What bike to ride on this years 'Chapman

[Lonewolff]

I have not done much Audax this year and have mostly been riding a fixed wheel bike. I rode the Chapman last year on gears but riding my geared bikes feels very strange at the moment. I am seriously considering doing it on the fixed.

I am looking for advise from people who have done this in the past. What gear did you ride? Would you do it again? I am a complete nutter for even thinking about it?

[border-rider]

I am looking for advise from people who have done this in the past.

I have ridden it 7 times on fixed, once (the first time) on gears

What gear did you ride?

68-70"

Would you do it again?

Yes, like a shot

I am a complete nutter for even thinking about it?

Hard to say.  It was my first 600 on fixed, but I'd done a couple of 400s and several hilly 300s and I was pretty confident.

How far have you done on fixed in one go ? If you've not yet done a 300 or 400 with no issues, I'd be cautious about going straight to a 600.  It's not so much the terrain as the cumulative discomfort.  If you haven't got the fixed miles in, it'll hurt.

Edit: it's not an overly hard 600 really.  The Denmead 600, for example, is a lot harder I think.  The question shouldn't be "Bryan Chapman on fixed ?" but "a 600 on fixed ?"

[Ian H]

I've done a couple of fixed 600s on fixed this season, without any problems.

I shall be riding the Bryan Chapman on gears.

Don't let either of these statements put you off.

[Charlotte]

Don't do it.

Hope this helps.

C.

[Maladict]

Don't do it.

Hope this helps.

C.

What's this, an attack of Sanity? 

[Maladict]

PS

MV: Will we be seeing you onna trike on the BCM at some point?

[GruB]

I am riding the Monsta Thorn, with gears as I have just put the rack on it and it has mudguards.  If the weather is poor I will be able to cope.  Even though it is steel ( looks out for zealots to attack ) I am loving this bike now.

[Charlotte]

Don't do it.

Hope this helps.

C.

What's this, an attack of Sanity? 

Yeah.  The 7Across has made me reevaluate my headbanging tendencies just a little.

Fixed = good
Fixed with distance = also good
Fixed with scenery = quite doable
Fixed with distance and scenery = likely to invalidate the warranty on even a deluxe fixie chick   

Iddu made a good point whilst we were grimping up yet another hillock on Saturday.  Perhaps if we can't all afford new Teflon knees, maybe we could have a whip round and buy a club pair?

[rogerzilla]

I used to say I'd settle for a grease nipple on the outside of each knee (on the inside, and they'd hit the top tube).

Do Wiggle sell synovial fluid?

[border-rider]

PS

MV: Will we be seeing you onna trike on the BCM at some point?

No.  And I say that with some certainty.  Not unless it's a fixed trike of course That way madness lies.

[iakobski]

I have not done much Audax this year and have mostly been riding a fixed wheel bike. I rode the Chapman last year on gears but riding my geared bikes feels very strange at the moment. I am seriously considering doing it on the fixed.

I am looking for advise from people who have done this in the past. What gear did you ride? Would you do it again? I am a complete nutter for even thinking about it?

68", Defo, Not in the slightest.


If I can get the time to do it this year (looking unlikely) I'll use a 72" gear. I've done all of 100 km audax this year, but as MV says: as long as (a) you've done a 400+ ride before (fixed or not); and (b) you've been riding regularly, you should not worry.

The Chapman is a very fixed-friendly ride, I'm surprised more people don't do it fixed.

[border-rider]

The Chapman is a very fixed-friendly ride, I'm surprised more people don't do it fixed.

That is true.  The climbs and descents mostly are very fixed-friendly gradients; the worst hill of the lot is the one on the Dolgellau YH drive.  That's the only one I've ever walked, and last year I worked out how to attack it with a run-up and actually made it !

Apart from that one, there's a nasty little pull as you come off the toll bridge - if you look at Damon's footage you'll see me suddenly accelerate towards and past him at that point to make sure I didn't stall.  The it's just that  one at Llancloudy/Welsh Newton.  That's not overly steep, but it's long enough to hurt at km 580 or so.

[frere yacker]

Done my fair share of fixed wheel riding this year but dismissed doing the Bryan Chapman on fixed.  I want to enjoy the 2004 route to the max and the additional strain on the body and mind if I rode fixed simply won't add to my experience.

[iddu]

Not unless it's a fixed trike of course That way madness lies.

[BiB]Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay - he's weakening...[/BiB]

[Greenbank]

the worst hill of the lot is the one on the Dolgellau YH drive

What is it about the roads up to Youth Hostels?

From memory (it was about 20 years ago) the road up to the Bath YH is up a big gradient (and coming the other way you've got Brass Knocker Hill!)
There's also Welders Lane up to Jordans.
<I've forgotten the third example I was going to give...>

Or is it just because I've only encountered these near the end of a long ride?

[iddu]

<I've forgotten the third example I was going to give...>

Rowen, Clicky - an absolute SOAB on the (inside curve of the) top bend, both up and down...

[frere yacker]

Swanage YH is at the top of a brutally sharp climb.

[Greenbank]

Swanage YH is at the top of a brutally sharp climb.

That's the one! Had a rope swing on the tree outside if I remember correctly. Saw that on the south coast cycling holiday when I was 14.

Anyway. Back to the Brian Chapman bike choice discussion.

If I do it next year (I hope to) I'll do it on fixed. And it'll be made of Titanium. Does that help?

[Regulator]

If I were to do the BC it would have to be on a motorbike.  Congratulations to the mad fools hardy folks who do it otherwise...

[Mr Larrington]

the worst hill of the lot is the one on the Dolgellau YH drive

What is it about the roads up to Youth Hostels?

From memory (it was about 20 years ago) the road up to the Bath YH is up a big gradient (and coming the other way you've got Brass Knocker Hill!)
There's also Welders Lane up to Jordans.
<I've forgotten the third example I was going to give...>

The one on top of the Ridgeway just south of Wantage?

There are no pubs up there chiz.  Riding back after a gallon of Old Speckled Hen was, ah, interesting.  gNick, meet Mr. Ditch

[border-rider]

The one on top of the Ridgeway just south of Wantage?

Nah, that's just Chain Hill.  Long anna bit of a B-road drag, but not steep.

[Mr Larrington]

The one on top of the Ridgeway just south of Wantage?

Nah, that's just Chain Hill.  Long anna bit of a B-road drag, but not steep.

While sober, maybe

[Ian H]

The one on top of the Ridgeway just south of Wantage?

Nah, that's just Chain Hill.  Long anna bit of a B-road drag, but not steep.

While sober, maybe

An alcoholic inclination.

[frere yacker]

The one on top of the Ridgeway just south of Wantage?

Nah, that's just Chain Hill.  Long anna bit of a B-road drag, but not steep.

While sober, maybe

An alcoholic inclination.

Brewers droop

(there is no monopoly on rubbish puns)

[Manotea]

Fixed or Gears?

I think the Brian Chapman proves the adage, "It's not about the bike".

Right up to the point where something mechanically terminal happens, at which point its definitely about the bike!