Single speed on the isle of wight?

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Olliepen

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Hi

I have recently started riding a single speed - so far I have managed to do everything that I did on a geared MTB (all be it with some spinning out on the roads)

I'm going for a cycling weekend with some mates on the isle of wight in a few weeks time and I'm not sure if I should take the SS or dust of the cobwebs on my geared bike?

Has anyone cycled the western end of the isle of wight on a sinlge speed - is it possibe?

Nice one

Ollie
 
Maybe switch to a lower gear for a longer/hillier ride but there is no where in the UK where a SS is a total non-starter. Have a nice time and if the climbs get too much you have the perfect excuse to stop and 'take in the view'.
 
i would say that if you are a fit strong rider you should be fine.

i ride the island all the time, the hill i find hardest is climbing back from compton up the chalk climb towards the freshwater golf club, i did that in mid ring first (32 x 32) sat down on my proflex on my retro IOW ride a couple of weeks ago, so if you are fitter than me which is quite likely you should be ok.

personally though, i'd do gears, a couple of hills on singlespeed might be ok but the island goes up and down constantly! everytime i take someone over there who hasn't been before always gets a shock when they hit the climbs! :LOL: :twisted:
 
West Wight is a bit hillier than the East but there are a couple of corkers in the East that will test your legs.

Its your fitness, not the number of gears you rock, that will determine whether the hills are rideable or not :)
 
Made It

Had a weekend away with some mates all riding modern geared bikes on the isle of wight last weekend - I was a little worries if Iwould be able to cope on this ride with my 91 cinder cone single speed.

But with a gearing of 34, 20 I managed everything the other guys did! Only walked one Hill but so did everyone!!!

Highlights include the downhill back through the freshawater golf course and the view from Tennison Monument - not forgetting the ice cream in Yarmouth afterwards....

Great riding over there - -highly recomended - even on a single speed!
 
I'm debating which bike to take on family hol there with me. I'll need to sort the 38 16 out on my play bike, or just take a sensible bike to start off with.
 
reanimation said:
I'm debating which bike to take on family hol there with me. I'll need to sort the 38 16 out on my play bike, or just take a sensible bike to start off with.
Click to expand...

I only rode the south west corner of the island - 32 20 was fine for there, but I did spin out a fiar bit on the flat so 32 16 should be fine.

Have fun!
 
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