Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Flip flop hub, track cogs on both sides.

Which is better for flat, sometimes windy conditions-

Having a one tooth difference between cogs, or having a two-tooth difference between cogs?

Right now I have one bike with a 40t ring and 15 and 17t cogs. My other bike has a 42t ring with 16 and 18t cogs. If there's no wind, I like to run about 70", which would be the smaller cog on both bikes.

2 tooth is a huge difference. Seriously.

You might also want to doublecheck that you'll have enough dropout length to accomdate this 2t difference without having to lengthen/shorten the chain. If you really need a larger range, go buy a road bike.

i run a 17t cog and a 19t freewheel (which i don't use), when i flip the wheel i have enough room in the trackends.
if the smaller cog puts the wheel in the front of the dropouts you should be alright with the larger one if you have decent sized dropouts.

I have plenty of room on both bikes.

I run a two tooth diff as well (17/19). Just try and get your biggest cog to be as far in the dropouts as you can and then you won't have to worry about the smaller cog and the chain length.

My question wasn't so much about getting the setup to fit - I have no problems, both my bikes have fairly long dropouts.

What I'm curious about is if people think there's any kind of gearing advantage to having a 2 tooth difference as opposed to a single tooth difference.

My goal is to obtain maximum usage out of my fixed gear fleet. Quite often, I ride to work in calm air and then ride home with a fairly bothersome headwind. So at work I'll flip my wheel.

What I'm curious about is if people think there's any kind of gearing advantage to having a 2 tooth difference as opposed to a single tooth difference.

My goal is to obtain maximum usage out of my fixed gear fleet. Quite often, I ride to work in calm air and then ride home with a fairly bothersome headwind. So at work I'll flip my wheel.

I don't know why you think other peoples opinion would be more valid than your own on what you need in terms of gearing. If you need a higher gear for one way and lower gear for the return becuase of winds. It makes perfect sense.

I prefer a 2 tooth diff., sometimes 3, depending on the profile and length of ride. But I like to stick to just one cog if at all possible the entire ride. I don't like the hassle of flipping the wheel, unless it's a very long ride (like a double century). If there's short, impossible hill, I'll walk it.

I used to ride a 2-tooth difference (52x19/21) and I liked the fairly large difference between the two. The 21 was about 72-73" and the 19 was about 67", I think. I would ride the 21 around on long, flat rides and usually around town, casually. But I often felt like spinning more, especially if it was windy or I was going to be hitting hills, so I'd switch to the 19. I liked the 2-tooth difference because it really changed the character of the bike for different rides, something I don't think a 1-tooth difference would do as much.

I use 16t on one side and a 17t on the other. I flip my wheel about twice a year....17t in the winter and 16t in the summer. I don't see a need for flipping your wheel mid-ride. If you have to deal with a hill or a bit of wind its usually less of a hassle to just mash your way through it.

I used to ride a 2-tooth difference (52x19/21) and I liked the fairly large difference between the two. The 21 was about 72-73" and the 19 was about 67", I think. I would ride the 21 around on long, flat rides and usually around town, casually. But I often felt like spinning more, especially if it was windy or I was going to be hitting hills, so I'd switch to the 19. I liked the 2-tooth difference because it really changed the character of the bike for different rides, something I don't think a 1-tooth difference would do as much.

you've got all that backwards

you've got all that backwards

Haha.

I used to ride 46x16 with an 18 on the flop as a wind/hill/bailout gear. If you're really looking for a big spinning difference, go two teeth.

18 on one side 15 on the other, for street and track respectively