How to Choose the Fixed/Singlespeed Gearing Best for YOU

How to Choose the Fixed/Singlespeed Gearing Best for YOU | Fixed Gear Gearing Guide

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6 жыл бұрын

You'll need these essential tools before finding your perfect fixed gear gearing: kit.com/ZachGallardo/essentia...
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More extensive articles on gearing for cycling:
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www.momnium.com/track-cycling...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gear_in...
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Looking for the gearing on your fixed gear that will best be suited for the terrain you ride and your riding style? Here's the Fixed Gear Gearing Guide.
To find the gearing that's best for you, we need to understand some gearing basics. Gearing is measured in what's called gear inches. The higher the gear inches, the harder it will be to pedal but the faster you'll go. To increase your gear inches, increase the number of teeth on your chainring or decrease the number of teeth on your cog. Tire size will also affect gearing a little bit.
Gearing will influence your riding style by affecting your cadence and your bike's resistance.
Your ideal gearing will depend on your strength, the terrain you ride, whether you like to spin or mash, whether you're riding with brakes or not, how rough of surfaces you'll be riding, how much weight you'll be carrying, the list goes on. There's no one correct gearing for one person, let alone everybody. Gearing is highly subjective and whatever you think is the best ratio IS your best ratio.
Generally, people are most comfortable and efficient pedaling between 75-90 revolutions per minute (RPM). That's about one and a half to two pedal strokes every second. I recommend choosing a gearing that's low enough to get you up the steepest hills you'll ride but is as high as you can go without having to get off and walk your bike.
50-70 gear inches is low gearing and good if you mostly do climbing or carry a lot of weight. 75-85ish gear inches is medium gearing and is the sweet spot for a lot of people. 75-85 gear inches are good for 50/50 climbing and flat riding or mostly flat riding. 90-120 gear inches is high gearing. This is for racing and trying to break records. If you're just riding around town, don't go higher than 90 gear inches since too high a gearing can lead to injury with knee injuries being the most common.
The best way to find which gearing is best for your needs and riding style is to try out different gearing. Use the gear inch calculator to find out what your gearing is, so you can have a reference point. Buy some cheap cogs from a friendly bike shop, swap them out, and have a blast crushing the terrain on your fixed gear.

Пікірлер: 534

@ZachGallardo 6 жыл бұрын

QOTD: What's your fixed or singlespeed gearing and what terrain do you ride? Let's get a discussion going to help those looking for their ideal gearing.

@andrewbrown6462 6 жыл бұрын

Zach I have 48x13 for 97.25. It worked really well for my commute, which had some hills. I could hold a descent pace on the flats. I say past tense because I'm recovering from a collison with a car

@macklu7657 6 жыл бұрын

42:16, 700/28, singlespeed, not much climbing, could've gone for 46:16, but as for commuting this ratio does the job for me, not much sweat and a good start when lights go green. Comfort over speed, maybe it's the age? I'll be fifty next year. Greetings! :-)

@RyanDoesLife 6 жыл бұрын

48x20 on my Kilo WT, perfect for all around riding and a bit of monster trucking through that sweet sweet gravel!

@rubidium330 6 жыл бұрын

I'm riding 48x13 in sac I mainly ride the American river though. It's pretty sketch when I'm down town though and I'm riding pretty fast but I can skid but still sketch

@NowIFish 6 жыл бұрын

48/14 in socal. Doable but would gear down on my next ride up Torrey Pines Road...it kick'd my a$$

@ratoneJR 6 жыл бұрын

I am 55YO and my bike is set up single speed. Front chain ring is 32T, rear cog is 22T. Someone told me it is 38.6 GI. Super low, but I would not change it. BTW... I pass people walking, but people jogging pass me. I think it is funny. My local trail is 22 miles, about 4 hours. I can't think of a better way to spend 4 hours. Makes no sense to me to finish faster and go home.

@MrSkepticism 6 жыл бұрын

At least youre out on your bike! :D

@michaelgreene9791 6 жыл бұрын

9.2mph at 80rpms. That's about a 40 min 10k. In my running days, I could beat that. Not sure if you're even getting any fitness benefit at that speed, but at least you're out riding.

@mikefule330 5 жыл бұрын

That's pretty low. Depending on your wheel size, it's somewhere under 40". I'm 55 and ride similar distances on a 36 inch unicycle, but with shorter cranks so I can spin faster. My fixie is geared somewhere in the 70s, and I can just about lever it up the biggest hills near where I live. The perennial problem with fixies is if you need a low gear to get up a hill, you need brakes to come back down it - or you can spin until your knees catch fire. A super low single speed such as yours is a fine way to ensure that you enjoy the ride, never feel under pressure to do a "best time" or "highest speed:" and you get to enjoy the scenery and wildlife. Enjoy!

