Tony, I've been in touch with Sean Dyson and I'm going to borrow the club bike but thanks again. Dave, the Langster certainly looks like a nice one and it's near the top of my list of potential bikes. The only thing I've got to do now is make a decision . If you knew how long it took me to choose my first road bike I'll probably get it about April.
Richard, there didnt seem to be mutch call for a winter run.I will be starting up the WNTB proper again around march time. it will also i think be biased towards people who want to ride the circuit race seiries over at stourport,maybe we can get a team together and go for team prize? Tony
Martin, from what i have seen of you coming on the WNTB your fitness will not be a problem. simplest thing would be for you to borrow mine and try it out, you might jump on it and think no this is not for me (i doubt) and that saves a lot of messing about with gears,brakes etc just to get you to have a go. phone me on 07884 003564 There is probably only ankerdine being the only hill you wont be able to get up around here,so just avoid it! If your worried about club runs then just stop on the back and dont go through,Sam will tell you to do that anyway,he has done with me! tony
I have riden on club runs road bikes, Fixed bikes single freewheels Trikes (yeh really)
i have seen tandems, Fixed trikes. (Ask Sam ;) Mountain bikes
If you have any fiteness concerns then go ride your current bike but don't change gear. However it not that hard. really guys we are all here to have fun, lets not make this to complicated.
Martin, bear in mind that you might not be as fit and strong as those saying fixed is fine on club runs.
The reason mixing fixed and geared bikes on club runs is that up and down (real) hills the riding speeds are different, with a geared bike we can all pedal slowly up a hill, a fixed rider has to go faster up a hill unless they are super expert, similarly down hill the fixed rider will generally be slower, again unless they can spin super fast. On the flat 9.30 am club runs it may not be much of a problem and it's less of a problem if you ride with a group that doesn't ride in a tight bunch.
One of the club track bikes has never been used since it was bought, so it might as well be used for something, if you want to try it out for a couple of weeks it won't do any damage and we can set up the gearing to suit. Mudguards wouldn't be easy to fit, but you wouldn't need them to just to try fixed anyway.
As you can see there are different opinions on the subject, but try it and see how you get on.
. Last year Dave Preece posted a picture of his Specialized Langster. All the bikes I've been looking at seem to be in the £500-£800 range but the Langster is one of the few below 500. Dave, if you read this, what do you think of it?
Hi, I love my Langster! I rode it all last winter including some reliability rides. Over the time I have had it I've done tt's on it, commuted to work on it, riden it through the winter and ridden it in two national hill climbs. Value wise, it's by far the best bike I have ever bought. You would be fine on club runs on it to, I don't really see why you would not want to ride fixed on a club run. I went out on it with Dave Walker and his group a few times and I was fine, the only time you really loose any ground is if there is a long down hill and you run out of leg speed.
I plan to have a go at the fixed gear tt league on it next year, I didn't tt fixed this year and I am keen to do some next year so hopefully I will see you on a fixed bike too.
If your short enough I have a 19.5" fixed bike with mudguards you can borrow for the couple of months (on holiday). 2 brakes + fixed just in case.
Or you can borrow the back wheel and drop it in a horizontal dropout frame. Comes with Chain tugs just to make absolutely sure it cannot pull out accidently.
Martin, non of the club track bikes are suitable for road riding "as is" because the gearing will be way to high,Seans has a front brake on it and tri bars for tt's if i remember right. I doubt you could get mudguards on it in any case. Riding the track bikes in the winter would quite frankly wreck them. The best place to buy one would be ebay prices start from £150 up. I think that John Durham at st johns has the viking fixed wheel bikes in which should be in the sub £300 price range,you can get him on 07973909971 just make sure you get one with proper drop bars on as some of the new ones are fitted with flat bars for commuting.
Just go for it and relax. I would not recommend riding fixed all the time the first winter out or going anywhere to hilly.
Time trials are easier you have one gear and you go faster by pedaling faster and harder so it make things simpler. Getting the right gear is the difficult part.
Thanks for the replies and thanks for the offer Tony. I think I'll email Sean Dyson first of all and see if I can use the club bike that he's got. When Martin S writes that it's fitted for on-road riding hopefully he means brakes. If not then I'll probably be getting in touch with you. The next question I've got is can anyone recommend a make/model. Last year Dave Preece posted a picture of his Specialized Langster. All the bikes I've been looking at seem to be in the £500-£800 range but the Langster is one of the few below 500. Dave, if you read this, what do you think of it? Anyway thanks again, and if anyone else has an opinion on a fixed gear bike as a winter trainer I'd like to hear it.
Hi Martin, I ride fixed all year round,love it.I have a winter hack with mudguards on that you can borrow for a weekend if you want its about the right size for you. The only problems I can see you having on a club run is you generally have to take a wider line at junctions so as your feet dont clout the front wheel.They are in a way better in groups because you have a more finite controll of your speed,breaking wise. and of course you still have a front brake. Back break being optional. Without a doubt you feel "more at one with your machine" on a fixed but as John said never forget that your on one!!
Riding fixed is the future I ride one regulary on club runs & to work and back. A bit of solo riding is best to start with on a gear of about 66". The one thing you need to drill into your mind is to KEEP PEDALING AT ALL TIMES or you will come a cropper.It does improve your cadence and fitness so have a go
The best way is to try it. You could borow one of the club's 3 track bikes, but you'd have to fit brakes. Sean Dyson has one of them which is fitted for on road riding. I've got the other Fuji & vince has the small track bike.
generally if you're riding fixed you need to be riding in a group on fixed so they're not so good on club runs
Hi everyone, Remembering how last Winter I slipped on ice whilst riding my mountain bike, (not something I want to do on my carbon frame road bike) I'm thinking about getting a second road bike, a winter trainer. So I'm just looking at my options, one of which is a fixed gear bike. I like the practical reasons for them (simpler to maintain, supposed to develop a more efficient pedalling action, plus the chance to ride the clubs 66" gear TT and take part in the fixed gear league etc.) but never having ridden one before I don't know the important part which is how useful they are as a winter training bike. Given my past history, where a choice between riding on a cold, wet winter's morning and staying at home usually saw me choose the latter option, you could argue the type of bike is irrelevant and that just getting out is more important. However I'd like to pick something that will benefit my time trialling and my cycling in general. So the club members who ride or have ridden fixed gear bikes, what do you think of them as a winter training bike? Any advice people can give me would be appreciated. (I should add, anyone thinking I could just continue riding my mountain bike, it's old, worn out and needs a few new components so its simpler just to get a new bike).
. If you knew how long it took me to choose my first road bike I'll probably get it about April.
