Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - 48/16 is killing me!

Legit. I thought I'd get used to it after some time but there's a bridge near my house that is part of my daily commute (the first and last part!) and getting up the incline isn't getting any easier. I start out trucking like a mother****er and near the top I'm at a crawl, huffing and puffing like the big bad wolf and the descent down the other side isn't even enjoyable. I'm obviously in need of a new gear ratio but have no idea where to start. I'm thinking 44/16.

Advice? Tips?

:twitchy:

The Beverly Bridge (ugh), right outside my door:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/scrodzilla/bridge.jpg

i ride 48x19 on two of my bikes, and 46x18 on the other. 48x16 if you're riding brakeless is stupid

1) think cog, not chainring.
2) try standing for a portion.
3) HTFU.

I went from 48/16 to 48/17 for a couple months. And now I have 46/17, and its great for me. I live at the base of a mountain so im always going up hill and this seems to do quite well

1) think cog, not chainring.
2) try standing for a portion.
3) HTFU.

Oh, man...I stand most of the way up. It sucks. I feel like I'm riding a giant BMX.

Forgive my being naive to this stuff as this is the only ratio I've ever had, but why cog over chainring?

HTFU???

No one here will be able to tell you what your level of fitness is. 44x16 would work, so would 48x17 and I'm sure there are people on this board that could get up that bridge on 49x16. Cogs are usually cheaper to change out than chainrings. Get a few cogs and see if you can make something work for you.

Also, changing a cog gives a more drastic change in gearing. Chainrings more of a fine tune.

that bridge looks like a little ***** bridge.

HTFU???

harden the f*ck up. It's a thing from the roadie forum lol.

$20 says i could do that bridge on 50x13

that aside, go with 48x19 you won't regret it. i promise

harden the f*ck up. It's a thing from the roadie forum lol.

Oh...gotcha. Haha!

I'm pretty fit and it bums me out that such a common ratio is kicking my *****. I'm not really looking for someone to tell me what to do, I'm just maybe looking for examples of what others are riding. I've noticed a lot of people are running smaller rings than that (not even counting hipsters, who are just plain silly).

harden the f*ck up. It's a thing from the roadie forum lol.



Not true... do the math. Start with 48/16. 48/17 is a smaller change than 49/16.

My math says that 48/17 has a change of -47GI and 49/16 has a change of 1.7GI.

My math says that 48/17 has a change of -4.7GI and 49/16 has a change of 1.7GI.

fixed

nothing wrong with riding what works for you.
there are some LD folks who ride 42/16.

i ride 42/16 summer, 40/19 winter with studs.
and i'm changing out so i'll have 2 rings with the dingle cog... wide tires, 3 options for combos.

ryor!

I have a little hill here that takes me up 900 feet and tops out at a 22% grade... I do that on 74 gear inches and have a no walking policy.

Keep the gearing you have now and in no time you will not be huffing and puffing nearly as much. If you don't feel the need to push your fitness level then do as the others said and just replace the cog.

Thanks, everyone. I know some of you guys can be pretty tough on those who ask questions.

I've had this gearing for some time now. I'm thinking I may not be cut out for 48/16 and maybe need to spin a little more. I'll pick up a cog from the LBS tomorrow. A buddy of mine also just offered me a 46t ring for free, so that's an option as well. I'll play around a bit with my ratio. Hopefully it will be a fun learning experience.

My math says that 48/17 has a change of -47GI and 49/16 has a change of 1.7GI.

First off, my example wasn't what I wanted. I meant 48/17 and 47/16.

Second, my thinking wasn't clear. A change in cog is more drastic than a change in chainring.

So yeah. my bad.

Thanks, everyone. I know some of you guys can be pretty tough on those who ask questions.

I've had this gearing for some time now. I'm thinking I may not be cut out for 48/16 and maybe need to spin a little more. I'll pick up a cog from the LBS tomorrow. A buddy of mine also just offered me a 46t ring for free, so that's an option as well. I'll play around a bit with my ratio. Hopefully it will be a fun learning experience.

always go up, not down, to achieve the proper gear inches. the higher the number of teeth, the less wear. and try to go all even as well. read up on what sheldon brown wrote on the subject.

you just need a 18t cog in the back for approx. 70 GI w/ 23s.