@fsmphoto1969 5 жыл бұрын

@@michaelgreene9791 "Not sure if you're even getting any fitness benefit at that speed, but at least you're out riding." - how would you know that he isn't getting any fitness benefit?

@BryanPike 4 жыл бұрын

Hey your in the saddle... whatever works for you. Interesting what works for some people.

@PatrickArchibald 4 жыл бұрын

46/18 freewheel Wabi Classic, 58 yr old riding the South Carolina lowcounty flats. ☮

@HaniJIsmail 3 жыл бұрын

Nice. Can't hate on that at all. But it's too spinney for me

@stevewhoknowswhomisreallyw4282 Жыл бұрын

46/16 just turned 60 and live in a very hilling area. Man it's murder. I'm walking a lot. Thinking of a 20 or maybe 22 cog. Not sure, but experimentation is the name of the game. I'm too old to care what others think just want a nice comfortable ride. Any thoughts? I'm open to options.

@ofacid3439 Жыл бұрын

@@stevewhoknowswhomisreallyw4282 I ride 32x17/19 fixed in a very hilly area. Descending is hilarious yet climbing and cruising are perfect (front brake and resting feet on a downtube help a lot though). My inspiration was always Dave Nice aka Fixie Dave who rides exclusively a fixed MTB geared with something like 32x16/18 and he makes thousands miles commutes a year totally unfazed. And yes, he is the first and still only man who's finished the Tour Divide race on a fixed gear bike, so that makes some sense. I would totally recommend you to swap a cog for 20/22t if you ride a classic fixed gear bike with a square-taper and a threaded hub

@jefflilyea4669 Жыл бұрын

66yo., fixed 46x19 ' flat 'roads in Florida fixed my knees ( after I crossed a mountain in so-cal on a 12sp.centurion 20 years ago 😆

@starwilkinson8020 11 ай бұрын

Perfect ratio for painless all around ridding.

@tusk1_ 4 жыл бұрын

Just want to say THANK YOU for making this video, which I will likely watch many times over. This is one of those more technical things I cannot keep straight. Bravo good sir. Your videos are always appreciated.

@palicar 6 жыл бұрын

46:17 mixed terrain because I’m traveling as a trucker. Been riding four months and have become noticeably stronger. There’s a hill in Cherokee Pass MO I can’t get up because the grade increases halfway up and it’s the third in a succession. It will be mine. Oh, yes. It will be mine.

@awno6627 4 ай бұрын

Your mom will be mine

@josephf5036 4 жыл бұрын

I started with 46x16 with 700x32 tyres. Where I live there are quite a few hills, strong winds and I was having some knee pain. I changed it after a year and a half to 42x16 there was a massive difference, I can go up any hill with strong winds from the front. In a couple of years I will give it a try at 46x17.

@ELMOYER30 4 ай бұрын

Same

@diegoleiva7242 5 жыл бұрын

Currently using a 44-16 ratio with 28 mm. tires in Santiago, Chile, which is flat-ish mostly. Ditched a 44-18 setup two days ago and I'm loving the extra speed in the flats, frankly my legs didn't get any stronger with the 18T rear cog, since I was spinning everywhere. Now I feel I'm working harder for that speed, will need a few weeks to condition myself but I love it so far. My chainring is on it's last legs so I might go with a 46 and that would be as high as I'd go.

@SuperVS3 5 жыл бұрын

I am getting back into riding and forgot how much I enjoyed it so much. I grew up riding ALL over L.A. as a teen in the mid-80's. I just bought a new 2019 Trek Verve 2 w/ 24 speed (3/8). I can't stay off of this thing. Now I want a fixed speed and have begun looking into gear combos. The sweet spot is the 1:3 ratio (Crank:Cassette) as in 48T 16T. This exact ratio always produces exactly 81 gear inches. So I wasn't surprised to hear you say most people like 75 to 85 gear inches, with 80 being the median there (very close to 81). FYI, this is also the range to burn the most fat. I live in Florida and already I want a fixed speed. Lately I have been riding mostly gears 2/5 and 2/6, which are 38T 18T and 38T 15T which are 57 and 68 gear inches. Tomorrow I will ride gears 3/5 & 3/6, which are 48T 18T & 48T 15T. So we're talking low 70's vs mid 80's for gear inches. Huge difference. After that I may have to get me a 6KU for fun.

@Llam1nator 6 жыл бұрын

I'm loving 51/16 rn. I ride mostly in NY and Philly so I can get up to speed in a quick 2-4 pedal strokes as well as tackle hills reasonably enough. If it gets too hard I'll just carve out the hill riding side to side. I previously rode 48/16 and found that it was too easy to bottom out on the flats.

@KevAlberta 2 жыл бұрын

I just bought a bike and it came with 46/18 😭 I top out too quick I just got started.

