Sittingduck
Legendary Member
- Location
- Somewhere flat
Nice one FFFF, sounds like a lot of fun 
Scary... but fun!
Scary... but fun!
Recent convert to fixed
- Thread starter 4F
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
yorkshiregoth
Master of all he surveys
- Location
- Heathrow
Eat MY Dust said:
Probably a silly question but how does one check the gear ratio (is it just a matter of counting the teeth?), and how do you get the total of 85" from 46/15??
Sittingduck
Legendary Member
- Location
- Somewhere flat
Joe24
More serious cyclist than Bonj
- Location
- Nottingham
Yes 85" is too big. Whats your average speeds? I can average just under 20mph on a 72" fixed. But i am used to riding fixed.
72" is a nice gear to have, not too bad up hills, not slow on the flat. Get used to it and ride it enough and you will be fit. I can keep up with people on geared bikes when they are chain ganging. And can beat them for sprints to signs. Can easily go along doing 27mph spinning on it in a chain gang, and sometimes even go along doing 30-33mph on it in a chain gang.
My bike will 'cruise' along doing 19mph no problem.
Im doing TTs on it, and ive got a 80" gear for that, i would like a slightly bigger gear on it for TTs but i should be fine on 80"
To be completely honest, i think if you anything over about 75" for normal every day use then you are stupid(unless ofcoruse your very strong and will average speeds over 22mph every time you go out, which i do very much doubt)
90rpm with 700x25c and 170mm cranks gives you a speed of 21.7mph.
Honestly, dont think you can push this gear everywhere, or just ride it because it makes you sound good. And no, saying that you like to go fast so you want a big gear isnt an excuse to have such a big gear on. If you dont enjoy spinning on a fixed as you go along with a tail wind, then why the hell are you riding fixed? Part of the fun of riding fixed is riding along fast with your legs spinning.
72" is a good gear, i might up mine to 75" in a year or when my legs are stronger, but to be honest, i dont feel like i need to.
I know someone who rode 65" gear in winter around Derbyshire with people on geared bikes. He would put a brick on his bike to make it harder with going up hills. I ran the same gear, and when i was used to it, i could keep up with sprints, and get up to 30mph in sprints on it. That really did make me fit, and ive kept the fitness.
Oh, and you will find that 72" or 75" gear will make your legs just as big. In winter there was 2 people that came out on fixed. One on 78", one on 73", the guy with 73" had much bigger legs, and the guy on the 78" couldnt drop me on 65, or the guy on 73" either. And downhill i could drop them both, and thats with me on a much smaller gear then them
So to answer your question, yes, i think 85" is too big. I would either put on a 18t sprocket(gives you 69") or a 17t sprocket(gives you 73")
You will be able to go just as fast, be faster up hill(then people on geared bikes still, especially when you get to know how to ride fixed), will get you fitter, still have strong legs and knees, and as your beating people on geared bikes when they are in a much bigger gear spinning, you will feel alot better.
Spin for gods sake, your on fixed. You will more then likely **** your knees over with that gear, as your going into a strong headwind, or up a hill. You may think your knees are strong, but when you get on fixed, you will feel the difference.
72" is a nice gear to have, not too bad up hills, not slow on the flat. Get used to it and ride it enough and you will be fit. I can keep up with people on geared bikes when they are chain ganging. And can beat them for sprints to signs. Can easily go along doing 27mph spinning on it in a chain gang, and sometimes even go along doing 30-33mph on it in a chain gang.
My bike will 'cruise' along doing 19mph no problem.
Im doing TTs on it, and ive got a 80" gear for that, i would like a slightly bigger gear on it for TTs but i should be fine on 80"
To be completely honest, i think if you anything over about 75" for normal every day use then you are stupid(unless ofcoruse your very strong and will average speeds over 22mph every time you go out, which i do very much doubt)
90rpm with 700x25c and 170mm cranks gives you a speed of 21.7mph.
Honestly, dont think you can push this gear everywhere, or just ride it because it makes you sound good. And no, saying that you like to go fast so you want a big gear isnt an excuse to have such a big gear on. If you dont enjoy spinning on a fixed as you go along with a tail wind, then why the hell are you riding fixed? Part of the fun of riding fixed is riding along fast with your legs spinning.
72" is a good gear, i might up mine to 75" in a year or when my legs are stronger, but to be honest, i dont feel like i need to.
I know someone who rode 65" gear in winter around Derbyshire with people on geared bikes. He would put a brick on his bike to make it harder with going up hills. I ran the same gear, and when i was used to it, i could keep up with sprints, and get up to 30mph in sprints on it. That really did make me fit, and ive kept the fitness.
Oh, and you will find that 72" or 75" gear will make your legs just as big. In winter there was 2 people that came out on fixed. One on 78", one on 73", the guy with 73" had much bigger legs, and the guy on the 78" couldnt drop me on 65, or the guy on 73" either. And downhill i could drop them both, and thats with me on a much smaller gear then them
So to answer your question, yes, i think 85" is too big. I would either put on a 18t sprocket(gives you 69") or a 17t sprocket(gives you 73")
You will be able to go just as fast, be faster up hill(then people on geared bikes still, especially when you get to know how to ride fixed), will get you fitter, still have strong legs and knees, and as your beating people on geared bikes when they are in a much bigger gear spinning, you will feel alot better.
Spin for gods sake, your on fixed. You will more then likely **** your knees over with that gear, as your going into a strong headwind, or up a hill. You may think your knees are strong, but when you get on fixed, you will feel the difference.
Eat MY Dust said:
Well I put my new crankset on at the weekend and this morning was running 48:16 and have to say I rather enjoyed it
. The hills were a little bit more of a challenge going up but so much more fun going down 
and I averaged 19 on the way home tonight. Undecided yet whether to change to a 18 at the back. Think I will give it a week on its current set up.
Joe24
More serious cyclist than Bonj
- Location
- Nottingham
yorkshiregoth said:Probably a silly question but how does one check the gear ratio (is it just a matter of counting the teeth?), and how do you get the total of 85" from 46/15??
Front tooth size, divide by the back, times by your wheel size in inches.
So for me.
48/18=2.6666
2.66666*27(about the right size for 700c wheels) = 72"
Joe24
More serious cyclist than Bonj
- Location
- Nottingham
FatFellaFromFelixstowe said:Well I put my new crankset on at the weekend and this morning was running 48:16 and have to say I rather enjoyed itand I averaged 19 on the way home tonight.
Undecided yet whether to change to a 18 at the back. Think I will give it a week on its current set up.
So hang on, you have a big gear, and you got an average speed less/the same as what i do, on a much smaller gear?
Joe24
More serious cyclist than Bonj
- Location
- Nottingham
FatFellaFromFelixstowe said:
No, but neither am i. im just saying that i can keep a comfortable cadence, and average the same speed you do, while your getting a speed which gives you an average cadence thats pretty low. Why not just gear down and spin abit more, and get yourself fitter and up your natural cadence, instead of grinding everywhere in a big gear? Would you normally ride the gear you have on a geared bike?
Joe24
More serious cyclist than Bonj
- Location
- Nottingham
Ok then. 81" is a perfect gear, im very happy for you.
Joe24
More serious cyclist than Bonj
- Location
- Nottingham
FatFellaFromFelixstowe said:
No.
I just dont see the point in riding a fixed with such a big gear. It doesnt really give you much benefit, when you can get the same benfit, and pick up your natural cadence and get fitter with a smaller gear.
But im not going to sit here and go on about it, because you will probably find out for yourself.
