them all until we got to the hills. I was so glad when I hit the hills because I didn't have to spin like mad. I caught a few of them on the hills. The last half of the ride was flat and there was a headwind that wasn't helping things.

A bunch of the people I was riding with thought I was insane riding the SS. It was pretty fun though. I was the last to get back to the BBQ and when I pulled in they were all clapping and stuff. It was funny.

If I had to do it again I'd switch out the Conti Vertical Pros for some slicks and maybe get a little bigger gear since I climbed all the *long* hills seated.

[Mauriceman]

you may be a fool but noone else got cheered for! Go Inbred!

[leapfrog]

that ride account sounds very similar to one i had. about 50 miles south of indianapolis is a ride called the hilly 100. the name is not exaggerated. it's fifty miles each day and filled with some insane hills. i was apprehensive as to if i could take the hills or not, but after powering past everyone in their grannies on the first hill, i knew i could tear that ride up. at every rest stop my bike was getting the attention (much to the dismay of my riding partner on her circus peanut orange carbon look). i ride 36/18 and the flats were killer. spinning out constantly and everything, but once we got to the hills i would just stomp right past everyone without ever walking. sure i didn't get cheered at the end, but i got my props during the ride.

doing a flat ride on something with such a low gear is not recommended but if there are a lot of hills on the ride, i say go for it. oh..but to humble myself, one guy did the hilly on a ****in unicycle once. beat that.

[dds]

The thing we did was a walk/run/ride event. The run walk was a 5.6 mile around the flightline. One guy did it on crutches! Now that's a man!

[quazar76]

Yes, I think after nearly 2 months on the single speed I am hooked. Every time I ride the road or out to the bar or whatever, I look at my geared bike. But something pulls me to the ghetto one speed and I ride her over and over again. I am running a 32/17 and I think it's a blast on the road. Spinning out is fun, not to mention all the new muscles I have in my legs.

The point of this is that I find the 1x1 to be relieving on long road rides, because you don't do all the grinding in the flats. Granted I can't beat anyone with gears in a sprint, but that's not my bag any how. When I do get my new bike ( if it ever comes?! ) I will have gears and I will be a climbing fool.

At this point my only complaint about the 1x1 is that I can't sit down, relax, and spin on the tough climbs-it's all GRIND>

[steevo]

i did "pedal pittsburgh" .. a pretty hilly 53 mile loop last year on my fixed gear road bike 42/15 and got some reaction. this one woman told me my legs were too skinny not to have gears. and i thought i was buffed.