@rangersmith4652 Жыл бұрын

I finally took the plunge: 48/16 fixed, 48/18 freewheel on a Kilo TT Pro. I'm 62, riding in semi hilly terrain.

@thiccesttato9537 6 жыл бұрын

YES THANK YOU, was just looking this up the other day

@pbm6056 3 жыл бұрын

Just want to say thank you for this video... it helped me a lot! Keep going!

@MattSezer 6 жыл бұрын

I ride 50x17 for daily riding in NYC and laps in Central Park, which has a few rolling hills. I've averaged 23-24mph in that gearing over 15-20 miles racing in that rolling terrain. When I raced the Red Hook Crit, I ran 50x15, which felt big, but a lot of the people I was racing against were at 49x14 or larger.

@red88alert 5 жыл бұрын

I used to ride 46/15 but now I went back to 46/16 because I feel that it better suits my preferences and helps on the fakie pedal.

@idemps 5 жыл бұрын

You also have to take the crank length in to consideration. This affects torque and cadence. There's a vid on here somewhere. I live in Dublin, Ireland and just changed from 44/16 to 48/16 regularly mash up hills

@feralgrandad4429 2 жыл бұрын

I've been Dublin a few times. There's few steep bits. Bramble Bank near Sugerloaf that is a killer!!

@malazala 6 жыл бұрын

Started with 46/16 but found out that at 5 in the morning and commuting in half sleeping mode wasn't the best idea..changed to 46/18....found the satisfaction ...terrain -->mixed but not to hilly

@sportyguy1200 6 жыл бұрын

4618 is a nice compromise if you're a strong Rider it'll keep up with almost anything......

@jweeze1 6 жыл бұрын

Try an odd number in the back to get more skid patches.

@anzaborrego399 Жыл бұрын

I'll have to look at this again. Very good info. Thank you!

@ChrisMitch2007 6 жыл бұрын

48/16, works on hills flats and descents. I don’t skid

@TheKerryswan84 3 жыл бұрын

Am riding the same on my fixie

@kuyagian 6 жыл бұрын

46:19 is my go-to gear ratio for long rides with mixed terrains and really long climbs. Thou I use a 46:17 sometimes but I tend to prefer spinning rather than grinding.

@beaterbikechannel2538 2 жыл бұрын

No shame in that, I run 42-18 to get 63 inches which seems to be my magic number. I'm trying to push it up to 66 inch but there's four interconnected hills where I live and two of them are 10%

@qzrnuiqntp Жыл бұрын

@@beaterbikechannel2538 Many pros here in France use the "magic" 42/17 for long distances rides... and they are great athlets! A real good fixie rider is able to spin really fast. (42/17 is extraordinary close to 47/19).

@coltriffle1247 4 жыл бұрын

I ride a Scott speedster 1 that has been converted to single speed by removing the de railers and shortening the chain to stay on the third ring of back sprocket giving me 54 up front and 13 in rear. Honestly took me a while to get used to it, and I definitely have to stand and push goimg up high grade hills, but totally pays off in the end. Ive bought two bikes in the last year trying to upgrade my old bike. Nothing compares when it comes to speed. I must also say that I RIDE HARD. So if your just looking for speed and not ready to put in the work, this is probably not a setup you should go with. I can't stress this enough make sure you are riding the proper size bike before doing any modifications to it. Proper geometry will totally improve your ride no matter what the gearing is. Shout out from Austin Texas. If your reading this locally and need a bike or parts check out yellows bike project. Its a nice friendly non profit with an open shop and a free bike program, plus you get to learn how everything works and build it yourself while helping a good cause. Sorry about the short story......lol

@lena19191 6 жыл бұрын

I use 42 /18 , yes it sounds too easy , but it pumps me along at a nice 25 km/h and when I come to a hill there is no grinding

@dudestoked 4 жыл бұрын

Excellent video, thanks!

@richardf.terpeningjr.3988 5 жыл бұрын

42/16 Turned my 16 speed into a single speed. Just went with the smaller chain ring. I live in Central New York. The ratio works for me on my 10 mile commute to work.

@georgezaldumbide6627 6 жыл бұрын

I'm rolling 46:16 on 700c rims with 32mm Gator skins, it work for climbing most hills in L.A. but find myself spinning out down hills. Just changed out my riser bars to a pair of 46mm wide Nitto classic bars with aero brake levers. I may change out my front chain ring to a 48.

@dyegsitsw954 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for this very helpful and informational video.

@mofomartianp 3 жыл бұрын

Have tried both 48/16 (too grindy for long hills and headwinds) and 46/17 which I like a lot, but tends to spin out too often on flats. Settled at 48/17 and with 28mm tires is almost exactly 75 gear inches. Best allround gearing imho.

