htfu

you've been on this forum for aaaages and you've only now trying a fixed gear bike? wowsers.

GA2G - i know your first reaction is going to be you cant spin but i would advise shifting to an easier gearing when learning to ride fixed, possibly low 60s.

will mean easier acceleration and much easier braking although it will result in a reduced top speed - know its kind of obvious but it will help!

plus getting in clips and strap is bloody impossible in my opinion on fixed, although im sure everyone who uses them will say its a matter of practice.

Its a matter of practice :p, no really though, like anything its a little tricky at first, but becomes intuitive over time, riding fixed without being clipped/strapped in is just plain stupid as you are sacrificing so much bike control by foregoing the straps/clips.
I have to say a massive king size, super duper, uber +1 to dropping your GI to what ed suggested, i'm in the mid 60's myself at 44-18 and have no probs hitting 28-30mph on the flat, yes spinning is more knackering initially, but it's a trade off, you are having to improve your cardio fitness to enjoy more bike control when stopping/controlling speed, plus spinning is kinder on your knees than pedal mashing.
Silly big gears are only useful to track riders or people with ridiculously strong legs that can handle that kinda stuff on the road, i'm guessing you don't fit either of those criteria....neither do I, hence why I use a spinny gear, so I don't make my knee caps explode every time I want to stop!

you've been on this forum for aaaages and you've only now trying a fixed gear bike? wowsers.
I've been on this forum for 31 years. Where have you been?

Anyway, it used to be London Single Speed.

But the fixed gear cry-babies threw tantrums, so our ever-name-changing chief druid, allowed fixies (we called them pixies back then).

I used to ride strapless (with both brakes, obv). Still found it easier and more fun than SS. Persevere!

Skidding strapless quite a lot harder, though. :)

Me too, any tips on skiddage skills or is it just the good old 'Jamaican skid'?

Its a matter of practice :p, no really though, like anything its a little tricky at first, but becomes intuitive over time, riding fixed without being clipped/strapped in is just plain stupid as you are sacrificing so much bike control by foregoing the straps/clips.

Whilst I completely understand and agree with all the pro-clip arguments, I personally cannot stand the feeling of being clippied into/strapped into my pedals. It's exactly the same reason I didn't like rollerblading over skateboarding, it feels so horrible being connected to the thing you are riding. I'm glad I haven't been clipped in on the few tumbles I have had as getting a foot down mid-fall has definitely saved me from what could have been worse injuries. I still find that there is a much higher level of bike control riding fixed without clips compared to SS and now feel scared when I ride freewheel in traffic as I keep unconsiously going to footbrake and forgetting that I can't.

You're riding fixed and you're not clipped/strapped in? Now I understand your fear of curbs.

I personally cannot stand the feeling of not being clipped into/strapped into my pedals.

I personally cannot stand the feeling of not being clipped into/strapped into my bed in the psychiatric ward.

can we stay on topic please?

You're riding fixed and you're not clipped/strapped in? Now I understand your fear of curbs.

Hah! That's all changed *since *I've been riding fixed as I find it so much easier to pop the front wheel up now

I personally cannot stand the feeling of not being clipped into/strapped into a big bearded german man who promises he'll make me his little weiner schnitzel

.

In fact a little too easy, I keep wheelie-ing out of trackstands

In fact a little too easy, I keep wheelie-ing out of trackstands

I worry about you young man.

I personally cannot stand the feeling of not being clipped into/strapped into a big bearded german man who promises he'll make me his little weiner schnitzel

That's a little too close to home since we just had a bearded German guy start at work :)
No promises yet. Here's hoping!

I worry about you young man.

As much as I could find that condescending it actually cheers me up. I've just spent a weekend with friends I haven't seen in a while and they're all getting married and having babies and live just down the road from eachother and I had a real 'Am I getting old? Should I be doing this?' moment (it passed VERY quickly but it happened nonetheless)

As much as I could find that condescending it actually cheers me up. I've just spent a weekend with friends I haven't seen in a while and they're all getting married and having babies and live just down the road from eachother and I had a real 'Am I getting old? Should I be doing this?' moment (it passed VERY quickly but it happened nonetheless)

As if I would condescend to you my dear sweet child:) I'm just hoping you've got through that crashing phase that new couriers experience.

Well due to having two brakes and a fixed gear I can now stop on a dime if needs be which obviously helps..... not riding like a twat probably more so. Having had two hospital visits in a month shook me a bit so I've been taking it a bit easier and I've found laying off the morning coffees means I get a little less pissed off throughout the day. If anyone's interested I find downing a bottle of Lucozade has similar effects without the aggyness of caffeine.

