Latest madcap scheme - Time trial and fixed gear content

[AntLockyer]

Whilst looking for training info and generally reminiscing about previous bicycle exploits I ended up with another goal for 2021 and a mad cap scheme. I've joined the Veterans Time Trial Association (being over 40 is weird) and am intending to do some time trials. Given that I sold my TT bike ages ago (wish I still had it) I figured I'd use my road bike and see if I can beat my PB on that. Then after a couple of days of tripping over some parts in the garage I came up with this



Seems like a reasonable amount of people over here use fixed for time trials and by all accounts are as quick or quicker on fixed than with gears. I've got a short gear of 69" on at the moment and am aiming to try mid 90s once I'm used to riding fixed again. Just need my lever to turn up and work out what is missing from the headset that is making the whole thing a bit wobbly :)

[Too Tall]

I fully endorse this. I used to organize group fixed gear rides with everyone in the same gear inch. This made for fantastic pacelines. Some of us did TTs and all sorts of long distance rides. My group regularly got our @rses handed to use by a fixed gear rider on our timed Mtn. TT courses (we had gears). Yeah do that.

[thomas]

Ooh, that looks like it would be hard - being in an aero position and a fixed gear forcing you to spin at all speeds. Ouch.

And, uh, that front brake - just for looks, added weight,...? Think you usually use cables with those things.

[AntLockyer]

Yeah gearing it right is the trick. My closest course has a bit of a hill on it, I've been told to run a big enough gear that you aren't spinning out on the downhill and learn to deal with the uphill without forcing it. Sounds doable, I'm not much of a spinner anyway.

The brake will be connected once my brake lever arrives, brakeless is not something I enjoy.

[Pastashop]

Awesome!

Methinks it used to be quite common in the UK due to mass-start race ban, and esp. post-war, when people didn't have too much dough to splurge on special bikes.

http://www.fixedwheel.co.uk
https://cyclingtips.com/2020/04/insi...sh-time-trial/
https://www.roadbikereview.com/threa...result.127392/

...and then there is the (Rob) English time trial bike (sadly, not fixed): https://www.englishcycles.com/custom...ime-trial-mk2/

[AntLockyer]

Well in the 50s and 60s my dad only had a fixed gear bike, I very much he could have afforded gears even if he'd wanted them.

I also did this to be a cheapskate largely but imagine getting a proper pursuit machine and doing it properly.

TA_FRD_2.jpg

[Scott G.]

Awesome!

Methinks it used to be quite common in the UK due to mass-start race ban, and esp. post-war, when people didn't have too much dough to splurge on special bikes. \

You would also ride to the race, so you get things like wheel carriers for the front forks,
or odd hubs, fixed on one side and multi speed freewheel on the other.

[jmgorman]

Fantastic new adventure, I love it.

[Moke]

I prolly ride 60-70 % of my road miles fixed on fairly flat ish rides. I would consider the 69 light unless there is a lot of rolling stuff. I usually ride mid 70s. I have time trialed more on fixed than gears and my fastest 25miler was on a 48/14 (92.6). I usually go with a 50 or 51/14. Anything over about 98 inches is just too much gear for me. I personally like to ride on a round tube and box rim bike with no aero nothing so I can compare 1960s, 70s and 80s times with current ones. I sometimes cheat and use fast wheels which do drop your time, and I know aerobars and bikes are way faster but I like the old school. TT on fixed gear aero bars isn't any more sort of a problem than on a multi geared ride. You do have to watch your races. riding a 90 inch gear on a hilly course can be a life lesson in suffering. Lately I have been playing with Spinaci bars, a little aero, but not too much. You will have a blast on your new ride. Have fun, that is what riding should always be.

[Too Tall]

I prolly ride 60-70 % of my road miles fixed on fairly flat ish rides. I would consider the 69 light unless there is a lot of rolling stuff. I usually ride mid 70s. I have time trialed more on fixed than gears and my fastest 25miler was on a 48/14 (92.6). I usually go with a 50 or 51/14. Anything over about 98 inches is just too much gear for me. I personally like to ride on a round tube and box rim bike with no aero nothing so I can compare 1960s, 70s and 80s times with current ones. I sometimes cheat and use fast wheels which do drop your time, and I know aerobars and bikes are way faster but I like the old school. TT on fixed gear aero bars isn't any more sort of a problem than on a multi geared ride. You do have to watch your races. riding a 90 inch gear on a hilly course can be a life lesson in suffering. Lately I have been playing with Spinaci bars, a little aero, but not too much. You will have a blast on your new ride. Have fun, that is what riding should always be.

Listen to that guy.

Ninety inch gear is just right for a pack race at the track (T-Town). My road gearing for local riding which is moderately hilly (1300' in 30 miles) is 73".

