Yikes! Di2

On Friday, December 20, 2019 at 2:13:28 PM UTC-8, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Friday, 20 December 2019 13:24:11 UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
On Friday, December 20, 2019 at 5:10:05 AM UTC-8, duane wrote:
On 12/19/2019 1:44 PM, AMuzi wrote:
On 12/19/2019 12:16 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 12/19/2019 11:48 AM, Tom Kunich wrote:

Contrary to Frank's ideas, it appears that once you know
this stuff it is petty easy - easier than running cables
and attempting to get the tension correct and having to
readjust it a dozen times to get everything shifting
properly.

Once you know this stuff, it will be pretty easy - until
they come out with the next "improvement." Then you'll have
to learn it all over again. Meanwhile, the software will
have gone through three updates, each with a different user
interface. The next version of the software won't even run
on whatever computer you had; it may require you to move
everything to your cell phone.

And if and when part of the mechanism breaks, the generation
of equipment you own will no longer be available. Newer
generations will not be compatible. You may be able,
theoretically, to hack something into compatibility, but it
will involve hours of internet searching to find the hack.

All of this will be fine with most of the system's buyers,
because they won't want anything sold more than ten years
ago. And after all, why waste all muscular work pushing a
button? Only a retrogrouch would refuse to use voice command
shifting.

"Alexa, check Google Maps to see the gradient of the next
hill, and check Google Weather to see the speed of the
headwind. Check my blood sugar level and refer to my sleep
record from last night, an choose a good gear for me. Alexa?
Got that? Alexa? Are you there?? Alexa??? Hurry!! ****!!!"

And your shifting system responds:

"I'm sorry, I'm not capable of ****ting. I don't have that
bodily function."



Sorta.
And yet we survived CP/M, C-Basic, Lotus macro language. BASICA, C and
beyond, each because they offered some benefit we valued more than the
learning time.

You forgot PDP8s. Who could ever need more than 12 bits...

No one twists elbows to force sales of new equipment and as long as
fixed gear (since 1885!) remains a viable and popular option, you can't
say 'everyone's buying this new system'. Some are, some aren't, which is
fine by me.


+1

Fixed gear is fine as long as the ground is flat. We used fixed gear around here to train you to climb in large gears. Then that became too old fashioned.

I know lots of guys and gals who ride fixed gear up hills too.

Cheers

I rode up Mt. Hamilton (in T.K. territory) on a fixed gear a few times. It's murder coming down. That's why I hated fixed gears for riding around here. You could pick a nice gear that was good for the hills or at least manageable in the hills, and then you beat your kidneys to death riding down or took your feet off the pedals and let them spin around wildly, something I never liked to do. Fixies don't really make much sense in a hilly environment.

-- Jay Beattie.

On Friday, 20 December 2019 20:50:43 UTC-5, jbeattie wrote:
On Friday, December 20, 2019 at 2:13:28 PM UTC-8, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
Snipped
I know lots of guys and gals who ride fixed gear up hills too.

Cheers

I rode up Mt. Hamilton (in T.K. territory) on a fixed gear a few times. It's murder coming down. That's why I hated fixed gears for riding around here. You could pick a nice gear that was good for the hills or at least manageable in the hills, and then you beat your kidneys to death riding down or took your feet off the pedals and let them spin around wildly, something I never liked to do. Fixies don't really make much sense in a hilly environment.

-- Jay Beattie.

Fortunately the hills around here aren't super steep like mountain inclines are.

Cheers

On Fri, 20 Dec 2019 20:48:13 -0500, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 12/20/2019 5:27 PM, John B. wrote:
On Fri, 20 Dec 2019 09:28:53 -0500, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 12/20/2019 3:27 AM, John B. wrote:
O.

Errr, powered, two wheel vehicles date back over a hundred years and
haven't yet made the Olympics :-)

... as far as we know...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6w3TJs0lks

I thought that was all corrected a few years ago?

Yep. And all the conventional doping was fixed too.

Oh, wait...

Technology marches on. (So does chemistry and biology.)

I once read a book by, I believe, the head of the testing laboratory
for the Australian Olympics, which documented that as far back as the
original Greek Olympics participants were using "other methods" to
enhance their chances of winning. In the Greek case roasted bull
testicles were said to invigorate the body.