Oh, man...I stand most of the way up. It sucks. I feel like I'm riding a giant BMX.

Forgive my being naive to this stuff as this is the only ratio I've ever had, but why cog over chainring?

HTFU???

You get tired quicker if you stand the whole way. Once I figured that out I started getting better at hills, but it is still my least favorite thing to do on a bike. I don't have a hill climbers build. D:

Dont feel like you gotta keep up with a bunch of internet clowns, because they are probably lying anyway.
81 GI is really steep for the street. I roll @ 70GI and I have the Williamsburg Bridge at the beginning and end of my rides and its perfect... It works me but doesnt kill me. Theres no way I could do it and have any fun @ 80GI.
That bridge crossing looks beautiful... should be fun, not a near death experience!


Scrod... you seen this?
http://software.bareknucklebrigade.com/rabbit.applet.html

You may want to focus on pedaling technique, too. I've found that climbing got much easier (and smoother) when I started to focus on pulling one pedal, and pushing the other at the same time, rather than just mashing one at a time. Clipless pedals also made it easier, but to each their own. I'm sure the roadies would know more about it than me, though.

You may want to focus on pedaling technique, too. I've found that climbing got much easier (and smoother) when I started to focus on pulling one pedal, and pushing the other at the same time, rather than just mashing one at a time. Clipless pedals also made it easier, but to each their own. I'm sure the roadies would know more about it than me, though.

The best and only proper pedalling technique is to learn to spin in smooth circles to maintain power throughout the entire crank rotation.

I see so many cyclists who do not know how to spin properly and it does not take much practice to improve one's technique... after that there is a conditioning phase as your legs will be working harder in that they won't be seeing much rest.

stand and lean forward so you let your weight do the pedaling. My gear ratio is 46/18 and inclines are pretty effortless. As for the downhill, just have fun with it! and skid.

stand and lean forward so you let your weight do the pedaling. My gear ratio is 46/18 and inclines are pretty effortless. As for the downhill, just have fun with it! and skid.

Yeah. Standing and leaning forward is just going to wear you out and skidding down will kill a tire in three days at 48/16.

You may want to focus on pedaling technique, too. I've found that climbing got much easier (and smoother) when I started to focus on pulling one pedal, and pushing the other at the same time, rather than just mashing one at a time. Clipless pedals also made it easier, but to each their own. I'm sure the roadies would know more about it than me, though.

this technique is excellent for steep hills, to the op i suggest you try this out, you'll find that not only is it easier to climb, but also faster because you're using the rear leg in your pedal stroke

pull up with the rear foot on the rotation and put your weight on the front foot as you normally would

You are at 81 gear inches, which is what my first FG bike came with when I bought it used. I fought it for a while, then geared down to 70 gear inches. What a world of difference! Forget toughing it out. Go down to 68-72 gear inches with a new cog, it will be the best $20 you ever spent. You can always go back up if you want to. A lower gear ratio will get you spinning, accelerating faster, and give you more control of the bike. Work your way up from there.

The other breakthrough for me was switching from drops and risers to bullhorn bars. Get a cheap pair of bullhorns with a bit of reach (like time trial bars, not a flop and chop). I found that the leverage I could get stretched out a bit on the ends allowed me to power up hills in a whole new way.

Those two changes made all the difference for me. You can try it for maybe $40 for a new cog and some new bars.

The other big change for me was going to a good set of light wheels (for me, tubular with sew ups). A light bike that accelerates well is so much more fun, than a higher geared one that you have to fight.

i think, judging by no informationwhatsoever that walking would work for you.

I'm pretty fit and it bums me out that such a common ratio is kicking my *****.

