Track Gearing (Herne Hill Day)

i always thought you should add an inch on to get a better idea of actual gear size - because tyres effectively add at least that much to the diameter of the wheel.

i have 27" rims, so my 42:14 on this measure is about an 84", not an 81"

mx-l
42-14 isnt that more of a sprint gear? you will get a lot more spin with that, try 50 -15,90,s or 46-14, 88 which is minimum for Hearn hill 44-13,90ish is a good sprinters gear

click on me for a good gear calculator

Another way to do it is if you know your race pace and sprinting speeds, calculate the gear from the cadence you feel comfortable at maintaing those speeds.

Using the above chart, 48x15 with 170 cranks and narrow tubs @100rpm is 25.3mph and 48x16 @100rpm is 23.7, so one of those two for me depending on weather.

mx-l
42-14 isnt that more of a sprint gear? you will get a lot more spin with that, try 50 -15,90,s or 46-14, 88 which is minimum for Hearn hill 44-13,90ish is a good sprinters gear

not sure really... 84" what people have said above is good for someone reasonably fit and experienced. i'm quite fit, but haven't ridden track much.

just wanted to enter in to the debate over how to calculate gear size really. i'm thinking about coming to herne hill, up from brighton. and my bike currently has a one-piece crank and chainring, so i'd have to go up to a 42:13, which is 90.5" (or 87", depending on which measure you use) ...

cheers for the advice tho!

Max

no worries you must have very strong legs ..

no worries you must have very strong legs ..

not cycling up!! haha

I found 46x15 (700c) fine, except it was hard to make that final jump.

46x14 (700c) - 86.5ish - seems good in fairly high-paced events, though it can be hard to keep on top of if there's a headwind and you're on your own/at the front.

I'm semi-fit.