Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Is this ridiculously large gear even possible?

A guy comes in the shop today with his track bike (48-16 setup) and wants a larger gear. Not just a little larger, but something which can only be described as monumental. He wanted the biggest chainring for Sungino 75's, I tell him I can get a 52T chainring. He asks for something larger, I tell him I've seen 53T road rings, but can't recall anything larger than 52 for track cranks. He asks about a smaller cog. I tell him I can get a 13T for him. He swears that he has used an 11T before. I tell him I'm no guru and such a cog may exist, but that limiting factors such as a) the circumference of the threaded portion of the hub and b) the muscular power of a human being make it unlikely. Well, I didn't say that but I desperately wanted to. This guy wasn't young and didn't look to be particularly fit. I noted 52-13 would give him a 108 inch gear. Unfazed, he wanted something bigger. I asked if he wanted a 13T cog to go with the 52T chainring he had on order. No--he wanted an 11T. I said I wasn't sure if they existed but that I was sure I couldn't find them in any of my distributors' catalogs. I finally appeased him by telling him I'd research if such a cog existed and tell him what I found out when he picked up his chainring.

So I'm doing my research here. Leaving aside the question of why anyone would need something bigger than 108 inch gear (he rides the bike on the street), can it be done? If so, who makes the larger chainrings (5 bolt, 144 BCD) or smaller cogs?

Ideally I'd like to find a 53-11 setup for him just to throw it on his bike and ask him to give me a demo in the parking lot. Not really--the guy doesn't seem motivated by bravado and I wouldn't want him to shell out a bunch of money for something that won't work. I just think he's a little confused about what gear he used to ride back in the day.

--AK

Why don't you put him on a geared road bike with a 53-11 setup, shift to the biggest gear, and let him try it out that way?

NOS Suntour cogs come in 12T.

Dura Ace chainrings go up to 54T.

54x12= ~119inches
54x13= ~110inches

Are ya sure it wasn't Mr. 53-11 that walked into your shop?

Why don't you put him on a geared road bike with a 53-11 setup, shift to the biggest gear, and let him try it out that way?

Good idea, but there's no reasoning with him. He's convinced it will work. A fellow wrench who is a Cat 1 racer tried to tell him that he hardly ever touches his 53-11. Didn't dissuade him one bit.




NOS Suntour cogs come in 12T.

Dura Ace chainrings go up to 54T.

54x12= ~119inches
54x13= ~110inches


Thanks, that's good to know.

Get a list of the local orthopedists in the area. You might pick up a few dollars for the referral after this guy blows his knee(s) out.
va cyclist's suggestion is a good one: put him on a 53-11 road bike and let him try it. At least only let him mount the chainring first: 53-16 is a pretty hefty ratio right there.
As for giant c'rings in 144, try Vuelta. Also look around the 3rd hand site. You might even look on eBay. If this guy doesn't mind 3/32", Campy made road rings into the upper 50's, at least a 57. I can't remember how big the track pitch rings go, but they probably have a 57 in that, too.

He needs a double reduction gear. Or a clue.
http://www.canosoarus.com/08LSRbicycle/Bicycle%20Images/John%20BkStand.JPG

didn't someone post a link a few days back about making your own chainings out of sheets of steel?

Sugino makes a 12t cog that requires a special lockring. I've seen them in Japan but never in the states. businesscycles has the NOS suntour's

Sounds like my father-in-law came in to buy a fixie, sorta.

Father-in-law: So when am I gonna get to race you there boy - I can walk fasta than ya can run - trust me you'll lose
Me: Um, Dad, dude - you haven't 'ran' in 20 years, and I've been training for 6 months now for another marathon in October.
Father-in-law: Don't underestimate me...
Me: What-the-****-ever, dude.

I ran my 20 mile training run @9 minutes a mile. He went back inside after he walked the first 2 miles in 45 minutes complaining about how I cheated him.

Maybe he's out to make me beat his ass in cycling too?

(I actually like the man a lot, he's just not smart when it comes to where he's at physically these days apparently)

businesscycles lists a 54t 3/32" dura ace chainring. my Japanese catalog lists a 55t 1/8" ring

Tell him to get a TA Cyclotouriste crank. They have rings for those from 36 up to 68 teeth at Harris Cyclery.

There's a few custom shops that are running 60Ts on their tandem setups...maybe the trick would be to go look through tandem grade gearing? Bikefriday has a 60T too, if I recall correctly, but it may be a compact crank setup. I could have sworn I also saw a 55T XTR crank (might be a 62T also, foggy memory)

Cyclecross gearing goes down to a 10T if I recall

Thanks for all tips.

