Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - bad at numbers--dumb gearing question

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brunop
11-18-05, 12:54 PM
i think i'm runnin' 44/16. the hills are way managable in my neighbrhood in boston (somerville)--and gettin' easier. what should i go to now? i ride everyday so am gettin' stronger. what are you boston riders rockin'?

thanks.

mattface
11-18-05, 12:57 PM
I'm not from boston, but why not go to 44/15?
*new*guy
11-18-05, 12:58 PM
a logical jump would be to a 15 tooth cog in the rear.

r-dub
11-18-05, 01:57 PM
Unless your gear is way too easy I'd be wary about that big a jump. You'd be adding 5 gear inches by dropping one tooth in back (6.7% increase). If you instead went to a 45 in front it would be a 1.7 inch increase (2.3% increase) or a 46 for 3.3 more gear inches (4.5% increase). More expensive to change chainrings than cogs (unless you run road rings and can find something cheap or semi-used, etc.) but gradual changes tend to be better for the body.
r-dub
11-18-05, 01:59 PM
great tool for selecting gears:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/
Cynikal
11-18-05, 02:06 PM
Keep it how it is. Work on your spin.
spud
11-18-05, 03:00 PM
find bigger hills, go faster
humancongereel
11-18-05, 07:28 PM
Keep it how it is. Work on your spin.

yeah, even if it's fine, work on your spin and eventually you'll just feel the time to move. part of why i'm into the idea of singlespeeds and fixed gears--even with my geared bike, i rarely ever change gears for this reason. stick with it, move up sometime later.
huhenio
11-18-05, 08:02 PM
Winter slows you down ... keep the gear and move up by mid spring

My winter gear is 71" ... my summer gear is 86"
brunop
11-19-05, 06:35 AM
Unless your gear is way too easy I'd be wary about that big a jump. You'd be adding 5 gear inches by dropping one tooth in back (6.7% increase). If you instead went to a 45 in front it would be a 1.7 inch increase (2.3% increase) or a 46 for 3.3 more gear inches (4.5% increase). More expensive to change chainrings than cogs (unless you run road rings and can find something cheap or semi-used, etc.) but gradual changes tend to be better for the body.

thanks dub! see this is the **** i don't know all that much about bein' mathematically illiterate. i look in forester's book and sheldon brown's site but i just need it put into plain english. guess i'll get a 45 since like you say it's a more gradual change. again, thanks.