My fixed is 52/18 (75.9) and so far I've not had any hills I can't get up.... but it's quite hard work at times! Turning my legs into legs-of-steel which is pretty cool though....
However, it's sometimes a bit tricky to set off in traffic when on a hill etc. which atm isn't too much of a prob as I don't do much town riding, just a mega commute each day through countryside. However when I move to Cambridge this summer I'll mainly be doing town riding so I'm thinking of changing my gears to 52/19 (71.9) or maybe even 52/20 (68.3) so I can set off and stop easier and get skiddy wid it ;-) Can't do a skid stop with my current set-up - couldn't even think of riding without a front brake as I just don't have the leverage.
The other thing I find is that I think fixed gear helps you get up hills (something to do with the momentum of the back wheel maybe?) so I find I can get up steeper hills in my higher gear than I would even dream of if I was riding SS. So if you're going with SS maybe go for a lower gear? That way you should be able to get up any hills you come across and you can freewheel so you don't have to worry about how spinny your legs will be going down a hill!
How comes you're going SS and not fixed? I was unsure about fixed before I tried it but it honestly is the most fun I've ever had on a bike :-D
My fixed is 52/18 (75.9) and so far I've not had any hills I can't get up.... but it's quite hard work at times! Turning my legs into legs-of-steel which is pretty cool though....
However, it's sometimes a bit tricky to set off in traffic when on a hill etc. which atm isn't too much of a prob as I don't do much town riding, just a mega commute each day through countryside. However when I move to Cambridge this summer I'll mainly be doing town riding so I'm thinking of changing my gears to 52/19 (71.9) or maybe even 52/20 (68.3) so I can set off and stop easier and get skiddy wid it ;-) Can't do a skid stop with my current set-up - couldn't even think of riding without a front brake as I just don't have the leverage.
The other thing I find is that I think fixed gear helps you get up hills (something to do with the momentum of the back wheel maybe?) so I find I can get up steeper hills in my higher gear than I would even dream of if I was riding SS. So if you're going with SS maybe go for a lower gear? That way you should be able to get up any hills you come across and you can freewheel so you don't have to worry about how spinny your legs will be going down a hill!
How comes you're going SS and not fixed? I was unsure about fixed before I tried it but it honestly is the most fun I've ever had on a bike :-D