@KevAlberta 2 жыл бұрын

I have 46/18 I feel like I’m spinning out on flats

@TrailBreaker 4 жыл бұрын

Gonna check out my gear on the calculator. Thanks! Riding a 30-16 on a vintage 26” mtb. Obviously way different than urban SS👊🏻

@connertruskowski6723 6 жыл бұрын

This may sound crazy, but I normally run a 36:17/16 when I ride as I love to climb (800+ ft ascents over short distances). However when I'm doing relatively flat road rides or races, I run a 46:17/16. Generally, I like to spin like crazy and can keep up somewhat well with friends on geared bikes on normal rides with the first ratio. But I just recently did a TT fixed and my larger ratio was almost too spinny. When I run the 36 up front, my cruaing speed is ~18 mph and when i run the 46 ~20 to 21 mph.

@Szergej33 6 жыл бұрын

London, few hills, 48/15. Ideal for heavy traffic

@spyfox258 6 жыл бұрын

I'm in flat houston so I'm running a 51 / 17 at around 79GI. Nice and fun for what I need

@matelajter8209 6 жыл бұрын

I ride 112 point something gear inches mostly on flat roads and i love it!

@hungryangmo9964 3 жыл бұрын

racer

@ineedadrinktoo Жыл бұрын

My SS bike came stock at 46x16. I rode it that way for the first summer. Changed to 46x17 for that first winter. I liked the 46x17 more and decided to try give 46x18 when spring came around. 46x18 seemed to be my gearing sweet spot. I'm now having slight sciatic pain and switched to 42x18. the 42x18 feels slow, but it is keeping me on my SS. If I ever feel the need to go lower I will probably ditch my SS for a multi speed.

@FreeUpTheWeed 6 жыл бұрын

Don’t fuss over gearing, just f***en ride. Go have fun on a bike today 🤙 To add some numbers, I run: 43:17 road. Lots of hills, goes great for me! This gets the most use by far. 32:21 fixed mountain bike,skids and brakes easily off-road 🤘 50:16 (or 52 I can’t remember)is my flat area only/outdoor velodrome bikes gearing. This bike is currently set up with CX tyres and 40:16 as a fixed gear gravel bike. Mainly flat 👍

@Genesis-revelation70 6 жыл бұрын

While we're here, I used to run 48:16 but even in Lubbock Texas found this to be too steep a ratio so switched to 44:16 and it's great. I have average fitness levels. 43:17 would probably be better because of skid patches but I'm not made of money so stuck with the stock rear cog. Good luck to anyone working on figuring this out 👍

@kapitan1zlom 5 жыл бұрын

If you are not made with money, you should definitely change your cog to save on tires which are more expensive and wearing out much faster. Ofc if you don't skid it is not relatable :P

@michaelgreene9791 6 жыл бұрын

Zach, I ride 52t/18t with 700c/28mm tires: 76.8 gear inches, mostly in SS mode (I know that's sacrilege), Sometimes Fixie mode 18t cog. All flatland desert El Centro, Ca. Winds pick up in the 25+mph range often and my usual routes experience direct head/tailwinds, so I can mimic hill climbing/descending. BTW I rigged my old 80's Trek Sport Tourer with an 80's Shimano Biopace 52t chainring WITHOUT chain tensioner. As long as the chainline's spot on, I NEVER throw the chain off nor have it lock up. Per Sheldon Brown, YES it can be done. The chain tension varies btw taught and a little loose as you pedal though, but it isn"t an issue, even when violently sprinting. I ride my geared 2x/10 sp. in S.D. weekends. Keep looking out for you out riding hoping to bump into you. (Not sure if you're still in S.D.)

@kdejamb 6 жыл бұрын

52/19 in a Russian city with a lot of steep climbs. For 3 years I`ve been gradually decreasing my ratio starting from 52/16. Hope my knees will be ok

@HaniJIsmail 3 жыл бұрын

you'll be fine. just get stronger

@edyue1 4 жыл бұрын

You my friend, are a freaking SS/Fixie physics/mathematical genius. You saved me a ton of time and $$ on my 1st single speed that I just scored on CL. I got a screaming deal on this Masi SS/fixie with a flip flop hub and a wicked cool freewheel that sounds like a pack of angry hornets after you smash their hive (ok, hornets don't have hives, but the imagery works right?) with a baseball bat. I am now going to use your gearing calculator to dial in my SS and I'm thinking that I'll just go to my multi-speed roadie and do the math on the most comfortable gear ratio that I use on my daily commute. I used to teach basic high school physics and would try and teach the youngsters about gear ratios on a multi-speed bike and of course none of them would give a flip about calculating gear ratios because all they cared about was what gear felt the most comfortable depending on what terrain they were riding. And frankly I don't give a rat's rear end either what the gear ratio is when I'm riding my 16-speed road bike but I do notice that I'm usually in between the 3rd and 4th cog and small chain ring 93.4% (+/- 1%) of the time. I think this will narrow down my sweet spot quicker(?) Before watching your brilliantly informative and edited video, (and thank you for keeping it short and to the point btw) I was going to DIY my way through trial and error by a) changing the rear cog, b) changing the front chain ring. As I sit here thinking, since I have a few (that's the euphemism I use when describing how many bikes I have to my wife) bikes that I could probably swap out the chain ring to avoid having to mess with the rear cog(?) Even though I have an extra 8-10 hrs a day afforded by this C-19 "pandemic", I would much rather use a majority of this time to ride, binge watch Netflix/Amazon, spend time with the family, eat and sleep. In my 30+ years of teaching math, if I had a nickel for every time a students blurts out "when am I ever going to use this" (and I confess, I still ask myself the same question)...I will show this video :) You now have a new subscriber.

