Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Tooth Count?

What chainring tooth count do you have on your single speed or fixed gear?

Why do you like that number?

I have 44, thinking of going up to 46.
I like it because I live on a hill, I have to climb hill everyday. 44/17 seems perfect for me on going up but going down is too easy, spinning out within a couple of blocks.

it's about the chainring/cog ratio, not the ring alone.

it's about the chainring/cog ratio, not the ring alone.
1. could you please explain what that means?

2. what do you use?

I'm going to buy a new chainring. My current one is 50+. The rear cog is 16 tooth. New bike, have only had it for a week, and I'm new to biking in general. Any help is appreciated.

What chainring tooth count do you have on your single speed or fixed gear?

Why do you like that number?
I must admit that I clicked on this thread because I was thinking about a different kind of tooth...

There recently was a thread exactly like this.....

1. could you please explain what that means?

2. what do you use?

I'm going to buy a new chainring. My current one is 50+. The rear cog is 16 tooth. New bike, have only had it for a week, and I'm new to biking in general. Any help is appreciated.
That's really high, try a 44 or 46, it should be fine.


I must admit that I clicked on this thread because I was thinking about a different kind of tooth...
What kind of tooth count...?

What kind of tooth count...?
Like teeth. In your mouth.

I thought it was an accident-related thread. :lol:

Like teeth. In your mouth.

I thought it was an accident-related thread. :lol:

haha, if only!

31 + 1 cap (not bike accident related)
So that's a 15/16 ratio.
Pretty smooth setup for the flat beer.

Enjoy

There recently was a thread exactly like this.....

Sorry. Do you have the link? Didn't see it when I did a search.

Gear-trains are incredibly simple, so I'm going to try to explain them briefly.

If your ratio is 48/16, for instance, it can be simplified to 3/1. That means that for every revolution of the cranks, the wheel does three revolutions. A 45/15 ratio would produce an identical result in terms of pedaling effort required. A ratio of, say, 40/16 means that for every revolution of the cranks, the wheel does two and a half revolutions. It becomes easier to pedal, since the effort you put in is not moving you forward as far. When you're going down a hill, however, this becomes a bad thing, since your cranks will be turning more for each wheel revolution.

People ask this question to much

Gear-trains are incredibly simple, so I'm going to try to explain them briefly.

If your ratio is 48/16, for instance, it can be simplified to 3/1. That means that for every revolution of the cranks, the wheel does three revolutions. A 45/15 ratio would produce an identical result in terms of pedaling effort required. A ratio of, say, 40/16 means that for every revolution of the cranks, the wheel does two and a half revolutions. It becomes easier to pedal, since the effort you put in is not moving you forward as far. When you're going down a hill, however, this becomes a bad thing, since your cranks will be turning more for each wheel revolution.
Thank you.

couple more questions:

- What is the average or standard or recommended gear ratio for a single speed?

- On the wikipedia page for bicycle gearing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_gearing) it gives some examples. For shorter rides (up to 5 miles) use a gear around 60. How does that gear number relate to the gear ratio?

- Regarding the issue of a lower gear ratio complicating going down hills, is that really an issue with a single speed? Or is that more of a fixed gear problem?

thanks again for the help.

Just found this thread with the chart:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=468351

Does this mean if I have a 27 inch tire, with a 16 tooth rear cog, that I want a chainring with a tooth count around 39-47 (which would put my gear in the "road use green." with 39 tooth putting me at 65.8 and 47 tooyh putting me at 79.3?

Sixty Fiver says he likes to be in the 65-70 range for his SS, so that would my preferred chainring tooth count at 39-42?

Typical single speeds like the Trek Soho S have a gear ratio of 2.6 (44 x17), which works out to 70 gear inches for a 27 inch diameter tire. My SS, which is a conversion of an old Mercier 10-speed from the early 1970's has a 52 x 20, which works out to a 2.6 gear ratio.

Thank you.

couple more questions:

- What is the average or standard or recommended gear ratio for a single speed?

- On the wikipedia page for bicycle gearing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_gearing) it gives some examples. For shorter rides (up to 5 miles) use a gear around 60. How does that gear number relate to the gear ratio?

- Regarding the issue of a lower gear ratio complicating going down hills, is that really an issue with a single speed? Or is that more of a fixed gear problem?

thanks again for the help.
"Average" ratio is around 2.5-2.8 or so.
So 44/16 is a kind of common. Again, it depends on how much hill you have to climb and how strong you are.

