What's your favourite gear ratio?

51/16
Bit sketchy at first but its worth it once you get used to it

No wickedcool skids in summer though.

Not a problem! I'm ambiskidextrous and practice "patch rotating.." :-)

The question is not 'favourite gear', but most appropriate.... Most of my fixed riding is a 20 mile each way commute on the flat, but with a mile or so of 10% hill, down in the morning and (what joy!) up in the evening.

So: winter at average 17mph, max 32mph, 48:18. Summer 20mph average max 40mph 48:15. General purpose track 50:15. Time trial hopefully at 27mph average (on a good day!) 54:15.

In general, learn to pedal Richard! I am in awe of Neil, I rode 64 for a whole winter once and could only just notice forward motion....... And 10% hills HURT whatever gear you're on!

Colin

I used to gear up in the summer, but last summer never happened so the gear stayed the same.
I average about 15 mph now, I like to look around and enjoy the ride,
I am 78, years that is not inches.

Neil

49x16 fuck da police

I ride 48x17 on fixed. No hills where I am. Use my geared bike for longer rides...

Currently creating a cheap pub beater for my brother for xmas. I'm not changing the crank so im stuck with either a 42 or a 52. Not sure of the best combo for him. Its flat near him too, although he may use it to commute.

Im thinking either 42x15 (75.6) or 52x19 (73.9).

can anyone see any issues??? Still havent decided.

Oh... It'll prob be ss not fixed. Still not fully commited either way.

on a beater even no hills id imagine you'd want 65-70? not closer to 75..

I'm with Rogan, I'm going for 65 on my beater, if not a bit less for offroading and shit.

A fair point. I don't think he'll be using it for fitness. A cog between 42-52 would have been preferable but think i'll stick a 16t on the rear with the 42. Think that works out about 70".

i run 43 16 everyday s'alright

OK, gear ratio aficionados, I recently inherited a 44/18 gear ratio on a second hand bike I bought. It's pretty lumpy where I ride, but even so, it feels massively under geared. It must be improving my pedalling technique, but...

So, it needs changing. I have a proper track chainset with a 49T track ring that I could use, so do I go 49/18 (I'd still need to buy a new sprocket and if I can't splice 2 track chains together I'm likely to need a new chain too) or do i go 45/16 (I'd need a new chainring and sprocket, but could definitely use the existing chain). The benefit of 45/16 is that I can then also attach a 16T freewheel that I have in the spares drawer to the fixed/free hub just in case I fancy some singlespeed action in the future.

In summary the question is 49/18 or 45/16 given that the cost of either option is likely to be similar. Any mechanical advantage/disadvantage for either ratio? I don't do wicked skidz. I don't much care for the aesthetics of the 49T ring if that makes a difference. For what it's worth I used to ride 53/16 when doing "big gear rides" when training for TTs, but I did have to avoid the steepest hills completely on that bike. Reckon either of the 2 gear options will be ideal for my all round riding I'm planning. Thanks!

^49/18 during the winter :)

http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html#bigsmall

I ride 48x17 on fixed. No hills where I am. Use my geared bike for longer rides...

Currently creating a cheap pub beater for my brother for xmas. I'm not changing the crank so im stuck with either a 42 or a 52. Not sure of the best combo for him. Its flat near him too, although he may use it to commute.

Im thinking either 42x15 (75.6) or 52x19 (73.9).

can anyone see any issues??? Still havent decided.

OK, gear ratio aficionados, I recently inherited a 44/18 gear ratio on a second hand bike I bought. It's pretty lumpy where I ride, but even so, it feels massively under geared. It must be improving my pedalling technique, but...

So, it needs changing. I have a proper track chainset with a 49T track ring that I could use, so do I go 49/18 (I'd still need to buy a new sprocket and if I can't splice 2 track chains together I'm likely to need a new chain too) or do i go 45/16 (I'd need a new chainring and sprocket, but could definitely use the existing chain). The benefit of 45/16 is that I can then also attach a 16T freewheel that I have in the spares drawer to the fixed/free hub just in case I fancy some singlespeed action in the future.