@littlegoobie 6 жыл бұрын

4 words make it magic. 2 speed auto IGH. You have your low for hills, high kicks by itself in when moving faster.

@jackcarpenters3759 3 жыл бұрын

haha i had to look it up. wow automatic gearing, nice. yeah you only need two gears anyways. flat topspeeds, and hilly easy

@DeriveOne 3 жыл бұрын

Was running 52:17 for the past few years in medium hilly Nashville. Just converted to 28mm tyres and trying 52:19 gear ratio for now.

@austinfowler6419 6 жыл бұрын

My bike is a SSCX. I ride gravel, mtb paths through the woods and asphalt. My tires are 40 and I run pretty low pressure (super squishy). Gearing is currently at 39x16, though on longer asphalt rides, say over 50km, I'll pump the tires up and put a 15t cog on instead making sure I move the wheel back a smidge for sufficient chain tension.

@kimkrimson 3 жыл бұрын

Fastest way to try out Ratios is to borrow a geared bike from a friend or use one you already have

@HaniJIsmail 3 жыл бұрын

ew. we dont have those around here.

@BryanPike 4 жыл бұрын

I'm 51 and a 5'9" 220lb clydesdale primarily mountain bike rider in Boston's mixed bag metro and hills. I'm on Pure Fix Coolidge with current gearing of 46x15 with 700x28 WTB ThickSlick rubber pushing about 82" at ratio of 3.1x1. I have been impressed with how well this climbs modestly steep inclines while not spinning out too fast on descents and flats. Haven't read comments yet. I'll be interested in trying a bit higher ratio and see if I can muscle than on climbs. My first fixie but mannnn.... that buttery spin rulez.

@AndroidTechKid 6 жыл бұрын

49/17 - Los Angeles - basically everywhere in the city even do dirty trails and fine the ratio perfect for it👌

@MrBillDaBear 6 жыл бұрын

47-15 on a 700x28 rear wheel, in windy but mostly flat Davis, CA. It’s at 83.55 gear inches, and I think it’s the highest I can comfortably go. I do prefer a lower cadence though

@AlexHandstand 6 жыл бұрын

46 : 17 live in Vancouver not that many big climbs. Nice to ride in the downtown area

@98noir94 3 жыл бұрын

Do you notice spinning out or is it still a grind feel gear ratio?

@AlexHandstand 3 жыл бұрын

On the flats I find that it's a perfect gear, I find that I start to spin out when I'm around 45 + km/hr. It gets Grindy if I bike up bigger hills but for the most part it's a gear ratio that I found to be comfortable in the Vancouver area.

@sicsempertyrannis9024 4 жыл бұрын

I ride a 2011 Trek Alpha 1.5 single speed that I custom built myself. I'm running 700x23 ThickSlicks and a 52t chainring x 20t rear cog which is a 2.6:1 ratio. I would recommend this setup for an intermediate rider that rides mostly flat w/ occasional hills.

@haakonhunter7621 3 жыл бұрын

Rip me, I already have slight kknee problems and 52/16

@mrjoel59 5 жыл бұрын

You are a source Zach Thank you

@Pianist203 3 ай бұрын

I've mainly ridden with freewheel 18-46 on 28mm tires, I think that's a good freewheel ratio since there's no need to spin downhills. Last summer I briefly tested (100km or so) fixed side of flip-flop hub which was 16-46 and 170mm cranks, and it wasn't too bad. I'm thinking giving fixed riding another go this year once winter is over. I've now changed ratio to 48-17 and installed 165mm cranks. I also try to get chainline within 1mm offset to get that *buttery smooth drivetrain* !

@fcebada 6 жыл бұрын

49/17 700C X 25. Mainly flat. Nice ratio for me. Good video!

