I fondly imagined that spinning a 68-inch fixed across some pretty mixed ground, including the odd big hill, would work wonders for my "souplesse": the quasi-mystical ability to turn the pedals with style and apparent lack of effort. Old-time clubmen used to swear by riding fixed from when the clocks went back until Easter; come the next season, the theory went, you'd be out of the traps like a thoroughbred, fast and stylish.
So this morning, clear blue sky, cold but no rain for more than a week, I thought I'd give the geared bike a run out -- and see how much my form had improved. Major letdown. Despite the lightweight wheels and tyres, at least compared to the Pista's bulletproof Vittoria Pave's, and the ten-speed running gear -- I felt like a tugboat, pedalling squares for miles and wrenching myself up hills.
Clearly there's more to this "souplesse" lark than I thought.
5 comments:
Down here in Essex I find 68" too big to turn over properly in the winter. 68" is OK for summer, but most of us who ride winter fixed in our club use around 63 to 66 inches. I also find I need a couple of rides (during which I go like a bag of spanners) to get back into the swing of gears in the spring.
I've been riding a 48x16 (78.8 inch) for most of the year. Even though I actually enjoy it more than my geared bike, are you saying that this ratio is doing me no favours? Would it be beneficial to go to a 48x19?
Well, I guess it can be subjective, but I've always be taught that souplesse comes from spinning fast (80-120 rpm) without having to push too hard on the pedals. To do that with the bumps we have here I ride 42x17 or 18 over the winter raising to 44x17 or 16 in the summer when I'm fitter. Having said that the gear you ride has to be one that's comfortable for you & we're all different! Just for comparison, I rode at Manchester velodrome over the weekend and was geared about right at 48x15.
Thanks for the contributions, gentlemen. Arturo, 48x16 does sound a bit high for general purposes, but if it works for you....
I've used 48x19 for years for commuting -- over a relatively flat London route. Now I work from home, the fixed has been getting more use around Richmond Park and the Surrey Hiils, where something a little lower might be more effective. I'm due to pick up a replacement bike from Condor pretty soon, and will probably swap over then.
More worryingly, I'm due to ride Paris to London in June and am thinking about doing it on the fixed. I reckon about 65/66 inches might be the job.
Thanks for the advice guys. I live in the 'sunny' island of Guernsey, which is far from flat - it takes just over an hour to get around the edges, but at some point you inevitably have to climb up to the higher cliff areas to get home. I assumed the hard grind (and a fair few new chains) was actually doing me some good, but now I wonder.. Think I might go to an 18 on the back for a while. I looked at my average speed against Sheldons calculator and this should get me spinning at around 100rpm.
Best wishes
Tim
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