Jonny & Tim ride the Alps

I find 34x27 is good for going up them and 50x12 is good for coming down them.

i sat in 39 x 26 the whole way up every metre of the climbs. so technically you could do it fixed and have the flip flop geared for the downhill but 8 - 12 miles of spinning downhill would probably drive you insane and take away one of the thrills of the whole ride. 42x22 hhhmmmmmmm my knees would implode but you might want to contact maxl from the brighton thread or Alberto Contador

yeah I'd pm Contador. I'm pretty sure he's a member here. seen him lurking.

cool thx for the tip guys. Re: the 'my knees would implode' coment, I'm more concerned about riding up. I should have specified: 42x22 where the 22 is a freewheel. Still think its too tall of a ratio?

you might want to check out this thread and ask smallfurry about his experiance in Norway. personally i wouldnt focus on riding the alps fixed. you can certainly do it but riding with a selection of appropriate gears you will most likely enjoy more beatifull climbs in the region.

42x22 frewheel for me would be too big an ask. those climbs go on for miles and take between 1 and 2 hours of non stop pedalling upwards wth no respite. only you know your strength though. maxl is a much stronger rider than me so find out what he rode too. i'dsuggest asking bmmf but he'd only say he climbed the galibier in 52x12 - one legged strokes!

53x11 I think, Tim.

This is awesome feedback, thanks guys. Really helpful just to get a few outside thoughts from you...

Oops