@brandonnunez3644 3 жыл бұрын

I started off with 42/16 and it wasn’t bad at all with hill climbs though I did find myself just about spinning out going downhill (the hills here are steep but the speed is easily controllable for brake less) I have now switched to 48/14( oh boy what a difference) and I love it but some hills are pretty gnarly now I’m considering going go 48/15 or 48/16 because I do skid to slow down and it’s a little hard to do so on the 14t but the down hill and flats are so worth it

@domoakley781 6 жыл бұрын

46:16 were i live its hella hilly so gotta go up them and down them, works great tho and benefit from awesome fitness

@paulvburg4115 3 жыл бұрын

Fixie on my trainer 49/16 works well for hilly rides till 5-7%, for higher grades I am interested to know what the wheel size should be to simulate a 36/28 gearing w/o changing the cog.. Now I have a cadence of about 30 rpm on an ascent of >9% grade.

@felixantoinetremblay 5 жыл бұрын

Just measure the displacement for a single turn of pedals, then multiply by the RPM... You'll get the exact speed you'll get with a specific set of gears. Formula : crank/cassette*circumference*rpm*(60/1000) Exemple for a 44-11 on 700x23 riding at 90 rpm : 44/11*2096*90*(60/1000)=45,3 km/h One thing you know for sure is the average speed you're comfortable riding on flat terrain. If you know this, than you can select proper gearing.

@chrisbowman2030 3 жыл бұрын

42:20 in a hilly area on mostly fireroads with lots of loose sand and gravel on my OnOne Singlecross. Tires are 700x32c knobby Schwalbes.

@daveslyk 3 жыл бұрын

46/16 in Chicago. Seems pretty good for me, especially riding into those strong winds off Lake Michigan. Thinking about going to 46/15 or 48/16 one of these days.

@skyjuiceification 3 жыл бұрын

I run 46/16. I was thinking 48/16 would be a nice step up in power. but I'm still not really sure. maybe I would get more by getting a lower tooth cog.

@matthewblackwell5274 3 жыл бұрын

i like to rock a hella low gear ratio of 27:16 but i ride a fixed big flyer that i wheelie and spin on all the time

@jacobjames1171 6 жыл бұрын

I think it's a 46-17 with 28x700c. Stock stuff on my PK fixie. Seems to work fine for me.

@dpw1989 5 жыл бұрын

I ride a 53T x 2T in the back... badass. Kidding.. 48x16 flip flop with a 17.. thinking about 19 as there's occasionally super steep hills.

@BanacaNation 6 жыл бұрын

48/16 with 700x23 tires, think I will move to 48/17 and 25 tires once mine wear out. I use dual brakes fixed so my tires will last a while. Live in Los Angeles area and there is plenty of hill climbing if you choose to, and frequently windy in the hills and near the beach. I try to keep myself around 80-95 rpm and that's pretty damn fast at around 80 inches.

@baker2niner 3 жыл бұрын

Seems there's a bit of difference between single speed & fixed, too. I've flipped the wheel and there seems to be an advantage climbing with fixed - wheel momentum "pushing". But, I don't like too much push downhill... Running 76" (46x16) single speed is pretty good for the pacific coast highway, but I can't really head into the hills. Fixed, I have 71" (46x17) and it feels short. Spinning out too much descending and when I want to get going on the flats, though the mild PCH climbs are pretty fantastic. Ordering a 15T (&16T as backup) to see if I can pull it. BTW, there is no choice between spinning and mashing a 1x. More or less, you're going to do both.

@nefariousstylo9943 6 жыл бұрын

Factory 48/17 on my Fyxation, little tough in my area of Southern Alberta where most of the hills are brief and bloody steep. And thr weight of the beefy rig doesn't help. But it's only a problem every once in a while, this bike is my everyday commuter so I've come to adapt to it's gearing. Though if I had the forsight of ordering a chainring a tooth or so lower I could have a more capable rig without sacaraficing too much on the top end.

@ZOB4 5 жыл бұрын

42x17, and I live in an area with a lot of very steep (but not too long) hills. Like 15-20% grades for a half mile or so. Gives me a comfy cruising speed of 17ish mph at about 90-95 rpm. 64.57 gear-inches. It's a 46cm All-City Nature Boy (like Ricky! but with disc brakes, and smaller), and pretty heavy.

@cam_machi 5 жыл бұрын

48/16 in a city with some hills. Great for short distance sprints or longer 50 mile rides.

@rangersmith4652 2 жыл бұрын

While I know it's not a perfect method given the freewheeling capability in play, I'll be experimenting with choosing a fixed gear ratio by riding my geared bikes in various gears without shifting. In this manner, using two bikes, I have a gear inch range of 21.7 through 126.6 to play with.

@benshirley45 6 жыл бұрын

I ride a 44t chain ring and a 16t freewheel. I ride in the south east of England where we have a 50/50 combination of flats and hills. I can definitely climb most steep hills with a serious push but I do find I spin out a pretty quickly on the flats... Thinking of dropping a tooth or two..

@nothingintheendable 6 жыл бұрын

48/16 works alright. 21mph at 89 cadence on flats. Mashing up climbs sucks but make you stronger in the end.

