Too steep for a fixie/ss?

I've been doing this commute for 4 months now, on a 10 year old £80 heavy mountain bike. I've replaced the tyres with some Schwalbe City Jets which made quite a difference, but the entire chainset is nackered, and slips in the highest gear, so not exaclty ideal!

I've been looking to buy a road bike to replace this, but then stubmled upon ss bikes, but a couple of the hills are pretty steep, and I'm not sure if they're too much for single gear bike. I don't want a ratio just for this hill as it'll kill by downhill and flat speed. For any locals, it's Brimble hill just outside Swindon...

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/5937/commute.png

Thanks in advance,

-Ifor

Yes

No

Depends on fitness really...

I don't consider myself to be very fit, but I've managed to get up the steep hills around Dorset on 70-72" on a fairly light bike.

I find 70" to be good for most things.

Just buy a bike and a a few more sprockets.

^ Don't listen to him.

Lol, thanks. If it's possible, albeit a good workout, I'd like to get one. But not sure whether to get an OTP, possible a Langster, if so, old or new? The other option is getting a cheap frame off ebay/craigslist and building it from scratch, but again no idea what frame to get, ahh the joys of being a noob...

Just walk on any really steep hills and gear for the rest. Not worth biasing gearing towards a few steep hills.

Not too steep, nothing is to steep, you've got a fairly short commute so being geared down to 60 or 65 inches isn't goig to be a big problem, take it easy and good luck!

You could just convert your current bike into SS with a single speed conversion kit for under 20 quid. If the front chain rings are fine it should get you up and running quite quickly and cheaply.

You could just convert your current bike into SS with a single speed conversion kit for under 20 quid. If the front chain rings are fine it should get you up and running quite quickly and cheaply.

I had thought of doing this, but the bottom bracket is knackered, and the front chain rings aren't that straight either, so it's more hassle than it's worth, that, along with the frame weight an absolute tonne!

Definately doable fella.

65-70 gear inches and job done.

http://www.londonfgss.com/thread9085-12.html#post1127864

http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/productDetails.asp?productID=21410

That said, I would try fixed before you decide.

Some thing weird is going on with my posting.

Without re-writing my original message that was before that one: what ^^ he said and I'm jealous of your commute, london is flat and boring.

I think it will be fine, just have a easy low gear and take it a bit more slowly.

That said, I would try fixed before you decide.

I don't know anyone who owns one sadly. Maybe it's worth converting my current bike to a ss for £20 even though its nackered, just to see if I like it, then get the Langster...

Thanks again

Fixed and single speed are totally different though. Don't get me wrong the conversion isn't a bad idea, it just wont really give you an idea of what fixed is like.

What size frame do you take? I'll be riding through Swindon on the way to Bristol a couple of times early this summer.

Pick a gear on your current ride, that you find comfortable on the flats. Stay in that gear (voila..SS) and see if u can grind up the hills. When you find the right gear...go fixed.

Pick a gear on your current ride, that you find comfortable on the flats. Stay in that gear (voila..SS) and see if u can grind up the hills. When you find the right gear...go fixed.

I did this before I ventured into fixed gear. Made a note of the sprocket I was comfortable with and then used this to work out what Gear Inches it was.

Don't forget that generally speaking, your fixed in theory *should *be lighter than the road bike, so if you find that gear a slog on the road bike, it (again, in theory) should be a bit easier on the lighter SS/Fixed due to less components on the bike...

Pick a gear on your current ride, that you find comfortable on the flats. Stay in that gear (voila..SS) and see if u can grind up the hills. When you find the right gear...go fixed.

Good idea, I'll be back on the steed 730am Monday morning in the shorts and jumper, so will give that a go then!

STE5 I'm 5' 9", and I take a 54cm frame (I think). Thanks for the offer, hopefully I'll have got a new bike by then! Been struggling with my current bike since Sep, quickly running out of patience! I'm quite new to the area, but Bristol seems to be the place to be, should really pay it a visit!

Check your frame measurement using one of the online fit calculators, 54cm for 5'9" doesn't sound right to me, but then it depends on your proportions. I'm 6'1" and take a 60cm frame.

I used to live in Bristol it's a really fun place to be, you should definitely visit. Make sure you go in the summer, go for lunch or breakfast in Mud Dock, visit the Arnolfini, have a pint in the watershed go up cabot tower, have a pint in the pub that overlooks the suspension bridge, try the local cider in the Corry Tap (14%). I don't know where the good nightlife is anymore but the St Pauls Carnival has been great the past 3 years I've been.

Come to London, west drinks are convenient for you west country folks, more than welcome to try mine but I'm 173cm so about 5ft 7 and a bit ish and ride a 49 cm track and 52 road frame.

More like 5'5

Come to London, west drinks are convenient for you west country folks, more than welcome to try mine but I'm 173cm so about 5ft 7 and a bit ish and ride a 49 cm track and 52 road frame.

I might take you up on that! Where abouts are you? I'm 174cm, and that's 5' 8 3/4" lol. So maybe I need a 52cm? I tried one fit calculator and it came out as 54cm :s maybe I'm just strangely proportioned!

I'm 6'1" and take a 60cm frame.

I'm 6"1' and ride a 56cm road bike. Doing bike fitting on an internet forum is about as pointless as doing religion or politics.

I'm 6"1' and ride a 56cm road bike. Doing bike fitting on an internet forum is about as pointless as doing religion or politics.

True