Hard-core fixie anecdotes

[Huw]

I was just now sniffing the musty vaults of the Sheldon Brown web empire (let us not speak of the work I have neglected), and stumbled across some interesting anecdotes from fixie converts.

This guy Steve Johnson was recalling the book from Italy, spoken about in hushed tones (I imagine) among the racing fraternity of his youth. The book from Italy advocated that fixie training should form the basis of a racer's season, for a number of interesting reasons which you can read if you follow the link. Most interesting, though, was the information given for protecting onself from the sun:
Above all in the summer season, the head should be protected: so that the cyclist should get used to always wearing the white cap (even under the helmet) in order to avoid sunstroke. In days of blazing sun, the head should be further protected either with a cabbage leaf placed under the cap or by moving back the visor or the latter to create a large area of shadow on the most exposed and delicate part of the head, namely, the cerebellum.
I thought that was share-worthy gold. Now, I lay down my challenge: who else will be woman or man enough to accompany me with my cabbage leaf this season?

This other guy, Andrew Eddy, a rider from Sydney, had some pretty amazing claims of a super-high cadence he held riding down the Gladesville Bridge. 260 rpm in a 69-inch gear (which he reckoned was perfect for Sydney)!!

[Adrian E]

260rpm. cricky! I'm supprised his legs didn't fall off.
My Malvern star has a 69 inch gear. I'm no so sure if its the best gear for getting around Sydney. I rode the Malvern up to Macquarie Uni through Balmain, Gladesville and Ryde last week. I almost did my knees on some really steep hills. its no fun at all. I'd go from something a tad lighter but I think it really depends where you ride.

[mikesbytes]

Long hair does the trick to a lessor extent.

I've been in the habit of asking fixie riders how many inches and the answers have been between 62 and whatever Simon runs.

The rule I'd apply, if using the fixie for commuting, is what gear is required for the steepest hill on the route

[fenn_paddler]

This other guy, Andrew Eddy, a rider from Sydney, had some pretty amazing claims of a super-high cadence he held riding down the Gladesville Bridge. 260 rpm in a 69-inch gear (which he reckoned was perfect for Sydney)!!

Maybe he's gilding the lily with this one. I know Prof Eddy from the nsw sea kayak club & he's normally pretty factual. He weighs 50kg's wringing wet, paddles an unusually small baidarka + uses a greenlander paddle (blade cross sectional area = that of a toothpick). With this kit he relies on smooth technique and paddle cadence rather than brute strength to get from A to B. Much like the small gear on a fixie I guess.

But unless he's extremely aerodynamic, descending the gladesville bridge at 85 kmh on a fixie is hard to believe. I struggle to hit 75Kmh on melville st at Ryde in the afternoon, and that's much steeper than the gladesville bridge.

Cheers,
Alan W.

[Simon Llewellyn]

a 260 cadence is pretty unbelievable too because anything over about 150 you have to spin yourself going downhill, your legs start to work at resistance at that point rather than being driven by the bike...

But you know it could be possible? I'm estimating no resistance I'll hit close to 200.

[Grant Bond]

In relation to the cabbage leaf...doesnt everybody?

[Huw]

I believe Simon runs an 81, corresponding to the number of hours it will take us to finish the Grafton to Inverell.

I'm hoping to run a 76 on my fixie. 76 is both the year of my birth and the number of knee reconstructions I would need if I ever hit a cadence of 260 rpm.

[Grant Bond]

For anybody that cares... for waterfall rides and commuting i run 69 (48/19) and it works a treat. A bigger gear is a lot harder to get going at lights and the like so its good for training rides where you just want to run a good even cadence but not so good for dancing amongst the traffic jams. 69 Gives you a good 90/100 cadence at the 27-30kph we normally run at on training rides. I rate it but a stronger rider like you might be OK on something bigger.

Im interested in what some of our courier mates ride though!

[Simon Llewellyn]

Yeah I'm at 81. It's not an easy gear to push up hill & your generally forcing it over rather than spinning up hills like you should be. But it's a strength building exercise...

[Huw]

You can download some chapters from the book from Italy (a.k.a. the cabbage-leaf book) here.

[lindsay]

If your head was lactating the cabbage leaf might stop that as well.

[Grant Bond]

If your head was doing that you may have problrms that are not so easially resolved by said leaf...may have to apply the whole cabbage.

[Adrian E]

I'm for the the cabage left for the tempetation fixie century!