Triathlon on single-speed

Thanks to everyone who posted on the Triathlon fixed thread. I now know that fixed gear set ups are not allowed by the BTA.

So, I thought I'd try my next triathlon cycling single-speed (Thames Turbo, 25 August, www.thamesturbo.co.uk).

I've gone for a 18T freewheel, which will give me a gearing of 48:18.

Questions: is it easy to fit the freewheel to my flip-flop hub and, if yes, how is it done?

go higher gearing.

go higher gearing.

Really. How high? I am not super-fast. Did 20K on my last triathlon on a geared bike in about 47mins.

ride the route on your fixed.
looking at the route it is v. flat, add that to the ability to coast = 48x14 for good times.
otherwise you'll be pissed off with the spinning.

Get a 16 - it's the smallest Shimano freewheel out there. 80ish" is a respectable TT gear - I've gone under the hour on it (25 mile), but that means averaging at least 106rpm.

48x18 is spin-o-rama. Approx 117rpm average to crack the hour. Do-able, but not altogether comfortable, speaking from experience :O

It's around the Hampton Court area of west London - which is, if memory serves, a very flat neighbourhood

Thanks eyebrows and BMMF - I'll look to get a smaller toothed freewheel

I now have a 18T Dicta freewheel to swap :0)
Wouldn't mind a 18T cog for the fixed side of my hub...

Good luck in the event - let us know how it goes.

Good luck in the event - let us know how it goes.

Will do, I'll post here.

Hopefully it will be a better finish than the St Albans triathlon I did in June - a marshall "got confused" and loads of runners ended up doing two extra miles. That hit my time a little. At least they refunded my entry fee.

OK I have to report back - I made a cock up with my entry and was turned away on the day. Big disappointment. So no report as yet. I am still itching to use it on a tri, so I'm looking for a sprint event in or near London.

In the meantime, here's a couple of pictures of my bike, Surly Steamroller "complete". Now features some personal touches - gum Cane Creek brake levers, Cinelli natural cork tape, Continental GP4000 'brownwall' tyres, MKS chain tensioner, Kev-tastic top tube protector, Charge Spoon saddle and 18T freelwheel added to the other side of the hub.

Would like a brass bell as the final touch...

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I just did the London Tri with a 48 x 16 - That worked out fine. Good luck with whatever event you enter.

If you fancy giving said bike a run out , there is a 20k time trial at Blenheim palace for the cycling festival day on Sun 28th of sept . I will be there doing it on my langster .

I just did the London Tri with a 48 x 16 - That worked out fine. Good luck with whatever event you enter.

Fixed or SS?

If you fancy giving said bike a run out , there is a 20k time trial at Blenheim palace for the cycling festival day on Sun 28th of sept . I will be there doing it on my langster .

Drat and double-drat! That is my twin boys' birthday - no can do - enjoy it!

will let you know how i get on . bit hilly apparantly . Now where did i leave my turbo trainer and hrm ..........

Im doing the Blenheim TT as well (on a geared bike though) tis my first race so we shall see how it goes, looking to do triathlons as well, riding them single speed sounds like a cracking idea let me now how it goes!!

I'd run a 48x15 or a 48x14 if the course is flat and not a half Ironman or Ironman.

(arise lazarus!)

Just signed up to my first tri and thinking of using my Charge Plug, I can flip over to ss to make it compliant with the rules, but suspect that I'll need to get some new gearage for a half decent time.

It's a very flat 20K, loops around Dorney lake with lots of straights. Anyone else doing this? http://regonline.activeeurope.com/builder/site/default.aspx?EventID=681256

Bike is 42 16 as standard, what's cheapest/easiest way of upping the gearage?

Assume easiest and cheapest is to get a 14T ring? Would that fit on my OTP cassette hub? Or would that not be enough? Do I have to man-up and replace the chainwheel (and crankset?) with something teethier 46/48?

The route is flat!
Am a member of the club and have done the race several times not on single speed tho.
It's a great event
Hope it all goes well for you. May be there myself.

I'm going to do it.
it'll be a step towards recovery.
Might do gears though, as I don't have a bike that would be suitable SS.

I want to do this one as a full tri as well:
http://www.allabouttriathlons.co.uk/events_xtf.php
gonna need some MTB training though

I did the London tri on a 80" gear, singlespeed. I seem to recall it was a 42x14 set-up but when I think about it again, I suspect it must have been 48x16 because of the difficulty of getting a 14T freewheel (only available in BMX thread because of the space needed for pawls and other internal gubbins).

It was great - unlike my previopus attempt, I didn't leave my cycle computer at home and therefore miscount the laps and do an extra 10k, and it was a hoot overtaking the geared riders whenever they changed down, and the 80" gear meant i wasn't spinning too madly. However, it did take me a whisker over an hour to do the 40k. Oh, and it was a few years ago now. I'm younger and fitter now.

I'm doing the cycling bit of the London triathlon this year... will probably do it 79" or thereabouts singlespeed. Looking forward to it.

I'm doing the cycling bit of the London triathlon this year... will probably do it 79" or thereabouts singlespeed. Looking forward to it.

I thought you didn't ride anything below 90 GI ?

Bit of advice please? The good folk at Brixton cycles think that there's no fitting a 14T freewheel to my charge plug, they seem to know their shit, (and were super friendly) but this looks very similar to the 16T dicta freewheel that comes as standard on my charge plug.

Also, is there any advantage to having a bigger chainring rather than a smaller sprocket even if the gear inches are the same, i.e. 48:16 rather than 42:14, both have 79.1 GI.

cheers.

^that's a BMX freewheel - it won't fit on your hub, so you'll have to go 48t anyway.

Larger cogs/chainrings roll better - that's the theory anyway. You don't need to replace the crankset, just the chainring. Just let BC fit it if you're unsure of wrenching protocol.