How to Choose the Fixed/Singlespeed Gearing Best for YOU | Fixed Gear Gearing Guide
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- Опубліковано 6 вер 2024
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Looking for the gearing on your fixed gear that will best be suited for the terrain you ride and your riding style? Here's the Fixed Gear Gearing Guide.
To find the gearing that's best for you, we need to understand some gearing basics. Gearing is measured in what's called gear inches. The higher the gear inches, the harder it will be to pedal but the faster you'll go. To increase your gear inches, increase the number of teeth on your chainring or decrease the number of teeth on your cog. Tire size will also affect gearing a little bit.
Gearing will influence your riding style by affecting your cadence and your bike's resistance.
Your ideal gearing will depend on your strength, the terrain you ride, whether you like to spin or mash, whether you're riding with brakes or not, how rough of surfaces you'll be riding, how much weight you'll be carrying, the list goes on. There's no one correct gearing for one person, let alone everybody. Gearing is highly subjective and whatever you think is the best ratio IS your best ratio.
Generally, people are most comfortable and efficient pedaling between 75-90 revolutions per minute (RPM). That's about one and a half to two pedal strokes every second. I recommend choosing a gearing that's low enough to get you up the steepest hills you'll ride but is as high as you can go without having to get off and walk your bike.
50-70 gear inches is low gearing and good if you mostly do climbing or carry a lot of weight. 75-85ish gear inches is medium gearing and is the sweet spot for a lot of people. 75-85 gear inches are good for 50/50 climbing and flat riding or mostly flat riding. 90-120 gear inches is high gearing. This is for racing and trying to break records. If you're just riding around town, don't go higher than 90 gear inches since too high a gearing can lead to injury with knee injuries being the most common.
The best way to find which gearing is best for your needs and riding style is to try out different gearing. Use the gear inch calculator to find out what your gearing is, so you can have a reference point. Buy some cheap cogs from a friendly bike shop, swap them out, and have a blast crushing the terrain on your fixed gear.
QOTD: What's your fixed or singlespeed gearing and what terrain do you ride? Let's get a discussion going to help those looking for their ideal gearing.
Zach I have 48x13 for 97.25. It worked really well for my commute, which had some hills. I could hold a descent pace on the flats. I say past tense because I'm recovering from a collison with a car
42:16, 700/28, singlespeed, not much climbing, could've gone for 46:16, but as for commuting this ratio does the job for me, not much sweat and a good start when lights go green. Comfort over speed, maybe it's the age? I'll be fifty next year.
Greetings! :-)
48x20 on my Kilo WT, perfect for all around riding and a bit of monster trucking through that sweet sweet gravel!
I'm riding 48x13 in sac I mainly ride the American river though. It's pretty sketch when I'm down town though and I'm riding pretty fast but I can skid but still sketch
48/14 in socal. Doable but would gear down on my next ride up Torrey Pines Road...it kick'd my a$$
I am 55YO and my bike is set up single speed. Front chain ring is 32T, rear cog is 22T. Someone told me it is 38.6 GI.
Super low, but I would not change it. BTW... I pass people walking, but people jogging pass me. I think it is funny.
My local trail is 22 miles, about 4 hours. I can't think of a better way to spend 4 hours. Makes no sense to me to finish faster and go home.
At least youre out on your bike! :D
9.2mph at 80rpms. That's about a 40 min 10k. In my running days, I could beat that. Not sure if you're even getting any fitness benefit at that speed, but at least you're out riding.
That's pretty low. Depending on your wheel size, it's somewhere under 40". I'm 55 and ride similar distances on a 36 inch unicycle, but with shorter cranks so I can spin faster. My fixie is geared somewhere in the 70s, and I can just about lever it up the biggest hills near where I live. The perennial problem with fixies is if you need a low gear to get up a hill, you need brakes to come back down it - or you can spin until your knees catch fire. A super low single speed such as yours is a fine way to ensure that you enjoy the ride, never feel under pressure to do a "best time" or "highest speed:" and you get to enjoy the scenery and wildlife. Enjoy!
@@michaelgreene9791 "Not sure if you're even getting any fitness benefit at that speed, but at least you're out riding." - how would you know that he isn't getting any fitness benefit?
Hey your in the saddle... whatever works for you. Interesting what works for some people.
46/18 freewheel Wabi Classic, 58 yr old riding the South Carolina lowcounty flats. ☮
Nice. Can't hate on that at all. But it's too spinney for me
46/16 just turned 60 and live in a very hilling area. Man it's murder. I'm walking a lot. Thinking of a 20 or maybe 22 cog. Not sure, but experimentation is the name of the game.
I'm too old to care what others think just want a nice comfortable ride.
