Any Fixed Gear riders in ED?

[Horsebox]

Pearson Wrote:

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> Horsebox Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Hi Davros,

> >

> > Not fixed, but I ride a single speed Charge

> Plug

> > 2010

> __________________________________________________

> ____

>

> Sorry Horsebox, i obviously had a sense of humor

> fail!

> Missed this earlier post of yours...:-S

Ah, I was just highlighting the silly post by Oilworker.

And Roberts, of course! I did some time in Croydon as a youth.

Back on/off topic:

Anyone ever play(ed) bike-polo?

(I reckon this thread is lounge-bound)

[mlteenie]

We could get more technical...?

e.g. what ratios are good for around town? Was thinking 46 x 17. I spose I need to work out the gearing. I usually ride around in 50 x 19, but not necessarily up/down hills.

[Unkle_Paulie]

Pearson Wrote:

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> Any LFGSS members on here?

Yep!

[Pearson]

DAS ;-)

[Pearson]

So presumably if there are a number of SS/Fixed riders on ED Forum

and there are also quite a few LFGSS Forumites in ED.

Then we have the makings of a ED SS/Fixed drinks?

(excuse to ogle each others bikes and chat about ratios and stems!)

CPT is good for bike parking.

most nights after work...:)

[Horsebox]

Pearson Wrote:

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> CPT is good for bike parking.

> most nights after work...:)

And it's a 30sec downhill roll from my flat :)-D

[binary_star]

> Anyone ever play(ed) bike-polo?

No but I really want to! Most of the bike Polo thingys are in East London though. In fact, the last time I looked there was only one women's bike polo group (Trixie chicks??) and they're Brick Lane or somewhere Shoreditch way. If there was a team locally I'd be more likely to go.

[binary_star]

> It's not the done thing to talk about your bike,

> Binary_Star (this goes for you too, Pearson)

> especially when it's an off the shelf stocker!

> No-one's going to be impressed until you've got

> something worth bragging about!

Ah yes, it's always best to wait until you own something worth bragging about before saying anything. If it's one thing I've learnt about material wealth it's that other people just LOVE it when I brag about my own expensive stuff they can't possibly afford or be worthy of owning ;-)

[Pearson]

binary_star Wrote:

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> > > Anyone ever play(ed) bike-polo?

>

>

> No but I really want to! Most of the bike Polo

> thingys are in East London though. In fact, the

> last time I looked there was only one women's bike

> polo group (Trixie chicks??) and they're Brick

> Lane or somewhere Shoreditch way. If there was a

> team locally I'd be more likely to go.

_____________________________________________________

Not true. We have a beginners Polo coach living right hear in ED! and quite a few players too :)

I believe Peckham car park on Tuesday evenings? will check though and post back.

There are also a few places up around London Bridge where last years London Bike Polo Hard-court Championships's were held. Across the road from the market.

[thebestnameshavegone]

I have a Condor Classico Pista as well as my road bike, fixed are MUCH better for a commute in London(unless you work in Archway...)

Worst hills around here for fixed are the one at the top of LL up to Crystal Palace, Jerningham Road and Denmark Hill in my opinion... (oof)

The anti-fixed lot usually:

a) have never ridden one

b) have probably only ever seen the utter weapons traversing the Fixie Spice Trail (Clerkenwell Road) with their spoke cards and insistence on trackstanding at every red light, and based their entire outlook on them from this...

(See also: people who watched Nathan Barley once, and base their stereotype of 'trendy people' on a 5 year out-of-date sitcom based on 10 year-out-of-date character)

[Horsebox]

thebestnameshavegone Wrote:

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fixed are MUCH better for a commute in

> London

Why is this?

I definitely prefer riding single speed in London as there's very few places where gears are needed but what are the benefits of riding fixed in town?

[thebestnameshavegone]

Sorry, fixed OR SS - just that less maintenance / London's largely on the flat.

Whether you ride fixed or SS is down to personal preference - I find fixed improves my cadence massively for when I'm riding a road bike and I like the extra control, but SS (with 2 brakes, aren't those people who take a brake off for the fixed 'look' a bit odd?) is still great for getting round London.

[Horsebox]

thebestnameshavegone Wrote:

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> (with 2 brakes, aren't those people who take a brake off for the

> fixed 'look' a bit odd?)

Haha! I've not noticed this, yet. How strange.

Agree that low maintenance is a massive benefit - part of the reason I switched from my last bike - a huge mountain bike, which was great for trips to New Forest and elsewhere, but completely unsuited to a commute and expensive to maintain.

