LondonFGSS-on-sea - Brighton fixies

i tried posting on the group last night but facebook was playing up!

anyway, fingers crossed on wed weather from now on.

anyone go tonight?

I hear Jo Rowsell was there with her World Championship gold medal, decent standard of novices by the sound of it, glad my sciatica is still playing up

Yeah man flu put off will go next week.

in a way quite glad don't think my debut would have been up to standard

yep went to the track meet, with the wrong gear ratio and flat bars....so had to borrow some bars and spin like a bitch! good fun though and a little scary. its on next week so i expect to see more of you guys there!! oh and Jo did come along with here world champ medal and jersey, a nice supprise and fun to see!

as a slow type am I just going make a bit of a tit of my self lewis?

Hello all..
Good to find the virtual Brighton fixed-gear hangout. I'm Tim, and I own the red Guerciotti conversion mentioned on the first page (recently back on the road). I mostly use it for making runs out to Sussex Uni, but am looking forward to some longer rides when I have a bit o' free time.

I'm also one of the volunteers at Cranks, the DIY workshop also mentioned in this thread... Thanks for the kind words, I found this thread because it sends a trickle of traffic to our website. I'm not going to be there for the next few weeks, but it would be nice to see some more of the FG contingent using our space. The lack of bent SIS tin derailleurs and rust-welded freewheels certainly makes the DIY facilitating a lot easier.

I'd like to go down to the 'drome in the next few weeks. What kind of equipment is expected? A lid, I assume- how about lycra vs. jeans? What are they like about road conversions, and the existence of a (detached, obviously) brake and levers. Do they need to be completely removed like most wooden tracks, or is the ghettodrome more tolerant? Also, what ballpark gearing would people recommend I run?

Sorry about the caution, I have a track record (no pun intended) of turning up to sports activity with inappropriate kit and feeling like I'm back at school being forced to do cricket in my speedos.

Anyway, nice to make your acquaintance (I may already know a few of you in fact, give me a shout if I do)..

Tim

ok if you godown next week, you will be inducted in a group and put through some drills to get you used to riding close and next to people,
bring your own bike, i think conversions are fine but brakes have to come off and yes lids are needed to.
Also it may be worth changing your gear ratio to something in the high 70's or low 80's as i found out....69inches is impossible to keep up with! oh and drops are needed too. although i dont know if 'horned' bars are ok....
jeans are fine but you will be amazed at the difference wearing lycra makes, and it makes you areodynamic...
hope this helps and will see you there!

kelvin just come along its fun just to try

we're all coming out the wood work... I'll be down lewis i promise

Tim, I need to completely replace the drive train on my MTB but lacking plenty of tools, you'd lovely lot would be able to help then?

Lewis, thanks for the tips. I'll try to be there on Weds if I can get some naked bars sorted out.
Kelvin, we should have everything you need. We don't have the tools to fiddle with outboard-bearing BBs yet if that's your sauce, but will be good for everything else.

I'll try to come down Wed. Hope the snow is gone by then! Bike is still in pieces so I'll just be watching, which is a fucker. Maybe next week it'll be done.

Tim, nice to see you on here. I have met you down there at cranks. Meant to try and do some volunteering, but time is a little short at the moment.

Anyway, see you all wed.

Hello everyone.

I've been on the board a while but only just found this thread.

Good to hear there's other fixed-wheel riders down here. Mine's a traffic-light red old British road frame (Allin, resprayed) with huge old wheels (27x1.25) and bullhorns.

Met Lewis at the track last week. My first time, also, and would agree that everyone's really friendly. Can't make it this week, but will go the week after. They would have let me go with my bullhorns, brake released, but seeing as they had a track bike to borrow I took that. Will probably invest in some drops because I had a lot of fun.

Shop-wise, I've only heard good things about Baker Street, and G-Whizz found me a cyclo chain tug (for road drop-outs) so I'd put a good word in for him, too. South Coast bikes did my respray (it's OK), but somehow I'd be inclined to go to other places first for other jobs.

As I said, will be at the last open track sesh (way not fast enough to race, I think), but would be up for other rides at the track or around and about. This summer I'm aiming to get up the beacon from the landward side...

Cheers!

PS - Do I have to join Facebook to keep up with what's going on? I have made a deliberate decision not to join thus far because I'm freelance and when I timewaste at work I don't get paid...

the face book thing is a relative new thing though I am addicted to the fb all the ride organisation goes on here

We seem to be building up a real mini posse so this weekend who is free?

im off to Afan forrest this weekend for some mud drenched mountian biking! wooo! so wont be about this weekend, but im up for a social ride/pub meet when i get back!

I'm going to do the Evans Ride It ride on Sunday.

See here

Not fixed, though.

Anyone else doing this?

yep. i'm in for the evans ride M. getting a ticket tomorrow.

going to the track meet on wednesday. think i might get myself a lisense and get stuck into the racing too, had a go last year but got mashed... good fun though, would recommend it if you have the legs! or if not, get in anyway and we'll have our own little league :)

i'm up for a ride out into the sticks this weekend. sat or sun??

really pissed off that my new bike isn't ready. shouldn't have sold the worthy :(

This Evans ride is a 30/60/90 miler,starting from Plumpton. Costs a tenner but you get signposting, mechanical support, timing and food stops, I think.

Done the Southern Sportive before, which was well worth it, and this sounds similar. Me n Andy are gonna do the 60 miles, I think... Wouldn't recommend it fixed as they usually devise them so that you go across the downs a few times to get a few climbs in.

Do you fancy it?

hmmm sounds interesting.....i only have a fixed though as a road bike
when is it?

Think I'm going to busy on Sunday, but looks like fun..
I only have fixed as well. Could someone have a look at the Google Earth flythrough and see how hilly the route looks.. maybe one of the shorter routes is easier fixed.(I can't run G-earth on this computer)

[URL="http://www.evanscycles.com/img/rideit_brighton_road_google.kmz"][/URL]

It's Sunday, starting between 8:30 and 10:30. details here.

I can't see Google Earth either - is it a mac thing? Weather forecast looks ever so slightly dicy but I'm staying optimistic.

as andy said in the 'Spotted @...' thread - I'm cross-posting.

"spotted in Brighton - preston circus. some guy on a felt pursuit with green velocity rim and riser 'bar. a local?"

Any one of youse, or any ideas?

So who's coming down the track look like perfect conditions!

look sgreat!

i'm envious but i gotta be in london... see you there next week tho.

i'm heading down. close to six as I can. just watching though unless I get a spin on one of their bikes.