ENY on a Fixed Gear?

4 replies [Last post]

Tue, 10/03/2006 - 7:15am

Anonymous

I'm thinking of doing the Escape New York ride (100 miles) on a fixed gear. I'm not the strongest rider nor do I have a lot of experience on a fixed gear. I've been riding a road bike most of the summer and just got my fixed gear about a month ago. To make a long story short, I won't have road bike for ENY so if I want to do this ride it will have to be on a fixed gear.

To get an idea of my ability, I did the self test 4 laps around central park on my fixed gear a couple of weeks ago and had a time of 1 hour and 18 minutes (speed 19).

They describe the ride as rolling. How hard are the climbs?

Has anyone done the ENY on a fixed gear before? What gearing would be you suggested? I currently have 46t up front with a 14 cog.

Is doing the ENY on a fixed gear just crazy or should I just do it?

Appreciate any comments or advice.

Tue, 10/03/2006 - 10:53am

An anonymous cow! (Christian Edstrom) (not verified)

Can you do it on a fix - sure!
Can you do it on a 46x14 - ummm, carry bus schedules?

In other words, on an 89 inch gear, it's going to be a burden and a half. Get a 17 cog rear sprocket and you'll be golden.

Tue, 10/03/2006 - 12:18pm

Tony Rentschler (not verified)

Fixed ENY

"There is a fixed-gear ENY contingent, see the message below. Get yourself a bigger rear cog and you can join the ride:

***Please forward***

Join Sal and Carol for another long, fabulous day of fixed-gear riding!

We're leading a fixed-gear/single-speed contingent on the 100-mile route of Escape New York, the New York Cycle Club's annual fundraising ride. We meet at Sakura Park, 122 St. and Riverside Dr., on Oct. 14 at 7:10am, and depart at 7:30am. Registration costs $35, and benefits Recycle-a-Bicycle.

The pace is a relaxed A-19, for an average speed of about 15 mph. What that means in practice is: We slow down on the ascents and descents and in traffic, and try to keep a smooth, steady cadence. You should not be a stranger to hills, but you don't have to be a superman to finish comfortably at our speed. Total climbing is nearly 6,000 feet, but you don't feel it 'til the end, and by then you can take the subway. Most hills don't exceed 8%, and none are long. (Full disclosure: We had to walk up a 20-foot section of Mott Farrm Road, which briefly attains a 22% grade, but that was the exception.)

You DO need a BRAKE for this ride. The NYCC requires a helmet.

What's the route like? We start off at a gentle pace for the gradual ascent to Saddle River, where the first food stop comes at mile 27. To be honest, there are a LOT of turns (and car traffic, yuck) on this leg of the ride.

Heading north toward Harriman, we salute Gate Hill Road from a respectful distance, climbing the negligible Blanchard instead. Mott Farm takes us down to 9W, where we swing through Haverstraw and stop for lunch at Rockland Lake (included in the fee). The return through NJ again is flat and swift, slightly downhill, with a final food stop at the Bicycle Workshop. Swag and nutrients await at the finish at Sakura Park.

Sal and Carol are both riding 71 gear inches, equivalent to 52-19 on 700 wheels. Remember that it's fall now, and the weather changeable. Dress accordingly, and bring a jacket or shell.

For more information, contact Sal ([email protected]) . Register for the ride at http://www.nycc.org/rides_eny.shtml
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Tue, 10/03/2006 - 6:16pm

Russ (not verified)

Thanks for all the information. I'm going to get a larger cog and go for it...

Sun, 10/08/2006 - 7:26pm

Carol Wood (not verified)

Join us!

"Thanks Tony, for posting our call. We hope to have at least a couple of riders!

I can lend a 50cm aluminum single-speed Specialized to someone, which you can ride either free or fixed--also 71 gear inches. Two brakes. I'm 5'4"" and it's a little too big for me.

You would have to pick up in East Midtown either the night before or the morning of the ride. It also has pink streamers on the drop handlebars, but that hasn't stopped at least one six-foot strongman from taking it for a spin and enjoying it."

NYCC.org

ENY on a Fixed Gear?