Derailleurless in December

My first fixed gear - a late 70s Fuji with 39T x 16T and Nitto Albatross bars.

With the waning daylight (until Dec. 15) and the dropping temperature, I have to find ways to keep things interesting. Actually who am I kidding – I’m just looking for ways to keep myself motivated through the winter months. Thus came the idea to plod through December on bikes without any help from derailleurs.

Having just built up my first fixed gear, I have to say I’m hooked and have really enjoyed the pure connection to the bicycle in a different way than ever before. My “daily driver” was a 72 Peugeot 3-speed but I have to fix the brakes and until that happens, I’ll continue to enjoy this Fuji.

There’s plenty of stock to choose from and to pull this off. What I’ll likely use are the following bikes:

• 1979 Fuji Gran Tourer fixed gear
• 1972 Peugeot PE-42 3-speed
• 1956 Rudge-Whitworth 3-speed

Piece of cake with that selection! So if you’re looking for a way to get through December – do it without derailleurs!