Brother All Day - LEJOG machine?

I haven't done any long rides fixed or geared in a while but have been experimenting with my middle aged "comfort revision" fixed gear lately that i can comment on.

On my steel frame i didn't find much improvement in comfort going from 30c to 35c. I did however notice the weight/drag increase and for fixed road riding over longer distances would probably want to keep the bike as easy to propel forwards as possible.

I tried some mechanical disk options and in the dry, one was bad, one was on a par with a good rim brake. Obviously both would of been more impressive in the wet but personally i wouldn't bother unless going hydro or if i knew i was riding in the rain a lot.

On a steel frame on 35's i'm not sure you'll get much benefit out of a carbon post but a comfy saddle would be a must for me.

The only time i went touring covering some not pathetic distances i put all my focus into my fitness beforehand then had a bike fit a few weeks before i left which paid off.

I have a brooks C17 and a C15 both with cut outs in different bikes and the 17 squeaks like a bastard after 30mins. The C15 is fine though. I think they are both super comfortable for all day rides, not done many multi days though. I wouldn’t bother with a carbon post on a steel frame especially with a C brooks.
Aero bars? I think they would be aces to hide out behind your bag in the wind.
I also have Paul Touring Canti’s and think they stop about as well as any none hydro disc I’ve ridden. They were crap when I first set them up, but doing the right angle straggle set up and having the pad to rim gap quite a bit bigger than on caliper brakes they have been faultless.

That’s good to know about the cantis. They do stop really well, but the squeal needs attention. What straddle angle did they need? And why the pad gap?

Good to dissuade me from unnecessary purchases or changes anyway.

But I have posted a wanted advert for a c15 carved. It ticks the boxes as far as I can tell.

I’m unlikely to change tyres, but I’ll see how they’re getting on over time.
I’m quite heavy - 78kg - so I’m quite happy for the bigger diameter. And there will be some weight on the bike - a Carradice Nelson on the rear, and some kind of bag likely strapped under the aero bars.

Another vote of confidence to not bothering messing with the brakes as well. Good stuff!

I set mine up with an Allen key lent against the brake, bend on where the cable mounts and the short end pointing at pivot point. Then set the cable to mirror the long end of the Allen key. Hope that makes sense? I’m sure Russ has done a how to on PLP over on YouTube. However, as you have guards and fatter tyres my guess is the you’ll end up having the Dango Bros as close to the guard as you can.
The pad gap is so you take up the slack and gap with the first bit of pull on the lever, finger tips and first joint and then actually pull and apply the braking force with the bits of you fingers closer to the palm, where all your grip strength is. The more swing the lever has the more force it will deliver. It’s weird when you first ride, but it soon becomes the new normal.
The above could just be smoke, but it works for me.

Found the video thing
https://youtu.be/CDdWIq4cLLo

Will have a proper watch at the weekend and have a tinker!

The first draft route plan.

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If you need some fixed company on day one or two give me a shout. I could put you up but unfortunately 20miles from Launceston.

What size tyres are you running atm? They look pretty girthy and I'd keep them that way, the biggest you can fit without any danger of rubbing on the the mudguards. With the state of the roads at the moment every little helps. It wasn't fixed but I've tinkered a lot over the past 18 months or so trying to find comfort, tubeless at lower pressures helped but I know road tubeless is divisive matter so to each their own!

IMO, a carbon seatpost wouldn't hurt, but the game changer as others have said is the saddle, which is a very particular thing. If you do change saddle, for the sake of your bits please do a couple of long shakedown rides! I'm a touch heavier than you at 82kg and I've found the newish Fizik Tempo Aliante to be super comfy, as long as you get the angle just right because of how much shape the saddle has. It's more a case of setting up to be in the saddle as opposed to on the saddle, if that makes any sense.

Aero bars, yes. you'll be massively thankful for them if for no other reason than to give your hands a bit of a break!

Not sure how much lead time you have but something I've found that materially increases my comfort on the bike on looong days out has nothing to do with the bike, and it's core strength. The stronger I am the longer I can hold myself in a good position on the bike and the longer the inevitable aches and pains take to set in.

Bon chance!

Gravelking slick 35c tubeless on there right now. Which is as big as can fit.

I deffo like aero bars for the rest it gives my shoulders - I’m very comfortable in them so can happily take reasonable stints on the drops or extensions. And it’ll be a handy place to mount another bag.

I’m quite strong in the core, fortunately, from years of climbing. It’s just the cycling bit where I’m weak.

September is my vague mental target, but if things align sooner, I don’t see why I wouldn’t give it a shot. But i don’t have massive amounts of time for training, beyond a fairly tough commute and one big ride at the weekend.
I’ll need to try and do a couple of big days on the trot and similar. Leeds to Edinburgh would be good I reckon. It’s about 200 miles.

And yeah, whatever bike choices need to be road tested thoroughly before I try and try and ride 13 days on the trot!

Ah wicked - I just have to see if I can make this materialise now.

Its worth it, I did it with my dad a decade ago and enjoyed it. I don't know anyone that did it and didn't.

Likewise if you need a bed around Launceston I am in Tavistock :)

What tyre pressure are you running?

Unknown. When I’ve got a pressure gauge, I remember getting a value from some online calculator. But my current pump doesn’t have one.

Lower pressure is the first thing id try if you're having comfort issues. The silca calculator is good. I have the cheap blue schwalbe digital pressure gauge. Does the job well.

Yeah that’s the one!

No big adventures planned yet (today’s ride aborted out of tiredness and general malaise).

Did manage to clean it though. I feel a fair pang of shame. The improvement that a general clean and oiling of the drivetrain has made is significant. But this always happens because I hate cleaning bike and maintenance in general.

New longer stem also has it feeling WAY better. Just need to swap the saddle for the fizik I’ve been using on my road bike as it is noticeably more comfortable, but that’s less important until I actually manage to get out for a long ride on it.

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Proportions look much better than the stubby stem I had on before. And there’s more room for my knees now.

And also decided that I’ve been riding with my saddle about an inch too low for about a year. Whoops.

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It's a banger! Have you tried adopting the BDHU approach though? Would look even better imo.

Yeah, just back from the first ride on it, just tweaking angles so minor adjustments to come!

because I hate cleaning bike and maintenance in general.

Sounds to me like you need to start waxing your chains.

start waxing your chains

That awkward, long winded piece of bike maintenance?