[robin3mj]

I have a Ritchey Breakaway sitting in a box, awaiting post-COVID travel.
This has me thinking I should just start building it up, with an ENO wheel and ride SS/fixed for a bit.

[Too Tall]

I have a Ritchey Breakaway sitting in a box, awaiting post-COVID travel.
This has me thinking I should just start building it up, with an ENO wheel and ride SS/fixed for a bit.

Log 1500 miles and report back. Don't put too hard a gear on the d@mn thing.

[lumpy]

Log 1500 miles and report back. Don't put too hard a gear on the d@mn thing.

I rode my first four or five months on a fixed gear one year. My spin was super fluid but I couldn't ride a mountain bike worth a darn.

[prcrstn8]

I rode more than a year on a fixed while not really giving a damn about finishing up the road bike project I was in the middle of. I still do more than half my rides on the fixie. It's like primal cycling, though I do use brakes. The gear inches are nothing to talk about.

[bironi]

Methinks your 4 year plan is obsolete.
Go for it!

[ZenNMotion]

I have a Ritchey Breakaway sitting in a box, awaiting post-COVID travel.
This has me thinking I should just start building it up, with an ENO wheel and ride SS/fixed for a bit.

I rode my fixed on the W&OD path much more than my geared bikes, it made for a much more engaging ride and (with a brake), more enjoyable with better control than freewheeling at path-appropriate speeds while bike dodging baby carriages runners and sk8ters. It was also a great reason to actually ride an otherwise cool garage-queen 70s-era frameset with horizontal dropouts. Maybe I'm more of a spinner than TT (or more likely just slower and wimpier) but my sweet spot gear for path riding was a 42X17, or just a little lower than 70 gear inches, a little lower than I'd use on open roads that aren't completely flat. The Ritchey should be outta the box and built up as something in any case- you might be able to find a "magic gear" that doesn't require an ENO. A full day riding out to Leesburg and returning on the C&O would make for a great adventure day, perfect for fixed gear.
Edit: have they fixed the damn White's Ferry situation yet?
2nd Edit: I just had a memory of a Pete Beers ride and got a little misty-- RIP.

[bigbill]

Way back in the day, I decided to use my track bike on a time trial. I rode pursuit, why not do a 40K pursuit. I had to buy another fork, my Merckx SLX track bike did not have a drilled fork and USCF required a brake. I did okay, right about an hour, but what I didn't consider was; no matter how froggy I felt at the end, my top end gear didn't change. I was always a second-half rider, but I couldn't change that 50/13.

[robin3mj]

I rode my fixed on the W&OD path much more than my geared bikes, it made for a much more engaging ride and (with a brake), more enjoyable with better control than freewheeling at path-appropriate speeds while bike dodging baby carriages runners and sk8ters. It was also a great reason to actually ride an otherwise cool garage-queen 70s-era frameset with horizontal dropouts. Maybe I'm more of a spinner than TT (or more likely just slower and wimpier) but my sweet spot gear for path riding was a 42X17, or just a little lower than 70 gear inches, a little lower than I'd use on open roads that aren't completely flat. The Ritchey should be outta the box and built up as something in any case- you might be able to find a "magic gear" that doesn't require an ENO. A full day riding out to Leesburg and returning on the C&O would make for a great adventure day, perfect for fixed gear.
Edit: have they fixed the damn White's Ferry situation yet?
2nd Edit: I just had a memory of a Pete Beers ride and got a little misty-- RIP.

Amen to that. Pete built my most recent set of hand built wheels. Great guy; terrible loss.

When I wore out the 3x8 Sora stuff on my old Kona Jake, I ran 42/17 with an Eno for a couple years. It was perfect gearing for the commute from Courthouse to Tysons. I may be talking myself into this. The Ritchey is likely to first be traveling to our Tampa office which is dead flat anyway.

Sorry for the thread drift, Ant. I always like to hear about the English predilection towards ITT’s. Such a unique tradition.

[defspace]

Way back in the day, I decided to use my track bike on a time trial. I rode pursuit, why not do a 40K pursuit. I had to buy another fork, my Merckx SLX track bike did not have a drilled fork and USCF required a brake. I did okay, right about an hour, but what I didn't consider was; no matter how froggy I felt at the end, my top end gear didn't change. I was always a second-half rider, but I couldn't change that 50/13.

You rode a 40k TT on a bigger gear than I kilo in. I've put in a big hunk of gym work this year. Maybe I'll get up there!

[bigbill]

You rode a 40k TT on a bigger gear than I kilo in. I've put in a big hunk of gym work this year. Maybe I'll get up there!

I was 24 on a flat course.

Edit, I pulled out my track bag (Superbe) and I think I was mistaken. Probably a 50X15 or 16. I had 24-year-old knees. Likely the 15.