Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Yet another gearing question (kinda urgent)

OK, I finally found a bike to convert (an Astra "Tour de France" - $30). It has a 51/40 chainring set up, and I'm not changing them. My problem is that I bought a 16T cog and I think I want 15. But, the Bike Church only has 16 and 14T Dura Ace cogs. Should I shell out the extra $7 to get a 15T Surly cog? I really don't know, seeing as a 40x16 is 67.5 gear inches and 40x15 is 72. The gear ratio of a 42x16 is 2.6, while 40x16 is 2.5 and 40x15 is 2.7. I like the idea of a stronger gear, but money is kind of an issue, and I'm gonna head down town to do the swap pretty soon. Please help.

ride the 16 for a while, if it's really too short a gear trade it with someone here.

agree with dolface. no need to be urgent about this.

I just meant "urgent" because I'd be leaving to swap it soon. Looks like I'll stick with it, though.

go with 40:14.

67" is just fine.

ill swap you a dura ace 15T for the 14T. pm if you want it

go with 40:14.
That's kinda big, don'tcha think?

That's kinda big, don'tcha think?
no, but i commute with 48:16 and sometimes even commute with my track ratio of 48:14.

Naw, I like the 16T idea. Nevermind, I'm just getting anxious to have this all built up!

give it a try; i personally love it. 48:16 is a perfect 3:1 ratio. 40:14 is just shy of that.

edit: boy oh boy, you're quick! hahaha are you moving to colorado or just visiting? it's ugly and dumb here... i hate it a lot... ;)

When I lived in santa cruz, 42x17 got me up and down any hill I needed.

give it a try; i personally love it. 48:16 is a perfect 3:1 ratio. 40:14 is just shy of that.

edit: boy oh boy, you're quick! hahaha are you moving to colorado or just visiting? it's ugly and dumb here... i hate it a lot... ;)

48x16 only gives you one skid patch though...

48x16 only gives you one skid patch though...

gives me two. but yeah, spin that tire.

give it a try; i personally love it. 48:16 is a perfect 3:1 ratio. 40:14 is just shy of that.

edit: boy oh boy, you're quick! hahaha are you moving to colorado or just visiting? it's ugly and dumb here... i hate it a lot... ;)
No, just for vacation, but I'll be gone for 11 days, and I'll miss my fixie project :(. Oh well, I'll just settle for mountain bike rentals...I've got time to decide about the ratio.

48x16 only gives you one skid patch though...

sometimes i skip a little, but i never skid. i've never even really try to since it seems more fun than effective for stopping and i am usually riding expensive tires that i don't want to ruin. plus, having fun is stupid. :eek:

for flat philly, whats a good gear setup? 48/18. unsure, no in to good of shape

for flat philly, whats a good gear setup? 48/18. unsure, no in to good of shape

i've been in philly for about 3 days now...i run a 40-14...i've seen dudes running 52-14...it's all about preference...i prefer control over top speed...your call.

-jason

no, but i commute with 48:16 and sometimes even commute with my track ratio of 48:14.
THREADJACK - Hey iso:
is that a common ratio at 7-11 velo?

48/18 is roughly the same as my 43/16, which i (personally) find perfect for philly. If youre not in too gooda shape, you may find umbria and mannyunk a little challenging, but hey, thats what its all about.

']THREADJACK - Hey iso:
is that a common ratio at 7-11 velo?
yeah, it is. 50:15 is also another common one, which is a perfect 90 inch gear. i love gear ratios that are even like that... people will gear up or down a bit from there, depending on specific events. a low 90ish gear inch is a good all around gear though. the track is 333 meters long with a 35° bank. dive bombing out of turns is so fun!

sometimes when i want to spin my little banana's off, i'll run 48:16. you certainly couldn't race with that though.

what are you running on the track? your track is long and low banked?

didn't you ride the track here a bit when you lived here? you should still come out. my new house is a whopping two minute bike ride from there. poor me!

no, but i commute with 48:16

That's what I do now, but soon I'm going to switch to 49-18.

<voice of reason>48-16 only gives one skid patch!</voice of reason>

Continuing to threadjack this a bit, does anyone swtich out cogs on a somewhat frequent basis (maybe a couple times a month)? Just wondering if a cog is properly installed if you significantly increase your risk of stripping your hub by switching cogs.

I run 46/16 on the road, but that really doesn't cut it for the track. I'd like to try 46/15 or 46/14 and I don't currently have the funds for either a new wheel or a new track-only bike. I know, I know... I should have just gotten a fixed/fixed wheel to begin with, but I decided to save myself the $50.