Gearing

[ThaiGuy]

What gearing are you all running? Just curious as I'm still not quite happy with my current set up.

 

[Origamist]

48/16

 

[Apollonius]

No hills round your way then!

 

[Apollonius]

46 /18 on 27 inch wheels that is 69 in old money. Plenty,

 

[Deleted member 1258]

44x18 on 700cx25 wheels with 165 cranks, about 64.5 inches

http://calculator.fixedforum.it/

 

[Apollonius]

Sound.

 

[Sharky]

44*17, which is around 68" with 150mm cranks on my everyday single speed
50*14 (95") and 150mm cranks on my TT fixed bike - only used for 10's and occasional 25's

 

[1gearnoidea]

42/16... Big hills!!

 

[Origamist]

No hills round your way then!

Monsters:

The M6 bridge near Allostock is a hors catégorie climb and the col du Delahays in Hale should really be tackled with crampons, not wheels

 

[ThaiGuy]

I'm at 46:19 and I fancy a change, moving from my house now and thinking off upping the gearing. Hmm...

 

[Sharky]

I'm at 46:19 and I fancy a change, moving from my house now and thinking off upping the gearing. Hmm...

Does seem a little low. You could move to a 46*18 to give a 67" gear. But all depends on fitness and the hills in your area. On my normal Sunday morning route, there is just one hill which I really have to fight to get up. But this lasts for just 10 mins, so I put up with it. If I come across hills steeper than 1 in 8, I am quite prepared to get off and walk. So just find the highest gear with which you can tackle the majority of the climbs in your area. I also find a difference between summer & winter. In the summer I get a bit fitter and quicker and can manage a higher gear.

You end up with a drawer full of sprockets and keep changing them, especially if you are riding TT's on fixed as well. I often finish one of our 10's and say to my self "If only I'd put on a higher gear, I would have come back from the turn quicker". But in reality, unless you max out, times are pretty consistent regardless of the gear size. That also goes for comparison between gears and fixed. I've been using both for our evening 10's. Best this year on gears is 27:49 and my best on a 95" fixed is 27:55 - different nights/conditions, but just 6 seconds difference.

Have fun - the "fixed" addiction won't last (for more than 50 years, although it seems to have lasted a bit more with me!)
Cheers Keith

 

[apb]

48/16

speedy!

 

[rb58]

67" 46x18. Settled on that after a bit of experimenting.

 

[4F]

48 x 18 or 48 x 16 depending on mood

 

[fossyant]

46 x 16, or abouts 77".