48x16 is only "common" because it's what bikes, which are intended for the track, often come with. Somewhere around 70 gear inches is what is common for the fixed gear street bike. If you run a brake (i.e. don't skid for your means of stopping) getting an 18T cog and you'll be set. Ideally, you want your gearing to be just easy enough that you can stay in the saddle all the way to the top of that bridge.

try to go all even as well. read up on what sheldon brown wrote on the subject.
What's the benefit of running all even?


you just need a 18t cog in the back for approx. 70 GI w/ 23s.Not a good idea if you plan on skipping and/or skidding very much as it will only give you (I think) two skid patches.

I just put on a new 48t chainring and wanted to run an 18t to give me a close gearing to what I used to have (42:16), but because of the skid patches on an 18t I decided to go for a 17t instead. After a bit of riding it's been great, but I'd want it a bit lower if I regularly dealt with bigger hills than I generally do.

Gearing down to around 70 gear inches is a good suggestion. It's a great all-round gear, and as a noob you can benefit greatly from learning to spin a smaller gear faster than you would a larger gear.

Jake...thanks for the calculator. It helped a lot in my figuring out gear inches and what chainring/cog does what to increase/decrease them (Sheldon's site, while usually an endless wealth of awesomeness, only made my head spin when reading the section on gearing). I use a brake and don't skid (I know how, just choose not to unless I have to). Thanks to everyone else for their knowledge/comments as well.

I do think I'm going to make the switch down to around 70gi. Either that or I'll just scrap my bike and start walking, as the ever-helpful and always pleasant-to-deal-with timebandit suggested.

70GI is the standard for track bikes on the road, and its a nice comprimise for accleration and hills, but still enough length to be able sprint at speed on the flats. witht his said its more important to choose a gear that fits your level of fitness/strength and the terrain you ride.

i ride 70", but i live in an area wiht undulating terrain, if i lived in a flat city id probably go up to 80".

i recommend getting yourself an 19,18 and 17t sprocket. try the 19 out for a couple of weeks even if it feels a bit spinny. then try the others and see how you feel. remember its better to spin than mash, and riding in a gear thats too high is only going to give you big but ineffcent muscles and maki your average speed low.

I run a SS 50/16 and a 48/16 in my not that hilly area. My opinion is that if you are at the cruising speed you like given your current gearing and the only issue you have is that hill, then keep your gearing. Gearing down for one hill IMHO is not worth having the wrong gear for 95% of the other riding you may do.

Now if that gear is too tall for other parts of your ride, then gearing down makes sense to me.

I'm running 48:18 right now. I believe this is ~72 GI, which is what I was running on my conversion prior.

It is great for flat stretches and downhills (I have never spun out or felt like I lost control of my pedals), but terrible for long climbs.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of long climbs in Seattle.

Be very careful when switching out your cog, if you choose that route. Some people will say you just have to know how to do it right, but I've heard horror stories of even trained mechanics stripping hubs (believe it was a limited-edition brass Phil Wood hub [edit: yes it was, read about it here: http://mobiuscycle.com/node/299) trying to change out cogs. Chainrings are much easier and idiot-proof to swap AFAIK. Kinda makes you wonder why they don't make bolt on cogs... maybe soon.

I just ordered a 46t chainring, which will put me at 69 GI with 9 skid patches. Many claim 69 GI is the golden number for Seattle. I'm crossing my fingers.

With your ratio, you also only have 1 skid patch. I recommend 46:16 ... most people seem to like that. It is about 77 GI which is pretty reasonable.

48/18 a common ratio? That is way steep for the streets. That is like an entry level track racer gear. I use 48/16 for racing not for streets. I ride at least a 17 in the back, if not bigger. Youll tear up your damn knees trying to look tough. In the winter I run 48/19 and work on my spin.

48/18 a common ratio? That is way steep for the streets. That is like an entry level track racer gear. I use 48/16 for racing not for streets. I ride at least a 17 in the back, if not bigger. Youll tear up your damn knees trying to look tough. In the winter I run 48/19 and work on my spin.

48:18 is too low for track racing. If you are working on your spin though, that is fine. But that *is* low for the track in a race.

