46x16 vs 46x17 vs 46x18

I'm finding 46x16 a little bit steep now I live in Forest Hill and have a knee problem, but don't want to be spinning like mad when I hit flat ground (which is why I'm thinking of changing to 17) so will changing from 46x16 to 46x17 make much difference, or would 46x18 be more noticeable a change?

ta.

http://software.bareknucklebrigade.com/rabbit.applet.html

IMO, 1t won't make much difference to you. Stick an 18t on.

Yeah I'd probably go for the 18t...although to be honest the only way to know is to try both...just buy one of each and give them a quick go, sell the other one on here if you don't want to keep it...

46T 16T isn't too bad for forest hill i assume its not a climb all the way into central if thats where youre working?

Knee problem... both knees?

Dont forget rolling home (back) could be an absolute pain in the arse. How long have you been riding in the gear for that trip?

basically could you HTFU?

could be the cold weather... try taking a shallower route?

Get an 18T cog and if it feels to spinny, grind one of the teeth off.

17t is one louder.
18t is TWO louder!

I've been riding 46x17 for at least the last 6 months round the hills and valleys of south London. Have recently stuck a 19t on the other side of the hub and finding it to be quite a nice pub gearing but it is noticeably more spinny.

I run 47x18 and live not far from you in Beckenham, so ride similar roads I'd imagine. I geared down from 48x18 when I moved south east at the beginning of the year. It makes a difference on the hills and I haven't ever felt like I was spinning out on the downhills.

I put a 19t on the back in August to do the 5 hills ride with clintsmoker and jonny. That was great for the hills but was too spinny on the flat for me.

45x18 for the mountains of nth london. spin to win on the flat baby!!

I was thinking it was a problem that could be solved by a bit of HTFU action, but I've tried to grin and bear it for a few months and it's not happening. So I just payed Cavendish a visit and now have a nice new 18t on the back. it felt pretty pretty good on the way back to work, quite nippy. It seems i didnt tighten the lock ring as much as I should have (a little bit of slippage is going on), but I can sort that tonight.

If you don't have a lock ring sprokets tighten themselves when you ride dont they? but without a lock ring they unwind with backwards pressure or skidding etc - is that right? I tighten the sporket as best I could, so hopefully that wont fail me and I just need to tighten the lock ring a bit more (would the first ride have loosened it a bit?)

thanks for the advice.

yeah, just don't skid on the way home. forward pressure gets the sprocket nice and tight. So pump it up the hills on the way home, get the lock ring on there and tighten lots.

thought so, thanks tomasito. I've got a lock ring on there, so will just tighten that when I get home. so is a suicide hub is running without a lockring?

Yes. Suicide hub is when you don't even have threads for a lockring (i.e not a track hub), though a track hub without lockring amounts to the same thing. One big skid = everything comes undone = fucked hub = faceplant.

faceplant, nice.

do up both tight, then go back and tighten again, then tighten again until zero movement.

And make sure it is a decent lock ring. Those alloy ones can split just tightening up.

45x18 for the mountains of nth london. spin to win on the flat baby!!

Name those north London mountains!

I'll start...

1 Highgate Heights (AKA Highgate Hill)
2 Mount Muswell (AKA Muswell Hill)
3 The Hampalayas (all approaches to Hampstead village)

1. Dartmouth park
   
2. Hampstead
   

Sorry - edited in Hampstead

I moved up to an 18t, but removed two fingers from my left hand to offset the additional weight gained.

Need to venture slightly further north for north London's highest points:

Bushey Heath Harrow 502 feet (153 m)
Stanmore Hill Harrow 499 feet (152 m)
Arkley Barnet 482 feet (147 m)

Revise list:

1 Highgate Heights
2 Mount Muswell
3 The Hampstead-alayas
4 Dartmouth Park
5 Harrow Peaks
6 Arkley Ridge

London's Deep South has the highest points:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest_points_in_London

PS FWIW I'm running 48:18 up Archway Rd - not the steepest, but enough of a challenge for me

Shannon, I'm on 48 x 18 at the mo. It's hard on the knees getting started, but I still spin like crazy once I get near to 30mph. If only there was a way to change cogs and gearing on the move... Someone could make millions off an idea like that.

As you say, it takes a little while to get used to the higher gear, Sparky.

There is the Surly Dingle Cog which gives you two cogs in one (17/19t, 17/20t or 17/21t). Must spoil your chainline slightly, but I guess you only have to loosen your rear wheel and shift the chain to change it, rather than remove your wheel and flip it. You'd need to get off the bike and to change it though. Wonder if anyone here has run one...

I'm finding 46x16 a little bit steep now I live in Forest Hill and have a knee problem, but don't want to be spinning like mad when I hit flat ground (which is why I'm thinking of changing to 17) so will changing from 46x16 to 46x17 make much difference, or would 46x18 be more noticeable a change?

ta.

Hey mate I'm in Forest Hill also. I run a 46x18, as that climb up to Hornimans isn't that funny. Also the dog-kennel hill climb on the way to camberwell isn't that nice. I don't spin that much downhills but I never really let it go and try to control my decent.

Nows there's another fixed gear in FH I'll feel less sorry for myself climbing the hills I know someone else is going through too!