[CR]CR permissible fixed gear/fixed wheel

(Example: Production Builders)

Date: Fri, 23 Sep 2005 10:59:20 -0400 (GMT-04:00)
From: "Russ Fitzgerald" <velocio@earthlink.net>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]CR permissible fixed gear/fixed wheel

Ted Ernst asked about gear ratios, and someone wisely reposted Brother Mick B's comments. I was going to note that all the older British cycling books I've read, from Camm's 1936 Newne's Every Cyclist's Handbook on suggests a 65-in single gear for men and a 60-in for women, at least for general riding. I note that the British Medium Gear folks limits riders to a 72-in gear, right?

My personal experience - I'm back on a 70 or 71-in gear, but only for a little while. Autumn is officially here, and will really kick in soon, and I'll be back on a 67 or so when it gets cooler. I figure come wintertime, I'll fit the 63-in gear again. That was once my dirt roads gear, and will be again, but it was also a great recovery gear when I decided I'd recuperated enough from my heart attack and bypass surgery to get seriously fixed again.

My first fixed-gear was a trashed out Raleigh Lenton that had been repainted badly and had replaced head lugs. I foolishly gave it away, and have since regretted it many times. My current fixed-gear is my KOF Mercian Vincitore (no. 504 on the fixedgeargallery.com site), which in my mind is to classic road-path iron what some of our brethren's early 21st Century randonneuse bikes are to vintage Herse and Singer machines.

Russ Fitzgerald Greenwood, SC, USA, who wishes he felt strong enough to ride his Mercian for this weekend's MS-150 like he did 2 years ago