Re: [CR]Re: Track Racing - "no pain, no gain"

(Example: Framebuilding:Norris Lockley)

Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2003 14:32:53 -0700
From: "Chuck Schmidt" <chuckschmidt@earthlink.net>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: Re: [CR]Re: Track Racing - "no pain, no gain"
References: <A9CF4EB95BC44C44A94CA51AF3FE90FEBC8D@server.normandassociates.com>


Richard Rose wrote:
>
> Chuck, I am surprised you get "naysayers" at all. I am frankly a little
> in awe at the prospect of riding around in the gear you use (48 x 16,
> right?). I know, I know, you are not "spinning" per se.., but that is
> still a big gear to be pushing around, whatever your motives.
> Richard Rose (Toledo, Ohio)
> 45 x 19 and that's all I can handle into the wind. Maintaining any kind
> of cadence that is.

Richard, yes I agree it is a big gear and actually I'm "spinning like a monkey" on the downhills. And you shouldn't be in awe at all. 79in (48x16) is like cranking down the road in your 80in (52x17); is that a big gear? On a really windy day like today I just take one of my geared bikes. Plus I have a triangular "course" (60 mile) that is sheltered from the prevailing winds on two of the legs and has a great tale wind on the longest leg (spinning real good on that leg). Plus 80in works in the rolling foothills around here if you attack them out of the saddle. Plus, I ride every day of the year!

Bottom line here Richard, I would think that everyone rides the gear that works best for them. And the people that race around here (I don't race) ride even bigger fixed gears than me after the beginning of their training each year.

Here's my most appropriate quotation I can find for fixed gearing: "Tis with our judgments as our watches: None go just alike, yet each believes his own." --Alexander Pope (1688-1744)

Disclaimer: virtually all of the above is just my opinion and nothing else!!!

Chuck Schmidt L.A.

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