Hip Hop Skid Bikes / Hipster Sleds / HHSB

"...the Stelvio pass isn't even that hard it's just long, pick a nice GI and you'll be fine... getting up Alpe d'Huez fixed and I'll be impressed."

Just pick a nice gear ratio and you'll be fine ;-) In effect many pro climbers seem to ride it fixed or virtually fixed anyway; you certainly don't see them flicking through the gears...

"Hoping to do the Alpe fixed (up only!) this Summer, very low ratio needed, 39/25 on road bike so probably a couple of inches higher on fixed... In fairness, it's only the bottom 3km and a 1km stretch towards the top that are utterly vicious, the rest is just very nasty!"

Planning to do that too... including the descent, fixed and brakeless. One week in the Alps and one week in the Pyrenees respectively if everything pans out. Do you know when you'll be going?

I did Alpe d'Huez amongst other, tougher climbs when I was 15-16 years old on a multi-speed bike and never needed a ratio lower than 39/23 back then. Any idea what the pros are using these days?

/csb, is this the right thread?