Any thoughts? I'm open to options.
@@stevewhoknowswhomisreallyw4282 I ride 32x17/19 fixed in a very hilly area. Descending is hilarious yet climbing and cruising are perfect (front brake and resting feet on a downtube help a lot though). My inspiration was always Dave Nice aka Fixie Dave who rides exclusively a fixed MTB geared with something like 32x16/18 and he makes thousands miles commutes a year totally unfazed. And yes, he is the first and still only man who's finished the Tour Divide race on a fixed gear bike, so that makes some sense. I would totally recommend you to swap a cog for 20/22t if you ride a classic fixed gear bike with a square-taper and a threaded hub
66yo., fixed 46x19 ' flat 'roads in Florida fixed my knees ( after I crossed a mountain in so-cal on a 12sp.centurion 20 years ago 😆
Perfect ratio for painless all around ridding.
46:17 mixed terrain because I’m traveling as a trucker. Been riding four months and have become noticeably stronger. There’s a hill in Cherokee Pass MO I can’t get up because the grade increases halfway up and it’s the third in a succession. It will be mine. Oh, yes. It will be mine.
Your mom will be mine
I'm loving 51/16 rn. I ride mostly in NY and Philly so I can get up to speed in a quick 2-4 pedal strokes as well as tackle hills reasonably enough. If it gets too hard I'll just carve out the hill riding side to side. I previously rode 48/16 and found that it was too easy to bottom out on the flats.
I just bought a bike and it came with 46/18 😭 I top out too quick I just got started.
I started with 46x16 with 700x32 tyres. Where I live there are quite a few hills, strong winds and I was having some knee pain. I changed it after a year and a half to 42x16 there was a massive difference, I can go up any hill with strong winds from the front. In a couple of years I will give it a try at 46x17.
Same
46/16 or 2.88 ratio is pretty sick as standard. With cadence of 80 you will be doing almost 20mph. 46/17 or even 18 is much better
Currently using a 44-16 ratio with 28 mm. tires in Santiago, Chile, which is flat-ish mostly. Ditched a 44-18 setup two days ago and I'm loving the extra speed in the flats, frankly my legs didn't get any stronger with the 18T rear cog, since I was spinning everywhere. Now I feel I'm working harder for that speed, will need a few weeks to condition myself but I love it so far. My chainring is on it's last legs so I might go with a 46 and that would be as high as I'd go.
Started with 46/16 but found out that at 5 in the morning and commuting in half sleeping mode wasn't the best idea..changed to 46/18....found the satisfaction ...terrain -->mixed but not to hilly
4618 is a nice compromise if you're a strong Rider it'll keep up with almost anything......
Try an odd number in the back to get more skid patches.
I am getting back into riding and forgot how much I enjoyed it so much. I grew up riding ALL over L.A. as a teen in the mid-80's.
I just bought a new 2019 Trek Verve 2 w/ 24 speed (3/8). I can't stay off of this thing. Now I want a fixed speed and have begun looking into gear combos. The sweet spot is the 1:3 ratio (Crank:Cassette) as in 48T 16T. This exact ratio always produces exactly 81 gear inches. So I wasn't surprised to hear you say most people like 75 to 85 gear inches, with 80 being the median there (very close to 81). FYI, this is also the range to burn the most fat.
I live in Florida and already I want a fixed speed. Lately I have been riding mostly gears 2/5 and 2/6, which are 38T 18T and 38T 15T which are 57 and 68 gear inches. Tomorrow I will ride gears 3/5 & 3/6, which are 48T 18T & 48T 15T. So we're talking low 70's vs mid 80's for gear inches. Huge difference.
After that I may have to get me a 6KU for fun.
You also have to take the crank length in to consideration. This affects torque and cadence. There's a vid on here somewhere. I live in Dublin, Ireland and just changed from 44/16 to 48/16 regularly mash up hills
I've been Dublin a few times. There's few steep bits. Bramble Bank near Sugerloaf that is a killer!!
48/16, works on hills flats and descents. I don’t skid
Am riding the same on my fixie
I use 42 /18 , yes it sounds too easy , but it pumps me along at a nice 25 km/h and when I come to a hill there is no grinding
46:19 is my go-to gear ratio for long rides with mixed terrains and really long climbs.
Thou I use a 46:17 sometimes but I tend to prefer spinning rather than grinding.
@Beater Bike Channel MFGA Many pros here in France use the "magic" 42/17 for long distances rides... and they are great athlets! A real good fixie rider is able to spin really fast.
(42/17 is extraordinary close to 47/19).