Apparently better substances have been discovered recently :-)
--
cheers,

John B.

jbeattie wrote:
On Friday, December 20, 2019 at 2:13:28 PM UTC-8, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Friday, 20 December 2019 13:24:11 UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
On Friday, December 20, 2019 at 5:10:05 AM UTC-8, duane wrote:
On 12/19/2019 1:44 PM, AMuzi wrote:
On 12/19/2019 12:16 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 12/19/2019 11:48 AM, Tom Kunich wrote:

Contrary to Frank's ideas, it appears that once you know
this stuff it is petty easy - easier than running cables
and attempting to get the tension correct and having to
readjust it a dozen times to get everything shifting
properly.

Once you know this stuff, it will be pretty easy - until
they come out with the next "improvement." Then you'll have
to learn it all over again. Meanwhile, the software will
have gone through three updates, each with a different user
interface. The next version of the software won't even run
on whatever computer you had; it may require you to move
everything to your cell phone.

And if and when part of the mechanism breaks, the generation
of equipment you own will no longer be available. Newer
generations will not be compatible. You may be able,
theoretically, to hack something into compatibility, but it
will involve hours of internet searching to find the hack.

All of this will be fine with most of the system's buyers,
because they won't want anything sold more than ten years
ago. And after all, why waste all muscular work pushing a
button? Only a retrogrouch would refuse to use voice command
shifting.

"Alexa, check Google Maps to see the gradient of the next
hill, and check Google Weather to see the speed of the
headwind. Check my blood sugar level and refer to my sleep
record from last night, an choose a good gear for me. Alexa?
Got that? Alexa? Are you there?? Alexa??? Hurry!! ****!!!"

And your shifting system responds:

"I'm sorry, I'm not capable of ****ting. I don't have that
bodily function."



Sorta.
And yet we survived CP/M, C-Basic, Lotus macro language. BASICA, C and
beyond, each because they offered some benefit we valued more than the
learning time.

You forgot PDP8s. Who could ever need more than 12 bits...

No one twists elbows to force sales of new equipment and as long as
fixed gear (since 1885!) remains a viable and popular option, you can't
say 'everyone's buying this new system'. Some are, some aren't, which is
fine by me.


+1

Fixed gear is fine as long as the ground is flat. We used fixed gear
around here to train you to climb in large gears. Then that became too old fashioned.

I know lots of guys and gals who ride fixed gear up hills too.

Cheers

I rode up Mt. Hamilton (in T.K. territory) on a fixed gear a few times.
It's murder coming down. That's why I hated fixed gears for riding
around here. You could pick a nice gear that was good for the hills or
at least manageable in the hills, and then you beat your kidneys to death
riding down or took your feet off the pedals and let them spin around
wildly, something I never liked to do. Fixies don't really make much
sense in a hilly environment.

-- Jay Beattie.



A guy at my office switches to a fixie for winter commute. Says it’s
better in the slush and ice. He comes over Mount Royal and I can’t imagine
how he goes down that with no freewheel.

On 12/21/2019 9:35 AM, Duane wrote:
jbeattie wrote:
On Friday, December 20, 2019 at 2:13:28 PM UTC-8, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Friday, 20 December 2019 13:24:11 UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
On Friday, December 20, 2019 at 5:10:05 AM UTC-8, duane wrote:
On 12/19/2019 1:44 PM, AMuzi wrote:
On 12/19/2019 12:16 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 12/19/2019 11:48 AM, Tom Kunich wrote:

Contrary to Frank's ideas, it appears that once you know
this stuff it is petty easy - easier than running cables
and attempting to get the tension correct and having to
readjust it a dozen times to get everything shifting
properly.

Once you know this stuff, it will be pretty easy - until
they come out with the next "improvement." Then you'll have
to learn it all over again. Meanwhile, the software will
have gone through three updates, each with a different user
interface. The next version of the software won't even run
on whatever computer you had; it may require you to move
everything to your cell phone.

And if and when part of the mechanism breaks, the generation
of equipment you own will no longer be available. Newer
generations will not be compatible. You may be able,
theoretically, to hack something into compatibility, but it
will involve hours of internet searching to find the hack.

All of this will be fine with most of the system's buyers,
because they won't want anything sold more than ten years
ago. And after all, why waste all muscular work pushing a
button? Only a retrogrouch would refuse to use voice command
shifting.

"Alexa, check Google Maps to see the gradient of the next
hill, and check Google Weather to see the speed of the
headwind. Check my blood sugar level and refer to my sleep
record from last night, an choose a good gear for me. Alexa?
Got that? Alexa? Are you there?? Alexa??? Hurry!! ****!!!"