In summary the question is 49/18 or 45/16 given that the cost of either option is likely to be similar. Any mechanical advantage/disadvantage for either ratio? I don't do wicked skidz. I don't much care for the aesthetics of the 49T ring if that makes a difference. For what it's worth I used to ride 53/16 when doing "big gear rides" when training for TTs, but I did have to avoid the steepest hills completely on that bike. Reckon either of the 2 gear options will be ideal for my all round riding I'm planning. Thanks!

46 x 16 and I live in the Japanese mountains, suits me fine!

In summary the question is 49/18 or 45/16 given that the cost of either option is likely to be similar. Any mechanical advantage/disadvantage for either ratio? I don't do wicked skidz. I don't much care for the aesthetics of the 49T ring if that makes a difference. For what it's worth I used to ride 53/16 when doing "big gear rides" when training for TTs, but I did have to avoid the steepest hills completely on that bike. Reckon either of the 2 gear options will be ideal for my all round riding I'm planning. Thanks!

In effect most average riders will experience no or very little difference between the said gear ratios in terms of speed and ability to climb; 45/16 obviously being slightly higher than 49/18. However, mechanically speaking the difference is rather significant; at least in principle. In short, while both ratios may feel virtually the same at top speed or climbing a hill, unless you have a very fine-tuned cadence and style of riding, a low/low ratio enables greater response in terms of acceleration/deceleration, whereas a high/high ratio provides greater momentum while cruising over a longer distance.

In other words, in addition to comparing the overall gear ratio you also need to consider chain speed. With a modest cadence of 100 r.p.m. a 45t chainring will engage 75 chain links per second in comparison to 82 with a 49t chain ring. It may not sound like much, but in reality it's two completely different setups.

To complicate things even further, you may also want to consider the length of your crank. There are many and conflicting theories on the subject, but as a rule of thumb choose a shorter crank for higher cadence (which is what most fixed gear riders prefer/strive for) and a longer crank for greater leverage. It's a complex science really, which eventually boils down to technique and personal preference.

Personally I can't spin to save my life, but spinning is definitely the way forward. For everyday road use, or even racing your fixed gear bike in an urban environment, you want a relatively low gear ratio, in fact as low as you can go without seriously compromising your top speed.

Learn to spin.

It's a lot like pedaling, but faster.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Lynchman. Yes that really helps and decision made: 45/16.

I was expecting to get flamed for what is potentially a redundant question but your explanation is really useful and thinking about it I think I have some experience of the effect you describe. When riding on the track on 51/15 I found it really hard to decelerate with any sort of control, whereas with the 44/18 I've been riding on the road I've found it much easier to actually control the bike's speed using the gear. Probably just more control from the smaller ratio but the difference is quite distinct so it may also be in part the mechanical effect you mention.

Anyway, its 45/16 for me so thanks again.

http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html#bigsmall

V useful too. Thanks.

Colin

I used to gear up in the summer, but last summer never happened so the gear stayed the same.
I average about 15 mph now, I like to look around and enjoy the ride,
I am 78, years that is not inches.

Neil
repped

I had a dream last night that I changed my gear ratio to 48/17 and was immediately able to do supercoolwicked skidz. That was the entire dream.

It's bullshit though because i'm already riding 48/17 and I can do barely average skids on a wet day.

^Repped!

bit of an odd dream...

@yetidamo
While a 45/18=2.8 gear ratio will most likely suit most riders/rides, getting it just right is not a "political" decision. Ideally you want an array of cogs and chain rings to choose from, which of course is rather expensive. Some bike shops however, will have a few spares, thus allowing you to try out various combos before you buy.

I had a dream last night that I changed my gear ratio to 48/17 and was immediately able to do supercoolwicked skidz. That was the entire dream.

It's bullshit though because i'm already riding 48/17 and I can do barely average skids on a wet day.

Doesn't skidding slow down or eventually bring your bike to a standstill; why would you want to do that?

I've run 53x16 for a while now, but I've always had brakes, and never had to deal with many hills