I ride a Scott speedster 1 that has been converted to single speed by removing the de railers and shortening the chain to stay on the third ring of back sprocket giving me 54 up front and 13 in rear. Honestly took me a while to get used to it, and I definitely have to stand and push goimg up high grade hills, but totally pays off in the end. Ive bought two bikes in the last year trying to upgrade my old bike. Nothing compares when it comes to speed. I must also say that I RIDE HARD. So if your just looking for speed and not ready to put in the work, this is probably not a setup you should go with. I can't stress this enough make sure you are riding the proper size bike before doing any modifications to it. Proper geometry will totally improve your ride no matter what the gearing is.
Shout out from Austin Texas. If your reading this locally and need a bike or parts check out yellows bike project. Its a nice friendly non profit with an open shop and a free bike program, plus you get to learn how everything works and build it yourself while helping a good cause. Sorry about the short story......lol
Don’t fuss over gearing, just f***en ride. Go have fun on a bike today 🤙
To add some numbers, I run:
43:17 road. Lots of hills, goes great for me! This gets the most use by far.
32:21 fixed mountain bike,skids and brakes easily off-road 🤘
50:16 (or 52 I can’t remember)is my flat area only/outdoor velodrome bikes gearing. This bike is currently set up with CX tyres and 40:16 as a fixed gear gravel bike. Mainly flat
👍
While we're here, I used to run 48:16 but even in Lubbock Texas found this to be too steep a ratio so switched to 44:16 and it's great. I have average fitness levels. 43:17 would probably be better because of skid patches but I'm not made of money so stuck with the stock rear cog. Good luck to anyone working on figuring this out 👍
If you are not made with money, you should definitely change your cog to save on tires which are more expensive and wearing out much faster. Ofc if you don't skid it is not relatable :P
I finally took the plunge: 48/16 fixed, 48/18 freewheel on a Kilo TT Pro. I'm 62, riding in semi hilly terrain.
52/19 in a Russian city with a lot of steep climbs. For 3 years I`ve been gradually decreasing my ratio starting from 52/16. Hope my knees will be ok
you'll be fine. just get stronger
Just measure the displacement for a single turn of pedals, then multiply by the RPM... You'll get the exact speed you'll get with a specific set of gears.
Formula : crank/cassette*circumference*rpm*(60/1000)
Exemple for a 44-11 on 700x23 riding at 90 rpm : 44/11*2096*90*(60/1000)=45,3 km/h
One thing you know for sure is the average speed you're comfortable riding on flat terrain. If you know this, than you can select proper gearing.
Have tried both 48/16 (too grindy for long hills and headwinds) and 46/17 which I like a lot, but tends to spin out too often on flats. Settled at 48/17 and with 28mm tires is almost exactly 75 gear inches. Best allround gearing imho.
I have 46/18 I feel like I’m spinning out on flats
48/16 works alright.
21mph at 89 cadence on flats.
Mashing up climbs sucks but make you stronger in the end.
B T = three skid patches. You must spend a lot on tires.
The only cog that's ideal for a 48T for street is a 17T, especially if you care about skid patches. Any cog lower than that is really best for track, or riding mostly flat terrain and you don't need to skid. Whatever works for you though. I recently bought a used beater and it has 48/18, which only has 3 skid patches, so I don't even bother trying.
@@tomalcolm 48/16 is only one skid patch unless ambidexterous
4 words make it magic. 2 speed auto IGH. You have your low for hills, high kicks by itself in when moving faster.
haha i had to look it up. wow automatic gearing, nice. yeah you only need two gears anyways. flat topspeeds, and hilly easy
I ride 50x17 for daily riding in NYC and laps in Central Park, which has a few rolling hills. I've averaged 23-24mph in that gearing over 15-20 miles racing in that rolling terrain. When I raced the Red Hook Crit, I ran 50x15, which felt big, but a lot of the people I was racing against were at 49x14 or larger.
I used to ride 46/15 but now I went back to 46/16 because I feel that it better suits my preferences and helps on the fakie pedal.
While I know it's not a perfect method given the freewheeling capability in play, I'll be experimenting with choosing a fixed gear ratio by riding my geared bikes in various gears without shifting. In this manner, using two bikes, I have a gear inch range of 21.7 through 126.6 to play with.
46 : 17 live in Vancouver not that many big climbs. Nice to ride in the downtown area
Do you notice spinning out or is it still a grind feel gear ratio?
On the flats I find that it's a perfect gear, I find that I start to spin out when I'm around 45 + km/hr. It gets Grindy if I bike up bigger hills but for the most part it's a gear ratio that I found to be comfortable in the Vancouver area.
i like to rock a hella low gear ratio of 27:16 but i ride a fixed big flyer that i wheelie and spin on all the time
My SS bike came stock at 46x16. I rode it that way for the first summer. Changed to 46x17 for that first winter. I liked the 46x17 more and decided to try give 46x18 when spring came around. 46x18 seemed to be my gearing sweet spot. I'm now having slight sciatic pain and switched to 42x18. the 42x18 feels slow, but it is keeping me on my SS. If I ever feel the need to go lower I will probably ditch my SS for a multi speed.