And your shifting system responds:

"I'm sorry, I'm not capable of ****ting. I don't have that
bodily function."



Sorta.
And yet we survived CP/M, C-Basic, Lotus macro language. BASICA, C and
beyond, each because they offered some benefit we valued more than the
learning time.

You forgot PDP8s. Who could ever need more than 12 bits...

No one twists elbows to force sales of new equipment and as long as
fixed gear (since 1885!) remains a viable and popular option, you can't
say 'everyone's buying this new system'. Some are, some aren't, which is
fine by me.


+1

Fixed gear is fine as long as the ground is flat. We used fixed gear
around here to train you to climb in large gears. Then that became too old fashioned.

I know lots of guys and gals who ride fixed gear up hills too.

Cheers

I rode up Mt. Hamilton (in T.K. territory) on a fixed gear a few times.
It's murder coming down. That's why I hated fixed gears for riding
around here. You could pick a nice gear that was good for the hills or
at least manageable in the hills, and then you beat your kidneys to death
riding down or took your feet off the pedals and let them spin around
wildly, something I never liked to do. Fixies don't really make much
sense in a hilly environment.

-- Jay Beattie.



A guy at my office switches to a fixie for winter commute. Says it’s
better in the slush and ice. He comes over Mount Royal and I can’t imagine
how he goes down that with no freewheel.

Brakes?


--
- Frank Krygowski

On 12/21/2019 8:35 AM, Duane wrote:
jbeattie wrote:
On Friday, December 20, 2019 at 2:13:28 PM UTC-8, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Friday, 20 December 2019 13:24:11 UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
On Friday, December 20, 2019 at 5:10:05 AM UTC-8, duane wrote:
On 12/19/2019 1:44 PM, AMuzi wrote:
On 12/19/2019 12:16 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 12/19/2019 11:48 AM, Tom Kunich wrote:

Contrary to Frank's ideas, it appears that once you know
this stuff it is petty easy - easier than running cables
and attempting to get the tension correct and having to
readjust it a dozen times to get everything shifting
properly.

Once you know this stuff, it will be pretty easy - until
they come out with the next "improvement." Then you'll have
to learn it all over again. Meanwhile, the software will
have gone through three updates, each with a different user
interface. The next version of the software won't even run
on whatever computer you had; it may require you to move
everything to your cell phone.

And if and when part of the mechanism breaks, the generation
of equipment you own will no longer be available. Newer
generations will not be compatible. You may be able,
theoretically, to hack something into compatibility, but it
will involve hours of internet searching to find the hack.

All of this will be fine with most of the system's buyers,
because they won't want anything sold more than ten years
ago. And after all, why waste all muscular work pushing a
button? Only a retrogrouch would refuse to use voice command
shifting.

"Alexa, check Google Maps to see the gradient of the next
hill, and check Google Weather to see the speed of the
headwind. Check my blood sugar level and refer to my sleep
record from last night, an choose a good gear for me. Alexa?
Got that? Alexa? Are you there?? Alexa??? Hurry!! ****!!!"

And your shifting system responds:

"I'm sorry, I'm not capable of ****ting. I don't have that
bodily function."



Sorta.
And yet we survived CP/M, C-Basic, Lotus macro language. BASICA, C and
beyond, each because they offered some benefit we valued more than the
learning time.

You forgot PDP8s. Who could ever need more than 12 bits...

No one twists elbows to force sales of new equipment and as long as
fixed gear (since 1885!) remains a viable and popular option, you can't
say 'everyone's buying this new system'. Some are, some aren't, which is
fine by me.


+1

Fixed gear is fine as long as the ground is flat. We used fixed gear
around here to train you to climb in large gears. Then that became too old fashioned.

I know lots of guys and gals who ride fixed gear up hills too.

Cheers

I rode up Mt. Hamilton (in T.K. territory) on a fixed gear a few times.
It's murder coming down. That's why I hated fixed gears for riding
around here. You could pick a nice gear that was good for the hills or
at least manageable in the hills, and then you beat your kidneys to death
riding down or took your feet off the pedals and let them spin around
wildly, something I never liked to do. Fixies don't really make much
sense in a hilly environment.

-- Jay Beattie.



A guy at my office switches to a fixie for winter commute. Says it’s
better in the slush and ice. He comes over Mount Royal and I can’t imagine
how he goes down that with no freewheel.



