Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Thoughts on braking with fixies, in regards to gear inches...

I'm at around 76 gear inches right now.

42t/16t * 29" = 76.125 gear inches


This is the only fixed gear bicycle I've ever ridden, and the braking is pretty good.

My question is. . . . If I move to a bicycle with smaller wheels, such as....

52t/13t * 14" = 56 gear inches

Is the increased RPM offset by the shorter gear inches, meaning that it will require virtually the same amount of effort to backpedal (i.e. - brake by resisting forward movement)???

If speed is constant between the two bikes, is ease in braking constant as well??!?!?

in before "get a brake lever"

ThIs is why gear inches are so 1990. Gear ratio is where its at.

in.. . . before "get a brake lever"?!?!?!!??!?

ftfy!!

Try to find 14" wheels, I dare ya.

I'm a little curious about the brakeless 29er to be honest.

No.

Get a brake and a more sensible gear ratio. You most likely will not have clearance on a 29er frame for a 52 tooth chainring. Plus the gear inches a 52x13 is with a 29er wheel is 116.5, you would be miserable with that gearing.

There is no way he is talking about the same frame here. Bike 1 is a 29er i assume. Is bike 2 one of those mini-velo bikes?

Yes, two totally separate frames.

The second is a folding bike w/ 14" wheels. I met a guy with two of 'em brand new. They're called Roll N Fold. Not the best welds, but somebody else here, "James Haury", said he was able to upgrade the gearing to 52t & 13t fixie. Just uses red loctite, I'm supposing... but I'll use a [non-reverse threaded] lockring, too!!!

I'm not going to be hauling tail downhill with this thing, but I'm just wondering how the gear inches will play on stopping at the same rate of speed on these two entirely different setups....

Shorter gear inches = higher cadence, but easier to backpedal???

ThIs is why gear inches are so 1990. Gear ratio is where its at.Gear ratio only tells HALF the picture. Wouldn't you agree, considering you clearly missed the ENTIRE point of this thread?


I'm a little curious about the brakeless 29er to be honest.It's just a Motobecane Outcast w/ this seat (http://www.unifiedsport.com), but it DOES have both hand brakes.

The 14" folding bike that I'm looking at has front and rear u-brakes, but I'm trying to get a feel for how braking should work if I were to remove them, at least temporarily.


No.

Get a brake and a more sensible gear ratio. You most likely will not have clearance on a 29er frame for a 52 tooth chainring. Plus the gear inches a 52x13 is with a 29er wheel is 116.5, you would be miserable with that gearing.You can't read gear inches either?? It's really not difficult.

One more time...

If speed is constant between the two bikes, is ease in braking constant as well??!?!?

If speed is constant between the two bikes, is ease in braking constant as well??!?!?

Here's what a little thinking did for me.

If one bike has a lower gear ratio, it will have better acceleration from a stop. That process in reverse, coming a stop from a constant speed, will be easier by the same factor. Both are acceleration, so the degree of ease will be the same if you are accelerating forwards or backwards (slowing down).

My two cents.

You can't read gear inches either?? It's really not difficult.

Then sit down and figure it out yourself. Obviously nobody here knows as much about bikes or gearing as you do.

We can talk and talk but it wont make a difference until you try it. Lower gear inches should povider easier starting/stopping

Shorter gear inches = higher cadence, but easier to backpedal???

Yes, also easier to pedal forward.

Then sit down and figure it out yourself. Obviously nobody here knows as much about bikes or gearing as you do.
I don't have the second bike to compare it yet.

Still deliberating and determining all my options before I decide.

anyway, 56 gear inches is super low. I rode around for a while with 60gi fixed and it wasnt very good for much speed and I spinning too much for comfort down slight grades. If you're going go for this folding bike consider installing a SS freewheel

leverage.

small ring, big cog = easy get up and go and easy skid.

big ring, small cog = slow acceleration and hard skid.

so measure the diameter of your cogs and figure out the ratio between it and the wheel (with tire) diameter. Now figure out the ratio of the crankarm length to chainring radius(? center of ring to top of tooth valley).

If the numbers are equal then itll prob be the same.

those small wheel bikes ride like skateboards. ROUGH.

if it werent finals week i would calculate this out in terms of efforts and flows and get a real answer. System Dynamics is raping my life right now.

anyway, 56 gear inches is super low. I rode around for a while with 60gi fixed and it wasnt very good for much speed and I spinning too much for comfort down slight grades. If you're going go for this folding bike consider installing a SS freewheelI repeat... NO HILLS. NO INCLINES.

This is more a type of bike I'll keep in my trunk for emergencies, riding around some shopping centers, at friends' apartment complexes, and other short trips. Not planning on riding more than 5 miles or so at a time. I've gone 15 or 20 mi. on a BMX with around the same gearing (55 gear inches) as this 14" bike.... but the BMX wasn't a fixie. Hence, this thread to see how a fixed 20" compares to a fixed 29" with similar gearing...


leverage.

small ring, big cog = easy get up and go and easy skid.

big ring, small cog = slow acceleration and hard skid.

so measure the diameter of your cogs and figure out the ratio between it and the wheel (with tire) diameter. Now figure out the ratio of the crankarm length to chainring radius(? center of ring to top of tooth valley).

If the numbers are equal then itll prob be the same.

those small wheel bikes ride like skateboards. ROUGH.Hmm... I will have to look into this diameter ratio thing once I get the bike. It'll prolly take me a couple months to converting it to fixed if I even get it.

