Gear inch/ratio question

the rule is:
If you have the ratio ie mine 44:16, and you divide it down to the smallest possible divisible fraction, then you have the potential numbe of skid patches.
So 44:16 = 11/4, so 4 possible skid patches.
17 doesn't divide by anything. That is why it is good for your tires (17 skid patches possible).
I would change to 15, which would give me 15 patches, but i love the ratio as it is.

hth ;)

Yes, I know, eyebrows said "possible". I'm wrong again.

hth?

Hope that helps.

so this does this not hold true then?

ignoring the actual technical factors and going on feel, what makes you choose your gear? i run 52-18/20.

i live in an area with long flats and big hills. i dont like the feeling of spinning out when im trying to keep up with traffic. with my gearing i can comfortably keep up and overtake traffic with enough gear left for me to put in a full sprint.

on hills i dont mind having a big gear as i kind of enjoy the challenge, and having having some resistance to push against feels good. i wouldnt want this if i was riding 100~miles or up a 20mi climb, but for bashing about its great.

so i try to ride a gear that is as close to spinning out on the flat as i can, without actually spinning out.

i recently went out on a 50mi ride with a 22t, and while i could definatly ride longer with it, i missed the top end speed for sprints and the resitance up hills.

ignoring the actual technical factors and going on feel, what makes you choose your gear? i run 52-18/20.

i live in an area with long flats and big hills. i dont like the feeling of spinning out when im trying to keep up with traffic. with my gearing i can comfortably keep up and overtake traffic with enough gear left for me to put in a full sprint.

on hills i dont mind having a big gear as i kind of enjoy the challenge, and having having some resistance to push against feels good. i wouldnt want this if i was riding 100~miles or up a 20mi climb, but for bashing about its great.

so i try to ride a gear that is as close to spinning out on the flat as i can, without actually spinning out.

i recently went out on a 50mi ride with a 22t, and while i could definatly ride longer with it, i missed the top end speed for sprints and the resitance up hills.

i prefer the 52/18 as well, and im in a pretty flat area too.

i dont mind pushing in that gear up hills, as long as the bike can take the pressure and abuse ill keep on pushing. I want a front brake with that gearing though because stopping becomes like manhandling a drunk cow.

currently im cruising on 46/18 while i fix my racer, and that i can easily ride brakeless, but i totally miss the ridicolous acceleration and being able to keep up with all traffic and bomb hills like crazy.

I think im going 53/18 when i fix the bike though. Which apperently brings me from 9 skid patches to 36? is that good or bad? less flat spots? I dont get this at all, anyone care to explain how this is supposed to work?

i prefer the 52/18 as well, and im in a pretty flat area too.

i dont mind pushing in that gear up hills, as long as the bike can take the pressure and abuse ill keep on pushing. I want a front brake with that gearing though because stopping becomes like manhandling a drunk cow.

currently im cruising on 46/18 while i fix my racer, and that i can easily ride brakeless, but i totally miss the ridicolous acceleration and being able to keep up with all traffic and bomb hills like crazy.

I think im going 53/18 when i fix the bike though. Which apperently brings me from 9 skid patches to 36? is that good or bad? less flat spots? I dont get this at all, anyone care to explain how this is supposed to work?

53/18 will give you 18 skid patches, the max number of skid patches you can have is the amount of teeth on your sprocket (and that's only if the number of teeth on the cahinring doesn't divide into it, which 53/18 doesn't) however if you usually skid with either leg (as opposed to always skidding using the same leg) you can double the skid patches, only when the number of teeth on the chainring is an odd number though (such as 53). Well, that's what I think, if it's wrong feel free to say =D

I never thought my love of numbers and bikes would cross over in such a way =P

this may be a stupid question but
is more skid patches then better or worse?

supposed to be better as you are spreading the wear around and not focusing on one spot...

im riding 44-16 which i find ok around town.. but i do have to do a few hills on my way home tho...

I did Highgate Hill last night on the polo bike.

39/21 and a couple of pints makes for a very funny descent.

Very, very, very spinny.

Same again next week.

I run 48:16 and ride a silly steep, long hill on my commute when I take my fixie, does the job fine.

I'm a 49:16 man myself, and does fine for the streets around Dublin's Expensive Dublin (not many hills on my commute, but it handle's em fine)

Technically better. But you can always remove your wheel, run it forward a bit then put it back on, so you'll now skid on a different part of your tyre.

i found an easy calculator on the web
http://software.bareknucklebrigade.com/rabbit.applet.html

wot up

I ride a 48/18 ratio at the mo, but its too easy so need some advice from the more knowledgeable ones out there!!

shall I go 52/18 or 48/16 to make things harder???

Go up a tooth at a time on the rear - so try 48/17 next. FWIW, it's a lot cheaper to get a new rear cog than a new chainring.

Cheers brother!

I'm a single speed bod though so think I'll go down to 16, just need to find a cheapie!!

I ride a 42:18 and It's useless!

I've nearly finished building my 1st fixed and I'm going with 46:15. I'm used to a 10 speed compact shimano set up. Is this ration going to be OK for someone who's never been on a fg?

Probably gonna be a little high, probably best going for a 16t or 17t sprocket

Good question but one of those how long is a piece of string kind of questions. It will depend on how strong a rider you are, what type of terrain you're riding, distance and mostly personal preference.

It's a good place to start but as Andyp mentioned above, you can always go up a tooth on the rear cog if it doesn't feel comfortable. Personally I'm on 44/19 at the minute and I love the spinnyness in traffic and at lights but not so good on the long straights. I have also run 44/18 and 44/17 at times. Again it's about finding the right gear for you. Take your time, get used to it. Enjoy. Repeat.

This is a very useful calculator aplet: http://software.bareknucklebrigade.com/
It factors in crank length and rolling diameter.

I work on metres gain: For general riding I aim at 6m, which on my Langster = 16/46 with 700 x 23mm tyres and 172.5mm cranks.

I started off much lower and have built up to what appears to be, for me, a nice comfortable gearing.

Toodle pip

47:17, love it. rode 47:15 on the way back from the track the other week, made me wonder how the hell i ran 50:15 on the street or a few weeks.

may run 46:18 on my next build. spinners are winners.

Anyone use 46/17(71.1 GI)? I fancy a change on the Concept, 48/19's(66.4 GI) too spinny