What's your favourite gear ratio?

says you ;)

I'm on 48x19 on both bikes, I ran a track ratio for a little while during a period I went down to the track daily, this was with a brake and I ran 77GI for a about a month before decided for sure it was too big.

You need higher gears to go fast/er :) of course you start low sometime....

And i hate spinin like a hamster, everything below 44/17 is just a pain in the ass goin downhill.....even in a city...thats only for hiphop Trick bikes. Like the big straps or "pursuit Geo" and raiserbars :D

You don't need a high gear for the city, you need a sensible gear for stopping and starting in traffic, I've seen DJ on here hold over 20mph for an hour on 48x19 just learn to pedal faster.

46 x 15 feels great with a clipless setup but not that comfortable when I was using straps and cages back in the day.

80 gear inches or roundabout there feels good but I hate hills with stop start traffic like leaving kings cross to Angel. Can do it but its more annoying than anything else cause as soon as you build momentum you have to stop.

Thinking of selling my 17 Eai cog as its too spinny when using the power if clipless. Might get a 13/14 instead.

Think this is around the point Indra is making: Pentonville Road is not a hill.

46 x 15 feels great with a clipless setup but not that comfortable when I was using straps and cages back in the day.

80 gear inches or roundabout there feels good but I hate hills with stop start traffic like leaving kings cross to Angel. Can do it but its more annoying than anything else cause as soon as you build momentum you have to stop.

Exactly, if you're struggling to get up that you really need to think about your gearing again.

It is a hill, albeit a minor one. And having to stop start on it, which is what FixedStar is talking about (I think), is awkward in a taller gear.

For riding around town, it's still a good idea to ride more like a medium gear though - stop-start, quick accelerations, not too painful in a winter headwind, fine for blasting short sections when the traffics moving faster (~25mph - this is London). And because pedalling's more fun than pushing :)

For riding around town, it's still a good idea to ride more like a medium gear though

↑This

Because this↓

Built this for a coffee shop bike for the nipper...

....66"

Remember kids, 20mph on 66" is 100rpm; if you can't do that pretty comfortably, it's time to learn, or admit defeat and fit variable gears.

You need higher gears to go fast/er :) of course you start low sometime....

And i hate spinin like a hamster, everything below 44/17 is just a pain in the ass goin downhill.....even in a city...thats only for hiphop Trick bikes. Like the big straps or "pursuit Geo" and raiserbars :D

Some peeps spin......some don't..........never understand someone telling someone else what they should or shouldn't ride???
Choose your gears, and enjoy............
Personally I run 57/16.........been riding 30odd years, and knees still working fine

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Love this thread... While medical evidence strongly suggests that you should ignore my advice, I firmly recommend a 51/14 ratio for anywhere in England.

never understand someone telling someone else what they should or shouldn't ride?

We do it because about 99% of the people who think they need to deviate substantially from norms established over many decades of experience by hundreds of thousands of cyclists are wrong

We do it because about 99% of the people who think they need to deviate substantially from norms established over many decades of experience by hundreds of thousands of cyclists are wrong

Missing my point there!!!!
Live and let live..........let peeps make their own choice, be it right or wrong

let peeps make their own mistakes

ftfy

Some people don't even know they are flying in the face of convention, so it's as well to tell them. If they wish to continue even after being told, that is, as you say, up to them.

9

You need to learn to spin to go fast/er :) of course you start high sometime....

And i hate mashing like a nodder, everything above 44/17 is just a pain in the ass goin uphill.....even in a city...thats only for track bikes. Like the big straps or "fixie skidders" and riding through traffic like a mash video :D

Ftfy

That's a serious chainring! :)

I'm still trying out ratios on my city bike. Seems like 48-17 is about right so far. Have tried larger, but did feel my knees at the end of the day more.

Some peeps spin......some don't..........never understand someone telling someone else what they should or shouldn't ride???
Choose your gears, and enjoy............
Personally I run 57/16.........been riding 30odd years, and knees still working fine

Pretty sure that's not your daily commuter bike.

Pretty sure that's not your daily commuter bike.

Believe it or not..it is at the moment........20 miles daily.............it is a pain at lights etc. I agree.................will hopefully be sorting out another frame soon....will prob adjust for city then.
Will Allways use the big un at the weekends tho

That's a serious chainring! :)

I'm still trying out ratios on my city bike. Seems like 48-17 is about right so far. Have tried larger, but did feel my knees at the end of the day more.

Ratio of legends.

Nothing wrong with bumping old threads. Bring them back from the dead.

48-17 for my daily commute. legs love it!

tomorrow building a new bike and im looking at 49/18, is that pushing it? ill be riding at lease 23 miles a day work and back

Common practice indicates that a 19t sprocket might be more commute-friendly, but it depends a bit on where you're riding and how fast.

Maybe I'll try wearing a 19t sprocket as a medallion while commuting by tube or bus for its talismanic powers of friendliness; everyone will end up stealing them though as the craze takes hold, and I'll be the slightly immature early-career Mike D of the fixie world.

because i used to ride a 47/18 and kinda found it slow at the end run, lets see what kinda dream i have tonight haha

im running 44/16 on my bike atm, i train on it clipped in, im happy with the gearing coz my geometry is quite aggressive so im low at the front so comfortable with speed on that, i commute on a volume cutter using 42/15 which is close to 44/16, i used this gearing so i could swap between both bikes and feel the same tbh, i wana lower the saddle on the commuter and change the gearing so i can practice tricking etc, anyone suggest a good gear i can use with the 42 tooth chainring for wheelies etc

42-14 on my main ride, 44-18 on the beater which is brakeless. Got another in the pipeline which will be a standard stock bike type ratio (although i'm building it myself, slowly).