Anyone done a reasonably hilly and long tour (80000ft of ascent and 1200 miles respectively) on a SS bike with panniers on?

If so what gear choice did you go for?

55:13

Guy on LFGSS rode from London to Morocco on (I think) 48/20, with 48/22 for big hills. Fixed, obviously.

Rode this about 50 miles in total in the Peaks and it was barkingly hard work, it runs 32:18, if I was doing it again I would drop that ratio a bit.

42:16 is a standard for lumpy roads, but will feel too high fully loaded uphill. I’d drop this to 42:18 for loaded touring. You won’t go fast, but that’s not the point. Try a test hill and gear up or down accordingly.

I’d also fit a flip flop as you may fancy coasting downhill. Downhill fixed can be more tiring than uphill. I’d ride it fixed as that’s what I love, but downhills are tiresome holding on the brakes.

Did our Grand Tour (q.v. ad nauseum http://pompinos.blogspot.co.uk/ ) on 63″ taking in a pyreneean crossing and some other hefty climbsin the massif central.

Anything up to 10% gradient was fine, but it did take the first 1,000 out of 3,000 miles to get my leg strength up though 😀

So where are you going?

If it’s off-road I’d expect to be doing a fair bit of pushing. I’ve used a 45″ freewheel gear for properly steep stuff, but that can get a bit tiresome on the flat.

If it’s on-road something like 63″ sounds perfect (I’ve done plenty of hilly touring miles on 42:18 fixed).

Travel as light as you can, though!

34:18

But with a trailer and relatively small children so not fast 🙂