Fixed Gear Cyclists Challenge World's Toughest Weekend Bicycle Race

Furnace Creek 508, a non-stop 508 mile bicycle race from Santa Clarita to Twenty Nine Palms via California's Death Valley and Mojave Desert, is the world's premiere weekend ultramarathon bicycle race. Produced by AdventureCOPRS since 1990, but founded in 1983 by John Marino, the October 8-10, 2005 edition celebrates the 22nd anniversary, and 31st edition, of this incredible race. Furnace Creek 508 is revered the world over for its epic mountain climbs totalling over 35,000 feet of cumulative elevation gain, stark desert scenery, desolate roads, and a reputation as one of the toughest but most gratifying endurance challenges available, bar none. Known as "The Toughest 48 Hours in Sport," Furnace Creek 508 is "Where the West is Won!"

In 2004, three hardy endurance cyclists challenged the brand new Fixed Gear Division at this world famous bicycle race. Tackling the entire event with just one gear and no coasting, as well as traditional steel frames, standard 32 spoke wheels, and no aero handlebars, all three finished. Click here to read about them and click here to view the 2004 webcast.

Here's a profile of the two fixed gear cyclists who will compete in 2005.

Emily Archaeopteryx O'Brien, Somerville, MA, 23, Rookie

Fixed Gear Event Experience
I ride my fixed gear on most club rides and club centuries, and take my road bike only for road races and occasionally for rides. My longest rides have been by myself, as opposed to organized events, and they have all been on fixed gear. I've never ridden in an event before that specified the use of a fixed gear.

Type of Bike
My bike is a 1974 Raleigh Professional frame, made in Nottingham in the Carlton factory, out of Reynolds 531 tubing. I got the frame and converted it to fixed gear initially to use as a commuter bike, but discovered I liked riding fixed so much that I started using it for actual bike rides as well. It isn't the lightest frame in existence, but it's far from the heaviest. It is ideal for use as a fixed gear because since it was originally intended for crit riding it has fairly aggressive geometry and a relatively high bottom bracket, which reduces the likelihood of pedal strikes. It is also very comfortable and fits me well.

Gear Inch: My gear is 42X16, which is about 70 inches.

Are two identical gears really the same? (A bigger ring and bigger cog can be identical to a smaller cog and smaller ring in gear inches, but do they "feel" the same?)
I haven't experimented with enough different combinations to know how equivalent combinations feel, but my guess is that if everything is clean and you're on flat ground, it probably won't matter that much. The reasons they are different that I can think of are: Weight, efficiency/friction, and wear life. A smaller ring and cog weighs less, but the difference is pretty minute unless you're really into counting grams. You might as well go looking for a lighter weight water bottle while you're at it. A larger ring and cog results in less friction in the drivetrain because the chain doesn't bend at as much of an angle when it curves around the gears. If you keep your drivetrain reasonably clean, this probably doesn't make that much of a difference; if your drivetrain looks like mine does in, say, February here in Boston, then it probably matters a little more! A larger cog and chainring will last longer as well, because the wear is distributed among more teeth in addition to the friction difference. Furthermore, since a smaller chainring gives you more leverage over whatever is connected to the other end of the chain (whether it's a cog, a brick wall, whatever) a smaller chaingring/cog combination results in more peak tension on the chain, increasing both friction and the probability that the chain will break.

Having a really honkin' huge chainring will also make you look tougher to all the messengers around town, since the size difference is more noticable up front than in back. So you can look macho by using a big chainring, regardless of your cog size. All that being said, I use my 42 because it's a convenient size to get ahold of, and I wear them out on a fairly regular basis  I don't think it makes enough difference to worry about... certainly not enough difference to justify the long explanation I just wrote! ;)

Types of rear dropouts used, as well as you how tension the chain
My dropouts are the original Campagnolo horizontal road dropouts. Yeah, I still have a derailleur tab on there. It's useful for hanging the chain on when I take out the wheel. I tension the chain by positioning the wheel where I want it, then tightning the bolts as much as I can by hand. Then I keep it from moving by wedging my hand in between the tire and the frame (I do this with the bike upside down usually) and then tightening the axle nuts one side at a time with a wrench. Sometimes if things are slipping around, I have to tighten the non-drive side first with the wheel a little off center towards the non-drive side, then push the rim over toward the other side and tighten the nut.

