Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - first fixed gear

Hey,

I am considering building my first fixed gear. I was planning to use the frame from an old road bike. Anyways, I was wondering what would be a good ratio to start out at. I would ride this bike on flat roads and on hills (not mountains, just hills, like what you would find in a city). What is a good starting point ?

Thanks.

Oh, about 58/12 should be good.

42:16 is a good setup to start out with. You can go up or down from there depending on your conditioning and the terrain.

42:16

That's where I started and I'm still using it.

That's where I started and I'm still using it.

Same here. I see no need to change.

I run 46:16. I think its around 74 inches. Allows me to keep up with city traffic and get a good start at lights. You might want to lower it a bit if you have hills. No hills here.

Oh, about 58/12 should be good.

I have 64x14 on one of my bike.
wheels are 18" though.

i run 48:16-170 on both of my fixies.

use your geared bike (or borrow one if you dont have one). putz around for a few days until you find the gear most appropriate for you (as opposed to the gear most appropriate for lucky, jinxy, khacky, cyny, and isy).

never understood why people choose to guess rather than determine.

i started out with 40x16 outta brokeassness which sucked, but was great to learn skids and skips real well.

i ran 44x16 for a long time which was nice, now im at 44x15 which i'd highly recommend... 46x16 sounds good too.

<edit> mind you, 40x16 was straight to brakeless

Oh, about 58/12 should be good.
jackass...knees do not re-grow once they wear out.
42:16 or there abouts should be a good starting set-up. I started on a 48:17 and have since rethought that to a 44/42:16...goddamn Airborne school.

38:15 for me, usually. For the extra-grim hills, I flip the wheel for a 38:18.

My knees have been shot for years, so I like nice low gears.

42:17 gets me by... there are a few small hills in austin... any other cities i can probably get by with 42:15

thanks everybody !

Especially stevo. Why didn't I think of that ? hmm.....

yeah, stevo-y has a point

Agreed

negatory, riding a fixie is NOT like a geared bike. my single speed was running 48x14, i was a cranker not a spinner, and i switched with my track bike.

Oh, about 58/12 should be good.

Jackass, be nice. You were a newbie once.

i ride 44:16:170 on my "normal" trackie. i wanted to use a 15 in the rear, but for some reason that cog wouldn't thread onto my phil hub (worked just fine with my dura ace hub, i think it's a surly cog), so i threw the 16T on there. i was a bit disappointed at first, but now it's not so bad. i kinda like it.

i currently ride 49:17:165 on my pursuit bike, but i'm looking to change to a 46 ring when i can corner my boss to put in the order. i'd go with a larger cog, but i think they look dumb if you've already got a big ring, and i'd rather remove links from my chain than add them. mmm....FSA track rings....the 49 is really nice for going fast, but not so much nice for the slowing down or picking up speed off a light. i bet it'd be better if i just got some bullhorns instead of the risers though...

fff**** i have a lot of bike work to catch up on.

Jackass, be nice. You were a newbie once.
Hey, you be nice... Or else I'm gonna come over there and do......

I got nothing....

42-14 here. I bought a 15t cog and thought it would make hills a little easier but it didn't so i switched back. Im thinking of going higher.