This may sound crazy, but I normally run a 36:17/16 when I ride as I love to climb (800+ ft ascents over short distances). However when I'm doing relatively flat road rides or races, I run a 46:17/16. Generally, I like to spin like crazy and can keep up somewhat well with friends on geared bikes on normal rides with the first ratio. But I just recently did a TT fixed and my larger ratio was almost too spinny. When I run the 36 up front, my cruaing speed is ~18 mph and when i run the 46 ~20 to 21 mph.
42/16 Turned my 16 speed into a single speed. Just went with the smaller chain ring. I live in Central New York. The ratio works for me on my 10 mile commute to work.
London, few hills, 48/15. Ideal for heavy traffic
I ride 48x15 on flats
Good speed and so so acceleration
City is Munich, Germany. Mostly flat with one hill right through the Eastern part of the city. My setup is: 42:14, 50:17, and 50:19 which amount to (circa) 79, 78, 69 inches. I can ride 30 kph comfortably for a loooong time at round 77ish rpm with the 42:14 and the 50:17. The 50:19 is for cruising and skidding. What do you guys think?
I ride a 2011 Trek Alpha 1.5 single speed that I custom built myself. I'm running 700x23 ThickSlicks and a 52t chainring x 20t rear cog which is a 2.6:1 ratio. I would recommend this setup for an intermediate rider that rides mostly flat w/ occasional hills.
Rip me, I already have slight kknee problems and 52/16
I'm 51 and a 5'9" 220lb clydesdale primarily mountain bike rider in Boston's mixed bag metro and hills.
I'm on Pure Fix Coolidge with current gearing of 46x15 with 700x28 WTB ThickSlick rubber pushing about 82" at ratio of 3.1x1.
I have been impressed with how well this climbs modestly steep inclines while not spinning out too fast on descents and flats.
Haven't read comments yet. I'll be interested in trying a bit higher ratio and see if I can muscle than on climbs.
My first fixie but mannnn.... that buttery spin rulez.
I've mainly ridden with freewheel 18-46 on 28mm tires, I think that's a good freewheel ratio since there's no need to spin downhills. Last summer I briefly tested (100km or so) fixed side of flip-flop hub which was 16-46 and 170mm cranks, and it wasn't too bad. I'm thinking giving fixed riding another go this year once winter is over. I've now changed ratio to 48-17 and installed 165mm cranks. I also try to get chainline within 1mm offset to get that *buttery smooth drivetrain* !
Just want to say THANK YOU for making this video, which I will likely watch many times over. This is one of those more technical things I cannot keep straight. Bravo good sir. Your videos are always appreciated.
48/15 for me on my commuter. Commute is uphill both ways as they say and I find it just right so that I can get over he hills and still go fast once I’m on the flats
How tall are you? How much do you weigh? Looks like not many people ride 48/15 ratio. You must be a big guy. With big legs 😂
NYC we find 48×17 is the sweet spot for it all
i thought that is common sense. but seems kinda rare in the comment section
Thanks!
Ehhh it's kinda low for some of the downhills here (bridges, prospect/central park hills). I'd prefer 48/16 or my current setup of 46/15
Evan Pipta I use to run 48×15 loved it but really not ideal for city and super quick stops. Then I went to 48×16 but only 1 skid patch didnt like it now 48×17 perfect for bridges and hills and no spin out unless you are use to Crit like ratios
49x17. the most perfect here in memphis
I don't ride fixed, just single speed freewheel at 16T. There are a bunch of hills where I live, so I feel uncomfortable going down them at high speed on a fixie but 16T seems to work for me, although i struggle on the toughest hills, but that's more due to my extra weight than gear size. I'm trying to lose about 50 lbs so I can mash up hills easier.
A bit late since this vid was posted - my favorite single-speed (freewheel) gear is 56 to 58 gear inches.
I don't mind "spinning", I can go up literally 99% of the hills on NYC roads, I can accelerate quickly of course, and I'm not trying to win any races, but I can still maintain a super-high cadence long enough to pass slower cyclists, and "sprint" to catch a light before it goes red.
I used this gear when I lived and rode around Hudson, New York, and up there I had to dismount and walk more than I really wanted to, so up there I'd say this gear range required that I dismount and walk at least 5% of the time.
