I put some really strong wheels on my geared bike and haven't broken a spoke in two years so I'll probably look to do something similar here. I'm mostly looking for the increased variety a single speed will offer me and the extra effort I'll be forced into.

You will be forced to work on the hills, but on the flats/downs you will actually end up spinning away without much effort. There is a misconception that they make you work harder, everywhere except the climbs you will end up wishing you had a harder gear to go up to. My singlespeed is a cruisy cross bike for short journeys, I actually find it frustrating when I'm in a rush because I run out of gears.

I could understand a single-speed if you wanted a light, low-maintenance runabout for use somewhere really flat. Outside of that I just don't understand the advantage of not having gears apart from reducing component costs (and possibly aesthetic reasons I suppose).

Seeing the prices being charged for fixies, or even fixie-adaptable frames these days, it is absolutely not about the cost. Maybe it was once upon a time. And seeing the amount of fixies being ridden around San Francisco, it's not about wanting a runabout somewhere remotely flat, either. It's all about the cool factor; single speeds are in, so everybody has to have one. Derailleurs are so 20th century.

Yes and no. Sure there are plenty who seem to want to ride a SS/fixie for the cool factor but that's not the only reason. If you are somewhere flat they are light and simple. If you build yourself there is less cost/complexity. Gospel appears to want one for reasons nothing to do with cool, I just don't get his rationale (that doesn't mean he doesn't have one). I would have thought a SS would be seriously bad for your knees on any kind of hilly terrain.

People with fixies in SF

My brother-in-law's a single speed rider down in North Devon. He's fucking insanely good mind you and has legs of steel. I won't be looking to replicate such feats of human endurance. I just want to add some variety and fancy a SS 29er as a good change up for when I'm riding flatter routes.

Here it is, Bobs:



It is actually quite big, top tube is 56cm, so might be a bit large perhaps. I have a 31in inside leg, and you can see I have the saddle quite high. The stem is also quite long, so a shorter one would make a diff. Anyway, have a think, the offer is there if you like.

That bike looks massive. I'm using that escaped melanistic leopard as a reference.

My legs are a good 3" shorter than yours. I'll have a think though, thanks.

Thinking of buying an off road trailer for the MTB, so I can go camping too. This looks the business, so does the price, about £500+



Video here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bb5XcBnTww

Would like to find a Aevon supplier in the UK, or a similar product if anyone can help

I think Bob Yak Trailers are pretty well-rated, they go for about 300 lids.

They are good. Only trouble is, my rear wheel is a screw through, not a quick release or bolt, so I need something attached to the saddle post. Can't find anything else out there.

Bolt-through rear for touring is an unusual combo, what kind of bike is it? You could ask on Singletrackworld, all kinds of touring nerds on there.

Trek Fuel EX 8 2011 Model Sepia


Not for touring, off road MTB

Thought I'd get back on Strava after mentioning it on here the other day. Picked a good day as I managed a 17.4mph moving average. I have felt in good nick of late, and I reckon I can go faster as I had a few hold-ups this morning. Definitely had a bit of a tailwind mind. Anyhoo, next week a few 7am rides methinks, see what I can do.

The other night I got a PB on my favourite segment going into a headwind, so if I ever get a tailwind going that way I fancy moving up a bit from my current 7th on the leaderboard.

Ahhhh, feels good to be back (cue broken shell of a man in a couple of weeks after relentlessly caning it in pursuit of PBs)

Do you have a mount for your phone or where do you put it when cycling?

Just in my bag, doesn't seem to affect the GPS too much although I get the very occasional odd reading, like cycling through the Thames 10 metres or so off to the side of London Bridge from time to time.

When you say moving average does that exclude all time stopped at lights etc.?

Yeah, exactly that. This morning there wasn't actually much difference between my moving time (32 mins) and overall time (34 mins), it's basically 1 mph difference between the two averages.

It doesn't take long on a bike to get up to speed or stop, what really kills the average is the times when you're having to coast slowly along waiting for an opportunity to pass that slow moving bus (which usually turns out to have been stuck behind a slow-moving cyclist!). However, you have to balance that against the fact that you're getting rest during those periods. All told, I think it is better if you can just maintain the same speed the whole way rather than continually having to stop and accelerate, even though you do get rest periods that way. But you have to be very lucky (or early, or a RLJer) in a city to be able to avoid having to stop from time to time.

I fucked my knee/calf/something up and have been off the bike for ages, should get a few runs over the next couple of weeks but will be trying to take it easy so I think I will (try to) leave Strava until I'm sure I'm 100%. It will be bad enough letting people overtake me without having to cave to countless mocking internet hordes too.

I'd agree that a constant speed is probably most efficient but would be very difficult to do on my route as well without taking silly risks and cycling like an asshole. I don't mind the odd break myself either though. It will be very interesting to actually see stats like stopped time because I don't have a clue what mine would be like, am only guessing.

I signed up for the app and browsed segments, don't appear to be any routes similar to mine in Dublin but maybe once I upload a ride I will find some competition.

It's quite tricky to browse segments, for some reason some just don't seem to come up on a search. As you say, when you do a ride you'll know which segments are on your route. Plus you can of course create your own ones, either public or private, once you've logged a ride.

I wouldn't worry about countless internet hordes, but let me know when you start using it and we can 'friend' each other and dole out a bit of kudos to each other. It's as close as I'll get to internet social networking!

Not sure if this'll show from facebook, but it's one of the many shots I took on my 35km mountain bike trip today.

Looks great, Niegs. Nothing like being on a bike in the woods for a feeling of freedom and being away from it all.

Doing a wee jaunt from Ally Pally to Brighton tonight with a bunch of ex team mates - should be a fun ride if the weather stays kind!

Ditchling Beacon will be interesting in the wee small hours of the morning.

Hmmm, hope the wind eases off

A bit of sharing the work may be called for. Sounds like great fun anyway, enjoy!

From the look of the forecast, the wee small hours could be a little damp, will spend my time sheltering behind 6 foot 5 inch former second row.

As will getting across C. London.

Leaving Ally Pally at 10pm so should be a little quieter than day and rush hour time - not a great deal though if past experience is anything to go by.

Neig, great pic, 35km is a good length MTB ride and definately qualifies for a few extra "reward beers"

I bought my youngest lad a Hardrock for this 10th birthday last week, it's his first 26" wheel MTB. So I've planned out some trails for my two lads and me this Sunday, should be fun and a nice recovery ride for me from the Saturday club ride on my roadie.

Womak, what's your username, I'll look you up

Well it's just my name.

Think Spiderman (first name) and controversial Scottish firebrand MP (surname).

Just finished putting the bar tape on the CR1

Done.

I assume that your morning commute is predominantly downhill to allow for hangover recovery...

Presumably white, it's faster....

Its all black, stealthy. If today's mountain biking is any indication it won't be going fast anytime soon unless its going downhill!

Well it certainly helped this morning! The wind is generally on my side in the mornings too, suffice it to say I generally find the ride in a lot more enjoyable.

You're logging some fairly serious milage there!

Chatel on friday, got the SC Nomad built up last week, jeez this pastime can easily send you to the poor farm without the wife's intervention

Enough of all this gay talk.

How long can you hold a wheelie?

Just because bullhorn bars look like they're half the length of regular drop bars, doesn't mean you can get away with using half a length of cork tape on each side to have another roll spare for the future.



They do look fucking seriously cool, though.

I'd like to do more, but between - family, work travel and house renovation, cycling takes fourth place. So I've been offsetting volume with intensity by doing intervals on my trainer during the week, which is mindnumbingly boring