@tomalcolm 6 жыл бұрын

B T = three skid patches. You must spend a lot on tires.

@alienrefugee51 5 жыл бұрын

The only cog that's ideal for a 48T for street is a 17T, especially if you care about skid patches. Any cog lower than that is really best for track, or riding mostly flat terrain and you don't need to skid. Whatever works for you though. I recently bought a used beater and it has 48/18, which only has 3 skid patches, so I don't even bother trying.

@NoGripGarage 4 жыл бұрын

@@tomalcolm 48/16 is only one skid patch unless ambidexterous

@Crazybird920 6 жыл бұрын

48/15 fixed in Madison wi Mostly flat because of good path spread, but weather goes anywhere from windy, icy, and sweaty. Not too slow on the acceleration, but I can still eat roadies

@dannydnice1 5 жыл бұрын

I ride 48x15 on flats Good speed and so so acceleration

@mattcav001 2 жыл бұрын

what are your fixed/singlespeed hairspray recommendations?

@phs125 Жыл бұрын

Mine is 40/20 weird, but even weirder is the issue I have with it. In flat areas, I end up coasting a lot because my pedals are going faster than my legs. But in small hilly areas, I find it really hard to keep a low cadence, but easier to keep a higher cadence. But the pain will come after I stop pedaling so hard. In steeper hills, I just get off and push.

@gonzague55 6 жыл бұрын

79 in Lausanne Switzerland. Pretty steep city but the ratio is perfect. It puches you to go fast. You might sweat a beat.

@nazarenovallejos 3 жыл бұрын

I have two fixie with flip flop. One for the city with crank 46 cug 15/16 and for out the city with crank 53 cug 18/17. Pure pleasure riding with both of them. usually I don´t skid, I´m not a break person, I only reduce my speed in complicated intersections with lights, I prefer moving around until I find my space to avoid traffic. I only break using the skid if I really really have to. Sometimes is more making a little jump of my rear wheel instead of the skid.

@tropfen 6 жыл бұрын

49-15 suits me best. i live in a relatively flat area but also climb some steep hills here and there. for climbing i often switch to 49-17 though.

@rich068 3 жыл бұрын

46x17 brakeless in the valley. Not trying to be a speed king and not trying to deal with break calipers and cables. 46/17 isn't too spinny but it also lets me lock up the rear very easily with maximum skid patches for just commuting/ blasting through town.

@o2bsam 4 жыл бұрын

Austin Tx. 48:19 feels pretty good. I can climb well and hold a average speed of 15/17 mph. Pavement, alleys, mud and grass. 700x33 rear cross tire 700x28 front. 165mm cranks.

@binarysun_ 5 жыл бұрын

City is Munich, Germany. Mostly flat with one hill right through the Eastern part of the city. My setup is: 42:14, 50:17, and 50:19 which amount to (circa) 79, 78, 69 inches. I can ride 30 kph comfortably for a loooong time at round 77ish rpm with the 42:14 and the 50:17. The 50:19 is for cruising and skidding. What do you guys think?

@daneoshann 6 жыл бұрын

51/18 (75.54) , no brakes, super comfy for climbing and decending and building speed on flat ground without spinning out. And makes for one happy chain too.

@SM-mw2wd 3 жыл бұрын

Hey Zach, loving the vids buddy. Do you think you could update the tools link? Afraid it’s not taking me anywhere. Thanks and keep up the great work 👍🏻

@James-mahal 5 жыл бұрын

im currently running 26inch wheels 48t on my chainring and 12t cassette ring so a gear inch of 113 as a daily commute but on a single speed hardtail, i just like it because a few pedals and im hitting a great speed to have fun with xD

@123Purple 6 жыл бұрын

48/15 for me on my commuter. Commute is uphill both ways as they say and I find it just right so that I can get over he hills and still go fast once I’m on the flats

@MiguelAngelo896 3 ай бұрын

How tall are you? How much do you weigh? Looks like not many people ride 48/15 ratio. You must be a big guy. With big legs 😂

@rollinrat4850 5 жыл бұрын

If you have a derailleur bike try using one gear for an entire ride, If you can resist shifting!! Once you find a gear you can tolerate on your typical terrain choose a fixed gear a little higher so downhills arent miserable. For freewheel bikes you can go lower since you can coast down hills. If you dont have access to derailleur bike, start with 65-75 gear inches and develop your spin and climb strength. Then go higher if you need to. Or better yet, get a Surly Dingle cog and or double freewheel. Thats what I use.

@originalchristianvogt 6 жыл бұрын

i have a gearinch of 68,22 (28"/622mm rim + 2"/50mm tire with 36/15 teeth setup) on a daily commuter in a city with hills and a lot of traffic lights.