I'm rolling 46:16 on 700c rims with 32mm Gator skins, it work for climbing most hills in L.A. but find myself spinning out down hills. Just changed out my riser bars to a pair of 46mm wide Nitto classic bars with aero brake levers. I may change out my front chain ring to a 48.
47 -15 700c 25 Montreal flat but some hill , mostly small one
I ride a 53T x 2T in the back... badass. Kidding.. 48x16 flip flop with a 17.. thinking about 19 as there's occasionally super steep hills.
Sorry guys, I'm a bit late to the party, but I've recently acquired a single speed coaster brake road bike that a cousin restored from a garage sale purchase.
It's a 52 crank with 18 cog, so it's plenty of mashing and less spinning for me. As I'm 62 years old and haven't been riding a bike for many years it's an enjoyable ride experience with added cardio and leg strength exercise benefits. I fitted a front brake on it for downhill/speed stopping situations, but other than that the coaster brake works fine for normal rolling speeds.
According to your referenced gear inches calculator, my set up comes out as 76. As I mainly stick to flat terrain, with occasional inclines, then it's fine for me.
I have a simple way. Take the average speed of your average ride and acces a cog calculator homepage. Aim for 90 RPM on your average speed.
For me it is around 40/17 but I only have 16 and 18 cogs, so I am currently running the 16 one. For endurance rides or my winter tires I am still taking the 18 one.
46:16 were i live its hella hilly so gotta go up them and down them, works great tho and benefit from awesome fitness
Currently running 52/20 on 700c x 23s. That gives me 68.3 gear inches.
For where I live, that is fine. 20mph is around 100rpm.
35mph on a descent is 170rpm.
And I can drag slowly up a climb at 4 or 5 mph....
I've used different ratios over the years, but right now that is just right. 😊
as far as ride quality is concerned, is there any advantages/disadvantages between having a larger chainring vs a smaller cog assuming the gear ration is the same?
for example, is there any difference in ride quality in say a 42:14 gear ratio vs a 51:17 ratio considering they are both 3:1 ratio (yes I know that you don't want to use a even gear ratio on a fixed gear so please don't bring it up, my example was purely for illustrative purposes)?
I’d like to know the answer to your Q!
46x17 brakeless in the valley. Not trying to be a speed king and not trying to deal with break calipers and cables. 46/17 isn't too spinny but it also lets me lock up the rear very easily with maximum skid patches for just commuting/ blasting through town.
Was running 52:17 for the past few years in medium hilly Nashville. Just converted to 28mm tyres and trying 52:19 gear ratio for now.
My bike is a SSCX. I ride gravel, mtb paths through the woods and asphalt. My tires are 40 and I run pretty low pressure (super squishy). Gearing is currently at 39x16, though on longer asphalt rides, say over 50km, I'll pump the tires up and put a 15t cog on instead making sure I move the wheel back a smidge for sufficient chain tension.
Fastest way to try out Ratios is to borrow a geared bike from a friend or use one you already have
ew. we dont have those around here.
Zach, I ride 52t/18t with 700c/28mm tires: 76.8 gear inches, mostly in SS mode (I know that's sacrilege), Sometimes Fixie mode 18t cog. All flatland desert El Centro, Ca. Winds pick up in the 25+mph range often and my usual routes experience direct head/tailwinds, so I can mimic hill climbing/descending. BTW I rigged my old 80's Trek Sport Tourer with an 80's Shimano Biopace 52t chainring WITHOUT chain tensioner. As long as the chainline's spot on, I NEVER throw the chain off nor have it lock up. Per Sheldon Brown, YES it can be done. The chain tension varies btw taught and a little loose as you pedal though, but it isn"t an issue, even when violently sprinting. I ride my geared 2x/10 sp. in S.D. weekends. Keep looking out for you out riding hoping to bump into you. (Not sure if you're still in S.D.)
47-15 on a 700x28 rear wheel, in windy but mostly flat Davis, CA. It’s at 83.55 gear inches, and I think it’s the highest I can comfortably go. I do prefer a lower cadence though
46/16 in Chicago. Seems pretty good for me, especially riding into those strong winds off Lake Michigan. Thinking about going to 46/15 or 48/16 one of these days.
I run 46/16. I was thinking 48/16 would be a nice step up in power. but I'm still not really sure. maybe I would get more by getting a lower tooth cog.
46/16, haven't changed anything from stock. Seems to work pretty good for my mostly flat commute. I wouldn't mind being able to go a touch faster though.
Same here. Been riding a 46/16 and my average pace is starting to increase so I’m not gonna change gears, I’ll just get stronger tbh.
damn I ride 32/16 and I am afraid to go 46/16. I don't want to spend all the time coasting or going way too fast for my commute.