Brakes: how many, why, what kind?
I usually use one front brake, but I'm using a back brake as well for the 508 to distribute the load between both arms. I am squarely in the camp that riding a fixed gear on the road with no brakes, while better than riding a freewheeled bike with no brakes, is still a bad idea. First of all, in any vehicle, most of your stopping power is in the front. If you only have a rear wheel, your stopping power is limited to the traction in your rear wheel. For example, the street I live on is a steep enough hill that if it's wet and there's sand on it, I can go two pedal strokes out of my house, lock up the rear wheel with my feet, and skid all the way down the street. I don't know how far I'd keep sliding, because I use my front brake to actually stop before I go plowing out into the intersection at the bottom of the hill.

Furthermore, drivetrains aren't infallible. Chains can break, lockrings can strip, and cogs can spin off. If you break a chain or spin off a cog and you don't have any brakes, the best you can do is wedge your foot between your wheel and your seat tube. There are lots of arguments about braking with your legs being bad for your knees, or what fixed gear riding is really all about or about why brakes aren't allowed on velodromes, etc, but I don't want to tell anyone how they should enjoy their bicycle. Just because you have a brake installed doesn't mean you have to use it. It shouldn't spoil your skidding fun.

Physical ailments and issues?
None that I can think of... ask me again at the end! ;)

Why ride fixed, especially really far?
Mostly because I just like my fixed gear. I like the feel of control and connection with the bike, and all the other things people talk about when they try to explain why fixed gears are so great, but the real reason is that I just like riding fixed better. Also, when you're on your bike for a really really long time, there's something to be said for a bike whose momentum keeps the pedals going around by themselves!

What else do you find curious and enlightening about cycling, this event, or life in general?
I think that the wonderful thing about cycling is that it can serve so many purposes (transportation, fun, exercise, competition, an excuse to buy more tools, a social activity, something to tinker with....), and it's something that almost anyone can do. People don't realize that it isn't just for young people, fit people, kids, hippies, jocks, messengers with a death wish, people who got their drivers' licenses suspended, etc. It's unfortunate that so many kids forget about their bikes the minute they get their learners' permit, or that so many adults would never even think of taking their bike instead of their car to dash down the street to the convenience store.

A bicycle is the most efficient way we know of harnessing human power for transportation. It's inexpensive, mechanically simple, user servicable, and burns calories instead of gas, yet Americans who complain about getting fat, traffic congestion, and high gas prices don't think of the solution that's been under their noses since before cars were even invented.

So that's my bit about how bicycles can make the world a better place. I can go on about what my bikes do for my quality of life, but the root of it is that I just love bicycles.

John Sabertooth Tiger Spurgeon, 35, Hillsboro, OR, rookie

Fixed Gear Event Experience
2004
Ironman Canada

2005
Oregon Randonneurs' 200K, 300K, and 400K brevets
Race Across Oregon (DNF after 530 miles)
SIR's Cascade 1200
(Seattle to Portland on PowerCranks - not exactly "fixed")
Portland Wheelmen's Torture 10,000
Ring of Fire 24-hour TT (300 miles)

