Bikescience Tip of the Week :: Ride SS or Fixed
We asked Andy Sexton of Bikescience - Planet X stockist in the Bristol area - for a training or bike set up tip. This is the best he could come up with at short notice:-
Ride cross single speed (or fixed if you're brave). It's a good excuse for coming last.
Why not build a single speed cross bike from a Pompino or Pompetamine frame? Riding cross single speed makes sense as it's normally so muddy that you'll only end up with one working gear on a "proper" bike anyway. Amaze your friends and annoy anyone you beat by riding your local cross race on your one geared wonder.
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Frankly we were expecting something a bit more in depth, but at least he's got some product placement in there. Try harder next week Andy, we're watching you.
10 November 2011
Back in the winter of 62/63 I was in a club that specialised in CX in the winter (Rebel RC from Melksham)and we rode track bikes with a back pedaller rear brake only. No gear mechs or brakes to get clogged up or, in that winter, frozen up. Raised a few eyebrows on the start line as we had no brake levers. I remember a cross through woods near Aldermaston, we won the team. My team mate,the ex-pro Vic Nicholson, won it, I was fourth. Great days.