49-20 Mostly flat railroad grade bike/ walking paths, and local Everett WA streets have some short steep hills
49/17 700C X 25. Mainly flat. Nice ratio for me. Good video!
I think it's a 46-17 with 28x700c. Stock stuff on my PK fixie. Seems to work fine for me.
I first started riding at 48/16, then went to 53/16 and know i’m at 54/17 i’m super fast on the streets but it’s safe to say i’m not going up any hills soon lol.
nice to see someone who rides similar ratios as me here. I have the wabi classic and when I first got it, I felt like my legs were spinning so fast they were gonna fly out of their sockets lol. I live in texas and its so flat here. Every single Strava ride the elevation is :0
Austin Tx. 48:19 feels pretty good. I can climb well and hold a average speed of 15/17 mph. Pavement, alleys, mud and grass. 700x33 rear cross tire 700x28 front. 165mm cranks.
Some time ago I had 42/18, now it's 42/14 and getting used to it still. I ride in Kraków, Poland, mostly flat, some small hills and sometimes wind. Isn't a killer, but it can get me where I want to go reasonably fast ;)
Welp, funny, that I found your comment, I'm also from Kraków and curently planing to change my gear ratio, since I bought used single speed and want to personalize this bad boy a little. It has 52-17 ratio, dude also gave me 42 chainring, if I would want to change it, but both ein't really working for me. Would 48-17 gear ratio work for me fine, when commuting mostly in old town and Kazimierz, or i should think about getting 46? I want something rather fast, but not something that will kill my legs and knees.
42:20 in a hilly area on mostly fireroads with lots of loose sand and gravel on my OnOne Singlecross. Tires are 700x32c knobby Schwalbes.
On my single speed commuter bike I run 48x18 which is a 70gear inch. For London you can easily ride at 100rpm which most people should ride at and it's gets me up most climbs. On my track bike I have a range of chainrings from 46-52 and cogs from 12-16. Because you need a range.
48/16 in a city with some hills. Great for short distance sprints or longer 50 mile rides.
Gonna check out my gear on the calculator. Thanks! Riding a 30-16 on a vintage 26” mtb. Obviously way different than urban SS👊🏻
48/15 fixed in Madison wi
Mostly flat because of good path spread, but weather goes anywhere from windy, icy, and sweaty.
Not too slow on the acceleration, but I can still eat roadies
what are your fixed/singlespeed hairspray recommendations?
Was riding 44/12 for a while. Didn't notice that was ridiculous until I went 44/13. When I get my wabi I might actually go 44/15. IM biking across America
It's been a while since you posted this, but I'm revisiting some of the older videos and amazingly this is one of the few that I neglected to read the comments
Question. Did you go for your tour?
How did you find the ride?
I've toured on geared, but not my old, new toe single with a flip flop. I'm thinking of doing a run from T.O to Montreal Canada, around 600+ km one way. I've done further, but on a geared pedal forward. The single speed will definitely be more of a challenge
Just wondering if you don't mind I mine your experience for all the pointers and suggestions that you would care to give me.
I'm quite pumped about the challenge of this, just seeing if I still have "it" in me. I just turned 60 on the 21st of this month. I still believe I am in reasonable shape, but alas I'm not in my 20's anymore.
Any pointers you can give me is much appreciated.
You my friend, are a freaking SS/Fixie physics/mathematical genius. You saved me a ton of time and $$ on my 1st single speed that I just scored on CL. I got a screaming deal on this Masi SS/fixie with a flip flop hub and a wicked cool freewheel that sounds like a pack of angry hornets after you smash their hive (ok, hornets don't have hives, but the imagery works right?) with a baseball bat. I am now going to use your gearing calculator to dial in my SS and I'm thinking that I'll just go to my multi-speed roadie and do the math on the most comfortable gear ratio that I use on my daily commute.
I used to teach basic high school physics and would try and teach the youngsters about gear ratios on a multi-speed bike and of course none of them would give a flip about calculating gear ratios because all they cared about was what gear felt the most comfortable depending on what terrain they were riding. And frankly I don't give a rat's rear end either what the gear ratio is when I'm riding my 16-speed road bike but I do notice that I'm usually in between the 3rd and 4th cog and small chain ring 93.4% (+/- 1%) of the time. I think this will narrow down my sweet spot quicker(?)
Before watching your brilliantly informative and edited video, (and thank you for keeping it short and to the point btw) I was going to DIY my way through trial and error by a) changing the rear cog, b) changing the front chain ring. As I sit here thinking, since I have a few (that's the euphemism I use when describing how many bikes I have to my wife) bikes that I could probably swap out the chain ring to avoid having to mess with the rear cog(?) Even though I have an extra 8-10 hrs a day afforded by this C-19 "pandemic", I would much rather use a majority of this time to ride, binge watch Netflix/Amazon, spend time with the family, eat and sleep. In my 30+ years of teaching math, if I had a nickel for every time a students blurts out "when am I ever going to use this" (and I confess, I still ask myself the same question)...I will show this video :) You now have a new subscriber.