Is it "tough" to run a large gear? I beg to differ. IMO, it is more tough to be able to spin. Anyone can mash. Not everyone can spin.

Yeah, it is on the low end for the track. Thats why I said entry level, when you should be workin on your spin. I used a 15t in the back last season, and a 14t this year.

I race 48/18 on a mountain circuit race that has a fixed class, low enough to push up hill and big enough keep the downhill spin manageable. And I hate pushing that gear around town for just messing around.

If I were concerned about looking 'tough', I'd be raising hell around town on a flat-black Harley wearing a German war helmet, not riding a bicycle!

I know this is a discussion forum where threads can take many different turns but what's good for the track is an entirely different story. I'm just seeking a few tidbits of advice from those who have been riding longer than me regarding how to make my bike a little easier on the ol' legs.

I do think I'm going to decrease my gear inches to somewhere in the low 70s, because I feel that even just cruising around on flat ground could be a little easier. Not that I want riding to be super easy...but maybe just not so damn hard. I wouldn't necessarily be gearing down just for one small portion of my daily ride. Like I said before, I don't skid so I'm not overly concerned with how many skid patches certain gearing will provide and spinning a little more will most likely be a treat.

Staying seated while climbing will help too.

Also (I can't believe I forgot to ask!)...how much of a hand does crank arm length have in all of this?
I run 170s now.

Crank arm length isn't going to give you much a difference in terms of mechanical advantage.

Consider: it is 10mm difference between a 165 and 175 crank arm.

Some say you will be able to spin faster with shorter cranks. Clearance is the greatest advantage on a fixed gear.

i do 48x17 on pretty decent hills around Austin and find it perfect. Don't be too drastic w/ these changes. My advice is to only chance one tooth on the cog at a time. Don't worry about changing your chainring. 48t should give you enough flexibility to do anything. You could go w/ a big, 22t cog and have an easy ratio or you could get a 13t cog and have a seriously hard ratio. I think you would be fine w/ 48x17

i didnt think you could bike over that bridge. always seems like heavy traffic

i didnt think you could bike over that bridge. always seems like heavy traffic

Holy crap...you're familiar with the Salem/Beverly bridge? Are you from the area? I think I've seen two other guys riding FGs here. Weird for a college town.

There's a wide bike lane when traveling toward Salem and a smaller one on the return side. there's also a wide sidewalk on the side heading into Beverly on which I've seen a lot of people ride (or at least walk their DUI mountain cruisers up and ride down the other side). I always see two hardcore roadie-type guys decked out in aero helmets and full spandex tearing ass across the bridge like it's nothing. Damn gears.

Crank arm length isn't going to give you much a difference in terms of mechanical advantage.

Consider: it is 10mm difference between a 165 and 175 crank arm.

Some say you will be able to spin faster with shorter cranks. Clearance is the greatest advantage on a fixed gear.

Didn't think so. I've been considering new cranks lately and that's pretty much why I asked. I wasn't sure if I should go for the same or get something shorter. I've never had any run-ins with pedal strike, so I'll most likely stick with 170s.

use the crank size that's appropriate for your fit (or stick with 165s if you're riding with a low bb). search the forums / read what zinn suggests.

practice your spin.

get a 17t or 18t cog, not a smaller chainring.

I like this calc the best: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/
/thread

i think, judging by no informationwhatsoever that walking would work for you.

You need to work on yourself a little bit time bandit.
That was incredibly unskillful.

I concur. He's usually better than that.

Some say you will be able to spin faster with shorter cranks. Clearance is the greatest advantage on a fixed gear.

Clearance can be important if you're riding a conversion, but if you're riding a fixed gear specific frame with a higher bottom bracket it's not a huge issue. Faster, smoother and easier spinning is the main advantage to shorter (i.e. 165mm) cranks for many riders.

On my first fixed bike I had 175mm cranks, I then switched to 170mm cranks and noticed a significant improvement in my spinning. I've just switched to 165mm cranks and there's a significant improvement again. The extra clearance of 165s is just icing on the high-cadence cake.