@Mlteenie - I'm riding 42/16 which came as standard on the bike. Not sure I'll change this for a while unless you care to convince me otherwise?

[Unkle_Paulie]

Pearson Wrote:

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> Lance training 'fixed' with MASH:Austin Texas,

> 2008

Nice Vid! I love Lance's room with all his yellow jerseys!

[binary_star]

Pearson Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> binary_star Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > > > Anyone ever play(ed) bike-polo?

> >

> >

> > No but I really want to! Most of the bike Polo

> > thingys are in East London though. In fact, the

> > last time I looked there was only one women's

> bike

> > polo group (Trixie chicks??) and they're Brick

> > Lane or somewhere Shoreditch way. If there was

> a

> > team locally I'd be more likely to go.

>

> __________________________________________________

> ___

>

> Not true. We have a beginners Polo coach living

> right hear in ED! and quite a few players too :)

>

> I believe Peckham car park on Tuesday evenings?

> will check though and post back.

>

> There are also a few places up around London

> Bridge where last years London Bike Polo

> Hard-court Championships's were held. Across the

> road from the market.

Sorry, I wasn't clear I meant women's bike polo. It has been a couple of years or so since I last looked for a local group though. I also never looked into whether any of the lads groups were mixed, just kinda assumed they'd all be for gents. Thanks for the info about the beginner's coaching at Peckham car park though, I'd be up for that if it's still going.

[Pearson]

The 'coach' i mentioned is a 'woman' if that makes any difference.

Not sure sex makes much difference? Most Polo i watch is uni-sex.

Bit more inclusive ;-)

[binary_star]

Pearson Wrote:

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> The 'coach' i mentioned is a 'woman' if that makes

> any difference.

>

> Not sure sex makes much difference? Most Polo i

> watch is uni-sex.

> Bit more inclusive ;-)

No gender doesn't make any difference! I just thought there would be guys teams and girls teams...way to go me being all 90s and that ;) What time is the coaching on Tues evenings?

[Pearson]

haha.

You would be best to sign up to LFGSS forum and ask some questions there.

This is the thread:

https://www.lfgss.com/thread41959.html

[PaulR]

Another fixed rider here (also on lfgss) although I'm over the hill (agewise and in terms of living in SE23 rather than SE22). First foray was an old 531c-framed bike that I did up gradually, first as a single-speeder (used it in that format for the dunwich dynamo in 2005) and then fixed (dd in 2006 and 2007). The old conversion is now used by my elder son but I do fancy getting it resprayed by Mario Vaz some time and kitting it out with some slightly better equipment.

A few years ago I decided to switch to an off-the-peg machine and got a Kona Paddywagon which I now use pretty much every day, including occasional night rides to Brighton, Whitstable etc. It's now sporting some very tasty and practical Nitto Promenade bars for a sit-up-and-beg posture.

I bought a stereo (sort of space-age ghetto-blaster thing) on here a while back and turned up at the seller's house on my bike. She then arrived on a gorgeous (not baby blue) Rothmann fixed wheel bike, sold me the stereo and watched (I suspect with some wry amusement) as I headed off up Lordship Lane with the stereo hanging off my left handlebar. It survived - including the lovely descent from the Horniman to F Hill station. If only it had had batteries in it...

[mlteenie]

> @Mlteenie - I'm riding 42/16 which came as

> standard on the bike. Not sure I'll change this

> for a while unless you care to convince me

> otherwise?

Cheers, HB. I have since been advised by a very experienced fixie mate that he rides 44x18, so maybe I'll start with that.

[Pearson]

Measured in 'gear inches' you are actually on a higher ration than your friend. 68.9 v 64.2 - 70 is about average for a road/commute bike. (90 for a track bike for example)

If you were to adopt you're friends gear ratio you would be in effect dropping down a gear/ more spinning.

Which also equates to pedaling faster for same speed.

I would stick with what you have, even go higher if you are finding it 'too easy' if you know what i mean.

[plimsoul]

not read whole thread but picking up on bile polo (apologies if already mentioned) i'm pretty sure there's a group that do this on the concrete pitch on the east dulwich estate. sorry can't give any more info, but looks like great fun.

[mlteenie]

bile polo!?

[womanofdulwich]

i thought it was the top of the peckham multi storey car park?

[Jeremy]

womanofdulwich - vague possibility that there's more than one "bile polo" group in SE London.