Re: [CR]Stopping a fixed gear in Ted's day.

> Ted Ernst wrote:
>
>>> (snip) Back to the track. I keep getting side anecdoted.
>>> By the way, 50x16 is 25x8 or an 88" gear as we used to measure
>>> with 28" wheelchart. That was a most popular gear for average
>>> fixed racing. 26x8 was for the good guys on road, and the team
>>> race and six-day gear of choice, which was called 91. The
>>> sprinters used 25,24,23x7 which had more leverage from chainwheel
>>> to crank end so had a slightly quicker jump, but not the rolling
>>> of the larger chainwheels for longer distance races. The smaller
>>> CW's "died" sooner and you had to push a little harder to keep
>>> them rolling than the big chainwheel that rolled longer and it was
>>> just a little easier in the team and mass start long events. (snip)
>
>
>
> And then there is the 96" gear...
>
> "Martin seemed suddenly to wake up. He opened the kit bag and oiled
> his wheel, putting graphite on the chain and adjusting the bearings.
> Joe was halfway down to the saloon when Martin passed by, bending low
> over the handle-bars, his legs driving the ninety-six gear with
> rhythmic strength, his face set for seventy miles of road and grade
> and dust."
> -- Jack London's semi-autobiographical novel, Martin Eden (1909).
>
> Chuck Schmidt
> South Pasadena, Southern California
> United States of America
> http://www.velo-retro.com (reprints, t-shirts & timelines)