Riding the Pyrenees on a fixed-gear bike with no brakes is, to put it lightly, a mountainous challenge.
Following the original route of the first mountain stage of the 1910 Tour de France, cyclist Patrick Seabase attempts the improbable: riding the route on a fixed-gear bike.
It already sounds difficult, but here’s more detail. In a single day, Seabase aims to ride five summits — which amounts to 309 km in distance and 7,611 m in altitude — on a fixie with no brakes.
The project, nicknamed #Seabase1910, is a tribute to the true pioneers of the sport. “I discovered this route in a book about the Tour de France,” says Seabase. “And … why not try this?”
Besides the grueling 300 km of riding, there are other obstacles: fog, winding roads, and precise calculations of cadence. The first climb makes us cringe; it has an average grade of 8%. Then there are the peaks, the highest one standing tall at 2,115 m. At one point in the narration, Seabase interjects, “I was suffering.”
Putting the Herculean physical challenge aside, this ride is all about perseverance. Keep pedaling. Watch the full-length film here.