I like to hunt down obscure stuff for customers, it's just that in the middle of the day I only have time to look at the usual line-up of distributors' catalogs. If I strike out there I just have to get the person's phone number and call them back after I have some time to do some internet searching.

Hopefully the guy's new 52-16 setup will suffice. I couldn't push 87.7 inches around town. I'm afraid the dude's gonna hurt himself when he tries to go up his first hill. I'll stick him on a trainer and have him push some ultra-steep gears when he comes in the pick up his chainring. We haven't been able to talk any sense into him, maybe we can demonstate some sense to him.

Like I said, thanks for the tips, though I'm doubting many of the chainrings mentioned have track BCD's it's still good to hear about what our there in the land of really, really large chainrings.

Keep it coming. First person that can concoct a setup where one can run a chainring larger than the bike's wheels wins.

Almost sounds like a guy I was dealing with. He wanted a 53/11 ratio but settled for a 56/12. I tried to talk him out of it but he told me his Pista was set up this way.

Tony

All right a conscientious bike shop guy, without even a gratuitous plug for your own shop. If I lived in Irving it'd be sure to patronize your shop.

The customer is always right, even if he's wrong. Just be sure your polite in pointing out the error of his ways so he doesn't blame you later when he hobbles back in. Got an exchange policy (instore credit only) ready to go? He's hooked now, don't let him get away.

Wait, your shop is in Irving...maybe I need to just bring the Veloz up there and have you help me strip this beast down to a fixie:p

Maybe you should try to sell him some knee braces, too.

At Cap's Cycles in New Westminster, they have (or had) a really REALLY old bike on the wall. The front crank was just about as big as the wheel. It had to be twenty or so inches across. Unbelievable!

I don't remember how big the rear was. Fairly normal looking, I think.

Of course, this is the same place that has a bike made out of a bedframe, bikes with eliptical wheels and a bicycle built for seven! They bring 'em out for the Hyack Parade every year.

i have an 11t suntor

sounds like Merton finally got a bike!

Well, there's always this chainring:

http://www.cyclesmithy.com/images/attic%20bikes/DSC03470.JPG

Finally, a chainring that would not warrant a rolling of the pant leg.

Finally, a chainring that would not warrant a rolling of the pant leg.

Maybe a shorts leg though!

If your cycle wasn't perfectly straight, you'd lose an effing knee cap. I believe phil is still planning to go as small as eleven whenever they get around to releasing their full line of track cogs. Taking their sweet time with those.

Nope, definitely wrong about that, their smallest is going to be 14T.

didn't someone post a link a few days back about making your own chainings out of sheets of steel?

yep, and mine was below it with a place that made 110 tooth chainrings!

http://www.highpath.co.uk/cycles/products/eggs/01.html

Stuart O'Grady rode a custom Wilier fixed gear for a short (1.15km), flat, straight prologue of the Giro this year. Check out this beauty.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2005/giro05/tech/?id=wilier

The gear ratio was expected to be 54 x 13. The cranks were 172.5 cm. I think he finished second. Maybe you could convince your customer to use O'Grady's set up as a baseline and adjust according to fitness and experience.

I would love to ride that bike.

Regards.

Sugino makes a 12t cog that requires a special lockring. I've seen them in Japan but never in the states. businesscycles has the NOS suntour's

i dunno if sugino made a 12t, but i do know that suntour did, like others already stated it takes its own lockring. i have 3 NOS 12t cog/lockrings that im sitting on. well 2, i ride one of em, 34-12 makes a nice city gear.

My freakish 3-speed has TA cyclotourist cranks. I could run a 68 up front, if I felt extra-macho.

Well, there's always this chainring:

http://www.cyclesmithy.com/images/attic%20bikes/DSC03470.JPG

Damn, that's it! That's exactly the chainring that I saw at Cap's but I'd swear it was on a very old bike, maybe even wooden.

Hmmm, Cap's sold off all their old stuff...I wonder!

Man thats nuts. When I first set-up my SS, I had 52x15. That even sucked.

how much do one of those 110 chainrings cost? just cause im the kind of person who would build up a bike with it on there for the heck of it.

If you want a REALLY BIg Chainring,,,62T or even a 63T contact Mark & Paragon machine works (http://www.paragonmachineworks.com/) he use to make downhil ring for the Old mammot kamikaze racers (sorry wrong spelling) but hold on to your seat because is going to cost a ton of money..

how much do one of those 110 chainrings cost? just cause im the kind of person who would build up a bike with it on there for the heck of it.

if you had followed the link you would have found the prices!

68-> 110 tooth rings go for £250 each