handlebars on fixed and track bikes
- Thread starter bonj2
- Start date
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Chuffy
Veteran
- Location
- On the banks of the Exe
Fork was on backwards anyway...Frustruck said:
Chuffy
Veteran
- Location
- On the banks of the Exe
Remind me to come back to this thread when it moves onto gearing and sprocket choice.
Amanda P
Legendary Member
- Location
- York. Well, York-ish...
Go on then? Why not?
Amanda P
Legendary Member
- Location
- York. Well, York-ish...
Well, just because your fixie only has one gear, that doesn't mean you don't have to choose what gear ratio it is.
In fact, it's much more important than on a multi-geared bike, because you can't just change up or down a gear or two as the terrain changes. Your single gear has to be a compromise that allows you to ride all the terrain you're likely to encounter, up hills and down.
If you lived in a totally flat place and were super-fit, you could have quite a high hear (90-odd inches) and be spinning along in it at 30 mph all the time.
In Sheffield, and being merely human, you'll need a rather lower gear - you'll want to be able to climb some hills with it. (60", perhaps?) You certainly don't want to be seen walking your fixie up a hill!
And worse, you have to bear in mind that you can't stop pedalling coming down hills either. So if you choose, say, a 50" gear to get you up the hills, you'll be "spinning out" coming down them - that's to say you'll be riding slowly down with the brake(s) on so that your legs can keep up with the pedals.
So choice of gear is really quite critical, and probably the single point on which you should seek the most advice, preferably from those who know the terrain you'll be riding on this bike and are experienced riding it on a fixed gear.
In fact, it's much more important than on a multi-geared bike, because you can't just change up or down a gear or two as the terrain changes. Your single gear has to be a compromise that allows you to ride all the terrain you're likely to encounter, up hills and down.
If you lived in a totally flat place and were super-fit, you could have quite a high hear (90-odd inches) and be spinning along in it at 30 mph all the time.
In Sheffield, and being merely human, you'll need a rather lower gear - you'll want to be able to climb some hills with it. (60", perhaps?) You certainly don't want to be seen walking your fixie up a hill!
And worse, you have to bear in mind that you can't stop pedalling coming down hills either. So if you choose, say, a 50" gear to get you up the hills, you'll be "spinning out" coming down them - that's to say you'll be riding slowly down with the brake(s) on so that your legs can keep up with the pedals.
So choice of gear is really quite critical, and probably the single point on which you should seek the most advice, preferably from those who know the terrain you'll be riding on this bike and are experienced riding it on a fixed gear.
Well, it's not quite as hilly in Leeds as Sheffield, so I ride a a 46 x 17 which gives me a 74" gear; or sometimes a 46x18 (70"). I can round the Dales on that, but not the steeper stuff.
If I was younger and fitter I would go for a higher cadence and a lower gear, say something around 65".
If I was younger and fitter I would go for a higher cadence and a lower gear, say something around 65".
Joe24
More serious cyclist than Bonj
- Location
- Nottingham
Gearing is hard. Need to work out the GI, which i let someone else do. Which i think, you divide the chain-ring tooth number by the sproket, then times by 27 or something. I have 65GI. Thats good for me, and i like hills. I was out on it today on the club ride, faster then most on the hills and into headwinds i found i was able to keep my speed higher. 2 hills, one long with a headwind i felt like chucking up by the time i got to the top but carried on. The last one i do was slowish but it will get easier. If your going to do hills, go for mid 60GI was the advice i was given.
Only problem though, was when there was a tailwind and the group was doing 27mph i was spinning like mad. Ended up turning off with another guy, he was really struggling on his geared, and i just wanted to stop spinning so fast.
The Mavric CXP33 or whatever, the rim suggested is whati have on the back of my fixed. Pretty deep really, nice looking aswell. Dont do your bike in all one colour though Bonj, or it will look bad IMO.
Only problem though, was when there was a tailwind and the group was doing 27mph i was spinning like mad. Ended up turning off with another guy, he was really struggling on his geared, and i just wanted to stop spinning so fast.
The Mavric CXP33 or whatever, the rim suggested is whati have on the back of my fixed. Pretty deep really, nice looking aswell. Dont do your bike in all one colour though Bonj, or it will look bad IMO.
Amanda P
Legendary Member
- Location
- York. Well, York-ish...
Gear inches: number of teeth on chainring divided by number of teeth on sprocket. Then multiply the answer by 27 (if you're using a 27" or 700 wheel).
Somewhere between 65 and 70 inches seems to be right for most folk.
My fixie's only ever used on the flat, but carries a load sometimes, and I'm not fast anyway, so I have 69" (46 by 18).
Somewhere between 65 and 70 inches seems to be right for most folk.
My fixie's only ever used on the flat, but carries a load sometimes, and I'm not fast anyway, so I have 69" (46 by 18).
Uncle Phil said:
Well, i do live in a fairly flat place at the minute (not sheffield) so I'm thinking of starting off with something around 42x17, maybe even 42x15 (or equivalent) and seeing how that goes...
on my normal road bike, that's the same as middle ring and 4th/5th sprocket (respectively).
Judging by the fact that when i'm batting along on the flat at what is probably about 22mph i'm normally in 3rd sprocket (19), then 42x17/42x15 is probably going to be plenty fast enough and maybe give me a bit of room to get up the odd shallow hill.
When i'm living in sheffield again i'm probably going to have some experience of riding it, but it's not going to be the commuter when i'm back in sheffield so it'll probably be mainly used for just fun rides off out into the peaks, and i know sheffield quite well so will probably be able to work out a route that doesn't include any hills i won't be able to get up, either that or i'll put a bigger sprocket on then.
I'm presuming sprockets don't cost that much, so it shouldn't be much of an issue to change it if i decide i want a bigger or smaller one. And i'm presuming they just bolt straight onto the hub?
Joe24
More serious cyclist than Bonj
- Location
- Nottingham
Go for fixed/fixed, have one sprocket on one side thats in the 70's, and a bigger sprocket on the other, works better if you have longer drop-outs. You will have to take it to a bike shop that has loads of sprokets in, and mess around to see how big you can get on the other side.
With the gear i was in, i was going along on the flat doing about 27mph spinning, could of maybe gone up to 28/29mph if i really concentrated and span.
I think in London they run around 74GI i think.
With the gear i was in, i was going along on the flat doing about 27mph spinning, could of maybe gone up to 28/29mph if i really concentrated and span.
I think in London they run around 74GI i think.