Same here I find control much better in adverse road/weather
conditions. Others don't.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Saturday, December 21, 2019 at 8:15:04 AM UTC-8, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 12/21/2019 9:35 AM, Duane wrote:
jbeattie wrote:
On Friday, December 20, 2019 at 2:13:28 PM UTC-8, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Friday, 20 December 2019 13:24:11 UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
On Friday, December 20, 2019 at 5:10:05 AM UTC-8, duane wrote:
On 12/19/2019 1:44 PM, AMuzi wrote:
On 12/19/2019 12:16 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 12/19/2019 11:48 AM, Tom Kunich wrote:

Contrary to Frank's ideas, it appears that once you know
this stuff it is petty easy - easier than running cables
and attempting to get the tension correct and having to
readjust it a dozen times to get everything shifting
properly.

Once you know this stuff, it will be pretty easy - until
they come out with the next "improvement." Then you'll have
to learn it all over again. Meanwhile, the software will
have gone through three updates, each with a different user
interface. The next version of the software won't even run
on whatever computer you had; it may require you to move
everything to your cell phone.

And if and when part of the mechanism breaks, the generation
of equipment you own will no longer be available. Newer
generations will not be compatible. You may be able,
theoretically, to hack something into compatibility, but it
will involve hours of internet searching to find the hack.

All of this will be fine with most of the system's buyers,
because they won't want anything sold more than ten years
ago. And after all, why waste all muscular work pushing a
button? Only a retrogrouch would refuse to use voice command
shifting.

"Alexa, check Google Maps to see the gradient of the next
hill, and check Google Weather to see the speed of the
headwind. Check my blood sugar level and refer to my sleep
record from last night, an choose a good gear for me. Alexa?
Got that? Alexa? Are you there?? Alexa??? Hurry!! ****!!!"

And your shifting system responds:

"I'm sorry, I'm not capable of ****ting. I don't have that
bodily function."



Sorta.
And yet we survived CP/M, C-Basic, Lotus macro language. BASICA, C and
beyond, each because they offered some benefit we valued more than the
learning time.

You forgot PDP8s. Who could ever need more than 12 bits...

No one twists elbows to force sales of new equipment and as long as
fixed gear (since 1885!) remains a viable and popular option, you can't
say 'everyone's buying this new system'. Some are, some aren't, which is
fine by me.


+1

Fixed gear is fine as long as the ground is flat. We used fixed gear
around here to train you to climb in large gears. Then that became too old fashioned.

I know lots of guys and gals who ride fixed gear up hills too.

Cheers

I rode up Mt. Hamilton (in T.K. territory) on a fixed gear a few times..
It's murder coming down. That's why I hated fixed gears for riding
around here. You could pick a nice gear that was good for the hills or
at least manageable in the hills, and then you beat your kidneys to death
riding down or took your feet off the pedals and let them spin around
wildly, something I never liked to do. Fixies don't really make much
sense in a hilly environment.

-- Jay Beattie.



A guy at my office switches to a fixie for winter commute. Says it’s
better in the slush and ice. He comes over Mount Royal and I can’t imagine
how he goes down that with no freewheel.

Brakes?

Brakes slow you, but your cranks still go around -- and if you're trying to make time (or rest) down a hill, you're screwed. I'm not a 200 rpm prodigy, and with long femurs, I'm not that smooth over 120 rpm. I'd be flailing down even a modest descent in a 70 inch gear. Mild rollers are O.K., though, and like Andrew says, fixies do give you good control in snow.

-- Jay Beattie.

On Sat, 21 Dec 2019 08:40:20 -0800 (PST),
jbeattie wrote:
On Saturday, December 21, 2019 at 8:15:04 AM UTC-8, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 12/21/2019 9:35 AM, Duane wrote:
jbeattie wrote:
On Friday, December 20, 2019 at 2:13:28 PM UTC-8, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Friday, 20 December 2019 13:24:11 UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
On Friday, December 20, 2019 at 5:10:05 AM UTC-8, duane wrote:
On 12/19/2019 1:44 PM, AMuzi wrote:

No one twists elbows to force sales of new equipment
and as long as fixed gear (since 1885!) remains a
viable and popular option, you can't say 'everyone's
buying this new system'. Some are, some aren't, which
is fine by me.

+1

Fixed gear is fine as long as the ground is flat. We used
fixed gear around here to train you to climb in large
gears. Then that became too old fashioned.

I know lots of guys and gals who ride fixed gear up hills
too.