Too low of a ratio is not that much of an issue for singlespeed since you can coast down hill.

Gear inches = diameter of the tire (in inches) times the number of tooth on your chain ring divided by your number of tooth of your cog.
For example, a person with a 700x23c wheel running a gear ratio of 44/16 will have a gear inches of 72.3
You can do it with a common calculator if you know the diameter of your tire.
700x23c tires are 26.275
700x25c tires are 26.375
700x28c tires are 26.75
then you pick whichever tire size
26.275x44 = 1156.1
then divided it by 16
1156.1/16= 72.25625...round it off to the nearest tenth.

72.3 gear inches.

I also posted a calculator on your other post, here it is again
http://software.bareknucklebrigade.com/rabbit.applet.html

Just found this thread with the chart:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=468351

Sixty Fiver says he likes to be in the 65-70 range for his SS, so that would my preferred chainring tooth count at 39-42?

no real preferred chain ring range. I use 46x19 to get close to the 65-70 gear range

No one has asked what kind of terrain he rides yet?
How are your rides OP, hilly or flat?

f50fan.
I'm in brooklyn. Not many steep hills, but some inclines. Also, doesn't seem like there is a ton of all out speed riding as there are the stop lights and other traffic issues. I'm in my early 30's, and not in the best shape (although I am changing that with this bike!)

Just to follow up.
So I have a 27 inch wheel
16 tooth rear cog
54 tooth chainring
puts my gear inches at at 91.1 and gear ratio at 3.37:1

That's a little ridiculous for a single speed? The guy who I bought the bike from must have been a monster!

42 x 16. EOM.

I'm using a 42 x 17 on my Paddy Wagon for use as an errand runner, which is a 66.7 inch gear. For group rides, I take my Orbea Onix with 20 sp. Ultegra.

42 x 16. EOM.

I'd probably agree with this. I used to run 42 x 16 and just recently switched to 46 x 17 to get more skid patches, with only a slight increase in gear inches. But then again, I was running fixed and skidding easily was part of the reason I liked that ratio.
For fixed, this ratio would probably be good, but I think if you were running a freewheel you could stand to up the gear inches a bit.

46 x 16 (2.875 or 77.63 gear inches) works for me, tough on climbs, but the good kind of tough.

46 x 16 (2.875 or 77.63 gear inches) works for me, tough on climbs, but the good kind of tough.So this is where I was leaning. This is still a little on the tougher side? maybe 42 or 44 would be even better for me?

I don't do a lot of climbs, more slight elevation increases.

46x15. Going to change to 48x16. Not much of a change, but we will see.

the LBS is putting a 45 chainring on right now while they tune up the ride. will give me a 45/16 as opposed to the 54/16 I am riding now. Hope it is not too "spinny."

Spinny is good. 54x16? Oy, that makes my knees hurt just reading it. Last summer I put a 52x15 set up on my FG with the thought of doing a Merckx style TT. It was great out in the country, especially with a tailwind. In town, it sucked going from stoplight to stoplight.

I bought the bike used and that's what the previous owner was riding. He must have been a monster!!

why is spinny good? i'm riding single speed, not fixed gear.

Spinny is good. 54x16? Oy, that makes my knees hurt just reading it. Last summer I put a 52x15 set up on my FG with the thought of doing a Merckx style TT. It was great out in the country, especially with a tailwind. In town, it sucked going from stoplight to stoplight.

I just bought a 56T chainring for my Super Pista, for a 56/15 ratio or 98 gear inches. Not going to ride it like that, though...

Spinny is good, in my case at least, because it teaches your legs to spin a smooth, high cadence. This has the effect of widening your powerband. When riding my geared bike it allows me to stay seated and spin a higher cadence when the group surges, then drop a cog. Rather than having to drop a cog first, then stand and mash. The former is much smoother and efficient.

He must have been a monster!!

or a poser.

or a poser.

I roll 52x16 fg
In town and on centuries am I a poser now?
I guess I'll have to go shopping fo skinny jeans.
Is a white belt optional or is that just an EMO thing?
I get confused with all the techie jargon.

Enjoy

48 x 16

I like it because it gives me more top-end, but I can still mash it up 99.9% of the hills in my city. Probably going to a 49 x 16 as soon as I can get my hands on the right chainring.

am I a poser now?

apparently.