Me too, any tips on skiddage skills or is it just the good old 'Jamaican skid'?

Jamaica skid? No, she did it voluntarily!!

Yep, admittedly more of a wet-weather novelty than a reliable method of stopping, but I enjoyed it so much that I mustered the cash and enthusiasm for some clipless pedals (and accidentally destroyed my rear brake).

I haven't looked back since; though that's largely because I have to concentrate on the road now that my stopping distance has doubled.

jamaican skid - move your leading foot underneath the forward pedal and pull up whilst pushing down on the rear pedal. ( Not recommended without a lockring on BMX pedals.. :-( ) - said provenrad on 25/09/08
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17 June 2010 (Day 3) Val d’Isere to Valloire

We are in Val d'Isere after two long eventful days which ended in that hideous soulless climb from Bourg Sainte Maurice. After breakfast our support crew has just berated all the riders about the fact that they waited two hours for us yesterday at a planned lunch stop, only for most of us to stop elsewhere. They have also told us that the weather conditions on the Col d’Iseran is looking bad and there will be no hanging about at the top. I feel totally drained, sleepless night with a river raging constantly outside our hotel window, not good preparation for one of the highest climbs on this year’s tour.

I set off at a mediocre/pathetic pace, the route up is pleasant enough, but it climbs endlessly. An hour in and we see snow everywhere, and it is still falling. It’s the middle of June ffs?!?, a surreal experience. At the summit there is little joy or banter, I can already sense that the descent will not be for the faint-hearted. It’ll take a lot of mental strength and skill to negotiate.

I ignore the kind invite to go into Chris’s warm 'Ponderosa' campervan for hot chocolate and meat on the bone carvery. I want to get this over with. Within minutes of setting off, the blizzard shows itself, I can’t see the road anymore and ice is forming on my handlebars. I have to choose between the car tyre tracks or fresh snow as I descend, soon though there is nothing to follow. I have shoe covers knee warmers, merino base layer, arm warmers, lightweight jacket and lobster gloves, but it is not enough. The cold is painful, and my brakes are not working, so i am riding unclipped feet down speedplay cleats ploughing through the mush. In the distance I see that one of our riders has stopped, his bike is down. He is in trouble, wearing very little and no gloves, looks like he is going into hypothermic shock. I am with another rider and we stop, hug him tight, jumping around to warm him up, crack a few jokes you know the ones, a bit like Scott’s adventures in Antartica.

Out of the blizzard a car arrives, we persuade the driver to take him down to the valley. I leave Mark with his Go Pro camera and Jonny’s bike, apparently he walked a kilometre in cleats down the road with both bikes, what a hero. I am back on mine and cursing the weather now, I misjudge a corner and down momentarily, but grateful I didn’t go over the side and lost to any rescue team that might realise in a few hours that I am un-accounted for. The knee warmers and shorts are still in one piece, the rash will hurt when I get some warmth back in my leg.

I am joined by Paul, there is now anger in my riding, I am shivering so much that the bike wobbles constantly. We come across Jonny Lockwood in an abandoned farm building beckoning us in as if he has a found a bar and a roaring fire.. to our disappointment it’s empty, the suggestion of pissing on our hands hasn’t lightened the mood. It’s not long before Paul, then a minute later I leave, hated myself for abandoning John to the rescue effort, but I want to get below the snow line.

Fortunately the road is not steep, and eventually the icy conditions turn milder, what joy let it rain and rain, I don’t fucking care that it stings.. I am soon soaked through. I finally find myself in a small roadside cafe, there are about a dozen riders in. The cafe slowly fills up. Not many words but written on the faces of everyone and what we had all just endured will live with me forever. It proved to be a very eventful trip, all in. But this was perhaps the hardest morning ride I have ever done.

Every training ride since then hasn’t come anywhere close to this experience. My gloves, shoe covers and knee warmers bears witness to some truly heroic gestures against all the odds that day. We arrive safely in Cannes the following Wednesday and embark on three solid days of partying hard...

http://vimeo.com/12739217

marky's gopro.. http://www.facebook.com/therealmarky?ref=ts#!/video/video.php?v=10150211394755328

I think you lost me after 'suport crew'

HTFU!

they were fucking useless the whole trip

sportstour international that is..

^ that pretty much sums up my experience...

Yeah man. No beer on the bus! In BELGIUM! WTF!

3000 euro fine J.....

fuck off >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

i shouldn't slag off STI..
the support guys (6) were paid £50 a day.. we were 70 riders and paid £1350 each.. I can't see where £94K was spent over 9 days, they made some stupid mistakes on our tour..
la fuga did the support this year, apparently much better..