I rode up Mt. Hamilton (in T.K. territory) on a fixed gear
a few times. It's murder coming down. That's why I hated
fixed gears for riding around here. You could pick a nice
gear that was good for the hills or at least manageable in
the hills, and then you beat your kidneys to death riding
down or took your feet off the pedals and let them spin
around wildly, something I never liked to do. Fixies don't
really make much sense in a hilly environment.

A guy at my office switches to a fixie for winter commute.
Says it???s better in the slush and ice. He comes over
Mount Royal and I can???t imagine how he goes down that with
no freewheel.

Brakes?

Brakes slow you, but your cranks still go around -- and if
you're trying to make time (or rest) down a hill, you're
screwed. I'm not a 200 rpm prodigy, and with long femurs, I'm
not that smooth over 120 rpm. I'd be flailing down even a
modest descent in a 70 inch gear. Mild rollers are O.K.,
though, and like Andrew says, fixies do give you good control
in snow.

Agree with Jay. I ride a fixed gear from time to time, and have
done for maybe 15 years. Descending is definitely more of a
problem than climbing. Around Bloomington, Indiana I had to be
pretty selective where I rode with the fixie, around here there
are far more suitable route options.

--
Ted Heise West Lafayette, IN, USA

On 12/21/2019 11:40 AM, jbeattie wrote:
On Saturday, December 21, 2019 at 8:15:04 AM UTC-8, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 12/21/2019 9:35 AM, Duane wrote:
jbeattie wrote:
On Friday, December 20, 2019 at 2:13:28 PM UTC-8, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Friday, 20 December 2019 13:24:11 UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
On Friday, December 20, 2019 at 5:10:05 AM UTC-8, duane wrote:
On 12/19/2019 1:44 PM, AMuzi wrote:
On 12/19/2019 12:16 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 12/19/2019 11:48 AM, Tom Kunich wrote:

Contrary to Frank's ideas, it appears that once you know
this stuff it is petty easy - easier than running cables
and attempting to get the tension correct and having to
readjust it a dozen times to get everything shifting
properly.

Once you know this stuff, it will be pretty easy - until
they come out with the next "improvement." Then you'll have
to learn it all over again. Meanwhile, the software will
have gone through three updates, each with a different user
interface. The next version of the software won't even run
on whatever computer you had; it may require you to move
everything to your cell phone.

And if and when part of the mechanism breaks, the generation
of equipment you own will no longer be available. Newer
generations will not be compatible. You may be able,
theoretically, to hack something into compatibility, but it
will involve hours of internet searching to find the hack.

All of this will be fine with most of the system's buyers,
because they won't want anything sold more than ten years
ago. And after all, why waste all muscular work pushing a
button? Only a retrogrouch would refuse to use voice command
shifting.

"Alexa, check Google Maps to see the gradient of the next
hill, and check Google Weather to see the speed of the
headwind. Check my blood sugar level and refer to my sleep
record from last night, an choose a good gear for me. Alexa?
Got that? Alexa? Are you there?? Alexa??? Hurry!! ****!!!"

And your shifting system responds:

"I'm sorry, I'm not capable of ****ting. I don't have that
bodily function."



Sorta.
And yet we survived CP/M, C-Basic, Lotus macro language. BASICA, C and
beyond, each because they offered some benefit we valued more than the
learning time.

You forgot PDP8s. Who could ever need more than 12 bits...

No one twists elbows to force sales of new equipment and as long as
fixed gear (since 1885!) remains a viable and popular option, you can't
say 'everyone's buying this new system'. Some are, some aren't, which is
fine by me.


+1

Fixed gear is fine as long as the ground is flat. We used fixed gear
around here to train you to climb in large gears. Then that became too old fashioned.

I know lots of guys and gals who ride fixed gear up hills too.

Cheers

I rode up Mt. Hamilton (in T.K. territory) on a fixed gear a few times.
It's murder coming down. That's why I hated fixed gears for riding
around here. You could pick a nice gear that was good for the hills or
at least manageable in the hills, and then you beat your kidneys to death
riding down or took your feet off the pedals and let them spin around
wildly, something I never liked to do. Fixies don't really make much
sense in a hilly environment.

-- Jay Beattie.



A guy at my office switches to a fixie for winter commute. Says it’s
better in the slush and ice. He comes over Mount Royal and I can’t imagine
how he goes down that with no freewheel.

Brakes?

Brakes slow you, but your cranks still go around -- and if you're trying to make time (or rest) down a hill, you're screwed. I'm not a 200 rpm prodigy, and with long femurs, I'm not that smooth over 120 rpm. I'd be flailing down even a modest descent in a 70 inch gear.

