Track Gearing Question

[B1105]

I'm converting an old Miele into a fun track/exercise bike, got a 42t chainring, whats a good cog number to put in the back? I'm not going super long distances, but something for mild hills and general riding.

Thanks
Byron

[Msngr]

you should go to the fixedgear/ss forum for this question. this is the track cycling forum.

but, i see that you are in princeton, where there are hills, so a 15 or 16 will do you, prolly 16. do you have a brake? how strong are you? are you comfy with skidding? what are your crank lengths?

check out the fg/ss forum. all the answers will be there.

[Adriaan]

I suggest the following. Get something in the front that you can always use, the high 40s is your best bet if your not used to riding a track and skidding. Otherwise you can move into the low 50s, a 50 or 52 is a great front crank.

The rear is what can keep changing. Depending entirely on the power of your legs, I would suggest something around 15 to 17. If you have powerful legs, then a 13 or 14 may be more your style, but it becomes harder to skid and stop if you pair it up with a large enough front crank.

My 2 cents.

[taras0000]

I suggest the following. Get something in the front that you can always use, the high 40s is your best bet if your not used to riding a track and skidding. Otherwise you can move into the low 50s, a 50 or 52 is a great front crank.

The rear is what can keep changing. Depending entirely on the power of your legs, I would suggest something around 15 to 17. If you have powerful legs, then a 13 or 14 may be more your style, but it becomes harder to skid and stop if you pair it up with a large enough front crank.

My 2 cents.

Any of those suggestions will result in huge gears, except for the 17 cog. Try to stick to low 80's to mid 70's as far as the gear inches go. A gear in this range will allow you to spin, give you enough speed, enough of a jump for acceleration, and still allow you decent leverage to stop.