@paulvandermaas6639 4 жыл бұрын

68" works for me fixed .I am 63 years old :-)

@ymje. 2 жыл бұрын

I'm 17 years old and currently riding with 44t>16t. It was smooth at flat road

@julienterraz 6 жыл бұрын

47/15 for commuting in Paris, I’m happy with it.

@ChamaneKing 3 жыл бұрын

bonjour, besoin d'aide stp, comment on dit en anglais "la différence entre upgrader le pignon, et upgrader le plateau" ? j'aime bien le feeling de rouler 25 kmh avec une cadence de 60 rpm, mon ratio actuel ne me permet de rouler qu'a 20kmh a 60rpm, tu pense que si j'augmente le ratio ça seras pas trop difficile de démarer et de faire les montées ?!

@AtibaQuildan 6 жыл бұрын

On my single speed commuter bike I run 48x18 which is a 70gear inch. For London you can easily ride at 100rpm which most people should ride at and it's gets me up most climbs. On my track bike I have a range of chainrings from 46-52 and cogs from 12-16. Because you need a range.

@andreigeorg 3 жыл бұрын

Hey Zach, just wanted to let you know that I paused the vid right after you said you used to carry x pounds and put on screen the measurement in KG. I paused so I could Like and post this comment to thanks you as not many people will translate these. You rule!

@danoise_007 5 жыл бұрын

I ride my all city BB with 28c and a 48T/16T mostly flat in NJ, but the roads are horrible with glass, pot holes. Thinking of getting panracer 32 less puncture resistant, but during the gear cal I notice my gears will change. I feel comfortable in my 80.08. Thinking of dropping to 76.16 by changing the cog. Any thoughts thanks

@robinbradbury2653 6 жыл бұрын

46/18 but when I popped into Evans Cycles to pick up 18 t sprocket a store assistant spoke to the manager and he came over to have a chat! He looked at me in distain and said that a 46/18 would be hard to ride because it would be way to spinny.... works for me though on varied terrain...

@scruffy_nerd_nerfer139 6 жыл бұрын

NYC we find 48×17 is the sweet spot for it all

@milchkopf3881 6 жыл бұрын

i thought that is common sense. but seems kinda rare in the comment section

@jayblack5231 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@timeslowingdown 6 жыл бұрын

Ehhh it's kinda low for some of the downhills here (bridges, prospect/central park hills). I'd prefer 48/16 or my current setup of 46/15

@scruffy_nerd_nerfer139 6 жыл бұрын

Evan Pipta I use to run 48×15 loved it but really not ideal for city and super quick stops. Then I went to 48×16 but only 1 skid patch didnt like it now 48×17 perfect for bridges and hills and no spin out unless you are use to Crit like ratios

@jasonpeck9100 6 жыл бұрын

49x17. the most perfect here in memphis

@GhostDweller 4 жыл бұрын

44 / 15 (2.93) 700c but i'm thinking of changing te rear cog to 14 or 13. I'm from holland so no (big) hills

@pierceeclio9750 6 жыл бұрын

I ride a 49:15 ratio and i join a weekly crit and i do a bit of climbing but a lot of flats Any suggestions what gearing should i use while training More love in the Ph

@neisdiewmartin1780 Жыл бұрын

49-20 Mostly flat railroad grade bike/ walking paths, and local Everett WA streets have some short steep hills

@mitchellhooker5838 5 жыл бұрын

I just picked up a an old messenger bike from NY ....its set up 45/14 with 28's(not too shabby for $100). issue: Braking. (i know practice, practice practice). I'm having difficulty holding the skid (lots of force on the back pedal). Question: would reducing the gear inch help with control over the bike and the skid/brake?

@markdonovan1540 2 жыл бұрын

Sorry guys, I'm a bit late to the party, but I've recently acquired a single speed coaster brake road bike that a cousin restored from a garage sale purchase. It's a 52 crank with 18 cog, so it's plenty of mashing and less spinning for me. As I'm 62 years old and haven't been riding a bike for many years it's an enjoyable ride experience with added cardio and leg strength exercise benefits. I fitted a front brake on it for downhill/speed stopping situations, but other than that the coaster brake works fine for normal rolling speeds. According to your referenced gear inches calculator, my set up comes out as 76. As I mainly stick to flat terrain, with occasional inclines, then it's fine for me.

@coldcrush1 3 жыл бұрын

So 75-85, what would be the best cog? Once I buy a fixie the only thing I want to change is the seat and the rear cog for hill climbing.

@duccioh1304 3 жыл бұрын

Watching this bc the wheels I'm buying have a 18t and the old vintage chainring is very cool and is a 52t, I hope a 76.5 will do on mostly flats ad some short hill here and there

@KyleFinneyPhotography 3 жыл бұрын

I'm in Florida, and it is flat AF. I'm running 46/16 (what my bike came with), but I just bought a 15t dura ace cog to pump up my numbers a bit. The biggest hills I climb are bridges.