Hans Christoph Timm
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For the winter of 2000/2001 I have decided to try fixed-gear riding again. I have ridden and raced on the track quite a bit (see here for a description of my track bike), so I am not unfamiliar with fixed-gear cycling, but I have never done any extensive fixed-gear training on the road.
If you want to know more about why one would do this and how it can be done, check out Sheldon Brown's site. He has plenty of information about fixed-gear cycling.
I will start out using a rather low gear of 42-17. Using a 622x23mm wheel (wheel circumference 2080 mm) this comes out to be a 64.5" gear. From what I have read about fixed-gear winter training, a sub-70" gear is usually recommended.
Since winter training is usually made dangerous by the short daylight hours (in combination with long hours at the office), I will equip this bike with the best lighting components available. As a matter of principle, I have only taken generator-powered components into consideration; a bicycle is a human-powered machine, and the same should hold for its components (I do make an exception for cyclocomputers). Here's what I will use:
A SON hub-gerator, the most efficient generator available, powering two 6V/2.4W B&M Lumotec halogen headlights and a 6V/0.6W LED taillight (probably the B&M Seculite plus). I will mount the headlight serially, switching the second beam on at higher speeds (above 20km/h). Add a ton of reflective tape, and I should be visible aenough to survive the winter.