Currently on 47/16, eyeing a 15. Mostly flat terrain with a few miles of moderate hills if I'm feeling frisky.
I live In Yorkshire, it’s quite well known for being hilly.
I run 46:18 on my single speed, mess about bike, 48:18 on my fixed gear, and 48:17 on my posh, for hard days bike.
The fixed gear and the single speed came set up like that from the shop, and I decided to drop a tooth, when I built up my best bike.
North, South, East, or West Yorkshire?
I too live in Yorkshire (Leeds) I ride 16-46 which does me alright but have to build up a lot of speed for steeper hills
42/16, NYC flats and small hills
I like to be able to accelerate fast
I'm using 48*14 mainly 'cause I live in the flat and it's great for long rides, training, going to the track (training again, not racing). I have some issues since making a skid with this is hard, so I have to use a front brake, and traffic here is really crappy (lights every 100-400 meters and motorist ain't brake in the corners).
I found that the best for flat and crowded cities is 48*16, specially if you don't know where to start; but if you also wanna have fun skidding and stuff, go for a 48*18.
I would go for 48/17 or 48/19 when skidding a lot because of skid patches though...
Jan Kolbe 48/17 is not too hard for skidding?
48/18 has 3 skid patches. No.
I was easly skiding on 45:13 (3:47 ratio) so it is just mater of practise. I was even able to one foot skid on this ratio. Skiding is more about your mass center and body position than pushing your pedals hard. Once you stoped that wheel and started to slide you can put your ass back to back to stop faster if you want or situation need this.
42x17, and I live in an area with a lot of very steep (but not too long) hills. Like 15-20% grades for a half mile or so. Gives me a comfy cruising speed of 17ish mph at about 90-95 rpm. 64.57 gear-inches. It's a 46cm All-City Nature Boy (like Ricky! but with disc brakes, and smaller), and pretty heavy.
I'm 17 years old and currently riding with 44t>16t. It was smooth at flat road
Mine is 40/20 weird, but even weirder is the issue I have with it.
In flat areas, I end up coasting a lot because my pedals are going faster than my legs.
But in small hilly areas, I find it really hard to keep a low cadence, but easier to keep a higher cadence. But the pain will come after I stop pedaling so hard.
In steeper hills, I just get off and push.
68" works for me fixed .I am 63 years old :-)
47/15 for commuting in Paris, I’m happy with it.
bonjour, besoin d'aide stp, comment on dit en anglais "la différence entre upgrader le pignon, et upgrader le plateau" ? j'aime bien le feeling de rouler 25 kmh avec une cadence de 60 rpm, mon ratio actuel ne me permet de rouler qu'a 20kmh a 60rpm, tu pense que si j'augmente le ratio ça seras pas trop difficile de démarer et de faire les montées ?!
49/17 - Los Angeles - basically everywhere in the city even do dirty trails and fine the ratio perfect for it👌
I have two fixie with flip flop. One for the city with crank 46 cug 15/16 and for out the city with crank 53 cug 18/17. Pure pleasure riding with both of them. usually I don´t skid, I´m not a break person, I only reduce my speed in complicated intersections with lights, I prefer moving around until I find my space to avoid traffic. I only break using the skid if I really really have to. Sometimes is more making a little jump of my rear wheel instead of the skid.
44 / 15 (2.93) 700c but i'm thinking of changing te rear cog to 14 or 13. I'm from holland so no (big) hills
48/16 in the mean streets of Chicago (they aren't that mean), although I have to dodge a good amount of pot holes
I ran with that when I lived in Chicago. thinking about going to 48/18 now.
Angel Macias That what I ride, for mostly riding across the lakefront it’s okay but you’ll spin out if you try to mash hard
Phatsyde that's good info especially since I'll be switching to fixed gear spring 2020 thanks to Zach Gallardo's channel and I wasn't sure what gear ratio bike to buy plus I'm also from Chicago and to be honest I ride a 21 speed now to Lake Shore by Soldiers Field / McCormick place and I either ride lake shore north or south till it ends (south is super quiet little to no riders)
Two herniated discs and my doctor recommended walking but it's harsher on my back that bicycling and biking is WAY more fun than walking.
I’m in the suburbs and I’m running that gear but we have way more hills so I’m thinking of going to 48x17 and spinning a little more.
79 in Lausanne Switzerland. Pretty steep city but the ratio is perfect. It puches you to go fast. You might sweat a beat.