OK, I've never ridden a fixie - but I don't get it.

If you have brakes and you don't want to spin 120 rpm, why not use the
brakes to slow to where you spin 90 rpm? Or 70 rpm?

--
- Frank Krygowski

On Saturday, December 21, 2019 at 9:50:34 AM UTC-8, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 12/21/2019 11:40 AM, jbeattie wrote:
On Saturday, December 21, 2019 at 8:15:04 AM UTC-8, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 12/21/2019 9:35 AM, Duane wrote:
jbeattie wrote:
On Friday, December 20, 2019 at 2:13:28 PM UTC-8, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Friday, 20 December 2019 13:24:11 UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
On Friday, December 20, 2019 at 5:10:05 AM UTC-8, duane wrote:
On 12/19/2019 1:44 PM, AMuzi wrote:
On 12/19/2019 12:16 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 12/19/2019 11:48 AM, Tom Kunich wrote:

Contrary to Frank's ideas, it appears that once you know
this stuff it is petty easy - easier than running cables
and attempting to get the tension correct and having to
readjust it a dozen times to get everything shifting
properly.

Once you know this stuff, it will be pretty easy - until
they come out with the next "improvement." Then you'll have
to learn it all over again. Meanwhile, the software will
have gone through three updates, each with a different user
interface. The next version of the software won't even run
on whatever computer you had; it may require you to move
everything to your cell phone.

And if and when part of the mechanism breaks, the generation
of equipment you own will no longer be available. Newer
generations will not be compatible. You may be able,
theoretically, to hack something into compatibility, but it
will involve hours of internet searching to find the hack.

All of this will be fine with most of the system's buyers,
because they won't want anything sold more than ten years
ago. And after all, why waste all muscular work pushing a
button? Only a retrogrouch would refuse to use voice command
shifting.

"Alexa, check Google Maps to see the gradient of the next
hill, and check Google Weather to see the speed of the
headwind. Check my blood sugar level and refer to my sleep
record from last night, an choose a good gear for me. Alexa?
Got that? Alexa? Are you there?? Alexa??? Hurry!! ****!!!"

And your shifting system responds:

"I'm sorry, I'm not capable of ****ting. I don't have that
bodily function."



Sorta.
And yet we survived CP/M, C-Basic, Lotus macro language. BASICA, C and
beyond, each because they offered some benefit we valued more than the
learning time.

You forgot PDP8s. Who could ever need more than 12 bits...

No one twists elbows to force sales of new equipment and as long as
fixed gear (since 1885!) remains a viable and popular option, you can't
say 'everyone's buying this new system'. Some are, some aren't, which is
fine by me.


+1

Fixed gear is fine as long as the ground is flat. We used fixed gear
around here to train you to climb in large gears. Then that became too old fashioned.

I know lots of guys and gals who ride fixed gear up hills too.

Cheers

I rode up Mt. Hamilton (in T.K. territory) on a fixed gear a few times.
It's murder coming down. That's why I hated fixed gears for riding
around here. You could pick a nice gear that was good for the hills or
at least manageable in the hills, and then you beat your kidneys to death
riding down or took your feet off the pedals and let them spin around
wildly, something I never liked to do. Fixies don't really make much
sense in a hilly environment.

-- Jay Beattie.



A guy at my office switches to a fixie for winter commute. Says it’s
better in the slush and ice. He comes over Mount Royal and I can’t imagine
how he goes down that with no freewheel.

Brakes?

Brakes slow you, but your cranks still go around -- and if you're trying to make time (or rest) down a hill, you're screwed. I'm not a 200 rpm prodigy, and with long femurs, I'm not that smooth over 120 rpm. I'd be flailing down even a modest descent in a 70 inch gear.

OK, I've never ridden a fixie - but I don't get it.

If you have brakes and you don't want to spin 120 rpm, why not use the
brakes to slow to where you spin 90 rpm? Or 70 rpm?

You do just that, but if you want to go over 20mph down a hill, you have to spin like crazy assuming a 70 inch-ish gear. Fixies are fun or can be fun. I raced track (poorly), so they were what I rode, and back in the 70s early 80s, the coach of the SJBC prescribed fixed gear spinning for off season training. I rode a fixie commuter in California and for my first few years here in Portland, but I found descending too slow and frustrating when I was late for work.

-- Jay Beattie.