Type of Bike
frame: 2002 Lemond Zurich (55")
fork: Vanilla steel
saddle: Koobi PRS
seat post: Lemond
stem: Thompson Elite (1-1/8" x 10 deg x 90 mm x 26.0)
bars: Nitto model 176 (44 cm)
bar tape: Specialized Body Geometry Bar Phat (2.5 mm)
bar plugs: Velox
front hub: Schmidt dynamo (32h)
rear hub: White Industries Eccentric ENO (32h, 130mm)
rims: Velocity Aerohead
tubes: not too thin
tires: 23s or 25s
spokes: Wheelsmith DB14
cranks: Shimano Ultegra double (172.5 mm)
bottom bracket: Shimano Ultegra
cog: Dura Ace (1/8", 15 tooth)
chain ring: Specialites TA Alize (1/8", 42 tooth)
chain: 1/8"
front brake (right hand): Avid mechanical disc (road)
front brake (left hand): Shimano (R600?) long-reach dual-pivot caliper
brake cables: Nokon
brake levers: Campy Record
third lever (right hand): Paul crosslever 26.0
pedals: Speedplay Frogs or X/2s

Gear Inch: 73.9

Are two identical gears really the same? (A bigger ring and bigger cog can be identical to a smaller cog and smaller ring in gear inches, but do they "feel" the same?)
I haven't ridden the same gear ratio using different size cogs and chainrings, so I don't know what sort of difference I might feel. Besides "feel", there are other tradeoffs to consider. Larger gears obviously weigh a little bit more, but they probably don't wear as fast. If you're rebuilding a wheel and you naively cut out all your spokes before removing the rear cog, it might be impossible to remove the cog after that. (Trust me.) If the cog is small enough, you might be able to rebuild the wheel with the old cog still attached and then use the leverage you get from the new wheel to remove the stuck cog.

Types of rear dropouts used, as well as you how tension the chain
My Lemond has vertical dropouts. The best way to tension the chain on a bike with vertical dropouts - assuming you don't have an eccentric bottom bracket - is with the ENO hub. The hub is a little pricy, but the cost is more than worth it if you have a nice frame that you want to ride fixed. Note that you can rotate the hub up or down relative to the bolts. Rotating the hub up can put the tire awfully close to the brake bridge. You get more clearance by rotating the hub down and back.

Brakes: how many, why, what kind
I have two front brakes (no rear): an Avid mechanical disc and a Shimano dual-pivot caliper.

If you're spun out or just really tired on a long, fast decent, then good brakes are necessary. Add rain to the mix and stopping power becomes even more important. Two or more brake levers let you distribute the work between both hands. Two brakes help with heat dissipation. I don't know if I could heat up my rim enough to blow a tube, but I don't really want to find out. I especially like having a cross lever so I can descend in a more upright position and still brake with my hands on top of the bars.

Not having a rear brake means I don't have to adjust the brake when my rear wheel moves - if I'm using a flip-flop hub with different size gears, for example. I don't have to deal with a brake getting in the way of a rear rack. And I can easily swap out my handlebars and fork (no rear brake cable to mess with). On the other hand, the front disc means my front wheel is dished. A front blowout could be interesting. And braking on slick surfaces or on gravel is a bit more dicey.

Physical ailments and issues
inflamed Achilles tendons
sore knees
numb hands and feet
sore back muscles between shoulder blades

As long as I'm not overtraining, these types of issues usually don't show up until after a few hundred miles into a race. I believe having your bike fit dialed in and maintaining good form helps prevent a lot of injuries. I've had knee pain come and go. Most ailments seem to go away after a few days. Numbness can linger for several weeks. After the DNF at RAO, an experienced coach introduced me to the phrase "quitting is not an option." Since then, I believe I've toughened up a little mentally and I'm better prepared for whatever comes my way.

Why ride fixed, especially really far?
Tough question to answer honestly. I wonder... It's fun? I crave attention? Simple is better? I need an excuse for being slow? The challenge? Sometimes I think it's just too much work to put the gears back on. What got me started was hearing about the fixed gear division in last year's 508.

What else do you find curious and enlightening about cycling, this event, or life in general?
Why do people throw things at cyclists?
Automobiles are scary.
A bike can take you to beautiful places.
Life is short.
Leave it better than you found it.
How many bikes is enough?
I lust after a Rohloff speedhub. (Don't tell anyone.)