Mexico City is hella flat so I stick to that 48x15. not bad for when you do reach them hills though
48x15 is my sweet spot to ride in cities in The Netherlands
2 years late but im running the exact same setup lmao
i cant get over 48kmh though
Late as well but I recently got into cycling and often ride city streets as well. I run 48x16 but feel it is not quite right for me. Is 15 that much of a noticeable difference. I've thought about 14 but am afraid it might be too much. What is your height?
@@johnnyt2132 yeah, 15 felt pretty heavy, i went back to 16 because i prefer not using a fixed gear and that is the lowest ratio available. im 182cm (dunno if you were asking me)
@@johnnyt2132 I never used 48x16, started with 48x17 and straight to 48x15. I'm 185cm
for me i'm using a 42t classic Square tappered Crankset with a welded diff/18t sproket❤
also i'm in 26er tires which has 2.10 wide tires
Seems there's a bit of difference between single speed & fixed, too. I've flipped the wheel and there seems to be an advantage climbing with fixed - wheel momentum "pushing". But, I don't like too much push downhill... Running 76" (46x16) single speed is pretty good for the pacific coast highway, but I can't really head into the hills. Fixed, I have 71" (46x17) and it feels short. Spinning out too much descending and when I want to get going on the flats, though the mild PCH climbs are pretty fantastic. Ordering a 15T (&16T as backup) to see if I can pull it. BTW, there is no choice between spinning and mashing a 1x. More or less, you're going to do both.
Fixie on my trainer 49/16 works well for hilly rides till 5-7%, for higher grades I am interested to know what the wheel size should be to simulate a 36/28 gearing w/o changing the cog.. Now I have a cadence of about 30 rpm on an ascent of >9% grade.
I'm in Florida, and it is flat AF. I'm running 46/16 (what my bike came with), but I just bought a 15t dura ace cog to pump up my numbers a bit. The biggest hills I climb are bridges.
52:18 with medium high terrain. Its hard but its fun
51/18 (75.54) , no brakes, super comfy for climbing and decending and building speed on flat ground without spinning out.
And makes for one happy chain too.
I'm in flat houston so I'm running a 51 / 17 at around 79GI. Nice and fun for what I need
Factory 48/17 on my Fyxation, little tough in my area of Southern Alberta where most of the hills are brief and bloody steep. And thr weight of the beefy rig doesn't help. But it's only a problem every once in a while, this bike is my everyday commuter so I've come to adapt to it's gearing. Though if I had the forsight of ordering a chainring a tooth or so lower I could have a more capable rig without sacaraficing too much on the top end.
How much does crank length matter? That's something I've never changed but often wondered how noticeable going from 175's to 170 or 165 would be.
crank length is proportional to torque applied, so 170 --> 175 cm would yield almost 3 percent more power.
BUT, the distance each foot must travel to complete one revolution will increase also increase by 3 percent.
TLDR: A longer crank length will give you better acceleration, but may have a negative affect on being able to maintain a fast speed.
@@James-dg6xe That's a really good way of explaining horsepower and torque. For instance, diesel motors need a really long stroke(and consequently a longer distance between the center of the crankshaft to the crankpin)to achieve their compression ratio. The result is low revving and high torque.
I started off with 42/16 and it wasn’t bad at all with hill climbs though I did find myself just about spinning out going downhill (the hills here are steep but the speed is easily controllable for brake less) I have now switched to 48/14( oh boy what a difference) and I love it but some hills are pretty gnarly now I’m considering going go 48/15 or 48/16 because I do skid to slow down and it’s a little hard to do so on the 14t but the down hill and flats are so worth it
50/14 in Dallas. 23-25mph@80-90rpm is the butter zone for me but also my estimated FTP is 289Watts so my fitness is there. We frequently ramp it up beyond 25 on our Pop rides. There aint no hills here. Ride fast. Ride hard. No mercy 🤣🤣
48/16 with 700x23 tires, think I will move to 48/17 and 25 tires once mine wear out. I use dual brakes fixed so my tires will last a while. Live in Los Angeles area and there is plenty of hill climbing if you choose to, and frequently windy in the hills and near the beach. I try to keep myself around 80-95 rpm and that's pretty damn fast at around 80 inches.
Used to ride back in the day just built a new fixie i ride it 3 days a week 17 miles for cardio only got a 46/16 ratio right now but after watching this video just ordered a 14 t cog to get my avarge speed up I go fast but want to go faster takes me about 80 minutes to go 17 miles but that's on the street so stopping at a lot of lights with a 46/14 ratio I think I can get my time down to 60
I ride an All City chain ring and cog. 46-15. I didn't realize that I was riding on the high side.
Me neither...