What if you can't spin?

My man, I respect you.

Its kills my lungs to ride with fast people, but I never mention it.

You just did... ;-)

started at 50x15 when i first started riding fixed. which was pretty stupid. dropped to 50x17 then 48x17 and now i run 47x17 which i'm pretty happy with. high enough they i don't get dusted be every second roadie. low enough that i can skid and tackle hills without too much grief.

i've been tempted to drop to 45x17 for some more spin.

You just did... ;-)

ha ha,

but ive never met you, ridden a bike with you.

And still, it is indeed the first time I have utterred anything about it - including the make believe world of the interweb.

Just happened to be thinking about it a fair bit recently...

you Just Did... ;-)

Epic Fail!

started at 50x15 when i first started riding fixed. which was pretty stupid. dropped to 50x17 then 48x17 and now i run 47x17 which i'm pretty happy with. high enough they i don't get dusted be every second roadie. low enough that i can skid and tackle hills without too much grief.

i've been tempted to drop to 45x17 for some more spin.

45:18 here man, you'll love it, once used to it.

45:18 here man, you'll love it, once used to it.

47:19, not spinning out on my commute now (used to on my SS MTB), so tempted to go to a 21 on the other side of my hub. Need to improve my spinning so I can stand a chance of Rollapaluza victory!

if it's rollapaluza victory you're after i recommend a 42:20, with lots of steep downhills.

if it's rollapaluza victory you're after i recommend a 42:20, with lots of steep downhills.
my polo gearing, still managed a decent time at the eastie drinks TT :)

If you keen to Spin in Putney - try the new Pay as you go studio , you get issued with a Heart Rate monitor that beams all HR of the class onto a TV screen in the Studio.

www.pedalstudio.co.uk

Ha, your name! What are the chances!?

Pedalstudio - you didn't look too happy as you were set up on your spinbike next to M&S this afternoon :^]

[and for a first post that's a bit close to spamming]

**11th June 2008: **Mine's a Kestrel Super.

Some things just don't change. I recognise now that I may have a problem.......

Maybe I don't drink enough.

So what ratio are you running?

If you keen to Spin in Putney - try the new Pay as you go studio , you get issued with a Heart Rate monitor that beams all HR of the class onto a TV screen in the Studio.
www.pedalstudio.co.uk

That HR thing would be good. The few spin classes I went to everyone else sat there barely raising a sweat.. slack bitches.

So what ratio are you running?
48x17 on one bike, 46x17 0n the other. Still not what I like, but a fair compromise for commuting.

Got a project bike in mind, converting my hybrid to SS, that may have a different ratio also.

If you keen to Spin in Putney - try the new Pay as you go studio , you get issued with a Heart Rate monitor that beams all HR of the class onto a TV screen in the Studio.

www.pedalstudio.co.uk

Thanks for reviving an interesting thread for a newbie to fixed riding. (48/18 btw)

http://www.moestavern.net/

you soft city lads, this is all well, but are there really any proper hills or climbs in london?!

i used to ride a harder gear, but have moved to a more spinny gear.

ive recently come down from 52x17 to 52x20. at first i found it really awkward and my chest would burn up well before my legs (previously other way round), but after a couple of weeks ive got used to it. im now boosting about much more comfortably than before, and cresting hills is much easier. when i was on 82gi i really had to wrestle the bike over crests and was absolutly shagged afterwoods.

52x20 is 70".. standard London (and almost everywhere else) road fixed gearing.

^^^true but let's not forget the added weight of dragging those 'yuge gears around. Not suggesting you should go all micro gears like BMXers are...11T..nuts!

I've been going round 42-19 which is good for central sprinting and stopping but bit spinny. Trying out 18t out back but till I get a new fixed/fixed hub so I can just flip the wheel for commute/trix gearing, I'm gonna spin to win.

^^^true but let's not forget the added weight of dragging those 'yuge gears around. Not suggesting you should go all micro gears like BMXers are...11T..nuts!

9tooth cogs for bmx have been round a long while now, you can even get 16t for the front end.

And an update seeing as this thread as been revived. After riding lots I am now pretty awesome at spinning. I never 'spin out' on my gearing which is only 71" right now, only really worry about stopping/slipping on leaves/chain jumping off etc when getting to those speeds otherwise could go even faster.

I'd like to try fixed(to improve my fitness and to try something new but before I took the plunge I took my crosstrail hybrid out in 'fixed mode at 48-18. It wears 700c 28 continentals at present and weighs about 27lb. I did a 9mile circuit at about 16.5mph average. Gearing Cadence felt slow although when I counted it was around the 70-80 range.

Bike I'm interested in is a Boardman (found one cheap) fixed which comes 48-16. The lighter weight (8lb odd), better position and narrower tyres will no doubt help but it feels like I want to stick a 20 on the back at the moment (or bigger) or stick with gears

Bike will be used for fitness and once a week to work (56mile round trip) with some loong hills.

Er, what are you asking?

Sorry if I'm being obtuse.

I'm going to guess: Yes 70-80rpm is slow in a way, fast to me is 180rpm +. You will want to try different cogs, that's natural and healthy.

Starting out on 48/18 is possibly a bit high, I started on 48/17 and was fine but with hindsight would rather have started on a spinnier gear.

The capital of Angola is Luanda.

hmm yea, I am struggling too....

but as Fox says just try some out - Different ratios for different peeps

stick a 19t on it, as mrx pointed out it's pretty much a personal preference, but 48/19 give you a perfect gear inches of 67, the difference between 18 and 20 is pretty big.

you'll probably find it's easier with hill.