But $100 says you're wrong about the small wheels making it ride like a skateboard...

- http://www.ebay.com/itm/REAL-Leather-Bike-Seat-Black-Beach-Cruiser-GYES-GS-12-560-013-/370556964652?pt=Cycling_Parts_Accessories&hash=item5646ea8f2c

Or how about $30??

- http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Bike-Anatomic-Relief-Bicycle/dp/B000U7NU1Y


if it werent finals week i would calculate this out in terms of efforts and flows and get a real answer. System Dynamics is raping my life right now.That would be sweet....

I'd figure that Lao_shi's answer would be most correct. Gearing relates to acceleration & speed. Just reverse the direction, and the shorter gear inches will lead to an easier stop if both bikes are traveling at the same rate of speed [even tho it will look to be spinning quite a bit faster]. That was my guess, but I'd figured this would be a common understanding by almost 2012.

I'm a little curious about the brakeless 29er to be honest.

Good way to tear up/ruin trails.

why do you even want to make this a fixed gear? I bet turning will be fun on that thing.

Good way to tear up/ruin trails.What trails?


why do you even want to make this a fixed gear? I bet turning will be fun on that thing.What's "this"? Turning will be fun on what "thing"??

I hope you don't become a regular here. Condescending trolls can gtfo.

I hope you don't become a regular here. Condescending trolls can gtfo.

Seriously.

I asked honest questions.

We are on entirely different pages.

You're talking about gear ratios; I'm talking about gear inches.
You're talking about 1 bike; I'm talking about another.

Soo... again, "WHAT" do I want to make into a fixed gear??

Seriously.

ffy

Srsly.

ffy

http://www.horrorphile.net/userimages/user1857_1177920129.jpg

grndslm, I am having a difficult time understanding what you are asking. Gear inches is essentially a measure of mechanical advantage. This mechanical advantage applies to both accelerating and decelerating. Using the small wheels, if you travel the same distance while braking, you will rotate the pedals more frequently but you will apply proportionately less force, so it should be much easier.

The big trouble, we seem to be having is that you seem to be interested in bikes that are far from the norm for this forum. You might be happier in the alt.bike.culture forum. Most of us like bikes that are designed for going fast. A bike with 14 inch wheels and 56 gear inches (not to mention some crazy seat) is not that.

I'm interested in all types of bikes, many of which are featured on this forum...


- Singlespeed & Fixed
- Folding
- Recumbents
- Trikes
- Recumbent Trikes

One thing I'm not interested in is road bikes. You'll never catch me in that sub-forum. Promise.

But if I want to ask a question, like I did... it belongs in THIS sub-forum.
If I want to show a video, like I did [of a brakless freewheeling 24" BMX Cruiser], then I'd reason it also belongs in this sub-forum.

My point is... why not just look at where YOU are before being so judgmental. 99% of you can't even read the original post to see that this has NOTHING to do with ONE bike, and is based on RELATIVITY. 99% of you don't bother to ask for clarification, or other questions... it's just straight off to reading the same played out script... "tailbones.. proper fittings... congenital defects... 700c".

SHUT UP and LISTEN [or READ] BEFORE you SPEAK.

You know what'd be brilliant??

A thread about GEARS in a SS/FG sub-forum.... BRILLIANT!

SHUT UP and LISTEN [or READ] BEFORE you SPEAK.

Being rude isn't going to put you on anyone's good side, especially when the general consensus is that your posts are difficult to understand in the first place.

oh man...this guy...

http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lqgmyeCm5v1qzfebyo1_400.gif

Remember gt35rbuilt?

I definitely do.

@Grndslm, I'm not saying this to be judgmental but for some reason you seem to be clashing with the culture of this forum, whether it is deliberate or not. Did I not answer your original question? If I didn't, then I really didn't understand it.

You know what'd be brilliant??

A thread about GEARS in a SS/FG sub-forum.... BRILLIANT!

http://www.photobasement.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/cereal1.gif

Being rude isn't going to put you on anyone's good side, especially when the general consensus is that your posts are difficult to understand in the first place.Do you think being respectful is something new "we" have never seen before?? Why, actually.. yes... yes I do believe that.

Which post of mine is difficult to understand? Difficult if you didn't actually read it... sure... but which post of mine did you actually read AND not understand?

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o306/bettencourtd/aband.gif

Do you think being respectful is something new "we" have never seen before?? Why, actually.. yes... yes I do believe that.

Which post of mine is difficult to understand? Difficult if you didn't actually read it... sure... but which post of mine did you actually read AND not understand?

In case you hadn't noticed, I'm not the only one having trouble with your posts and now you're just being bothersome.

@grndslm, you keep asking "If speed is constant between the two bikes, is ease in braking constant as well??!?!?" and I was pretty specific in saying that if you have the same distance over which you are braking then the bike with the smaller gear inches will require you to rotate your pedals more frequently but require less force. What are you not understanding?

He's probably just still mad about multi-panel gifs.

@Grndslm, I'm not saying this to be judgmental but for some reason you seem to be clashing with the culture of this forum, whether it is deliberate or not. Did I not answer your original question? If I didn't, then I really didn't understand it.
I don't think I'm clashing with the culture of the forum as much as I am the language of its users and the purpose of the forum at all.

Is this bikeforums.net or d00chegifs.com? Confused...

@grndslm, you keep asking "If speed is constant between the two bikes, is ease in braking constant as well??!?!?" and I was pretty specific in saying that if you have the same distance over which you are breaking then the bike with the smaller gear inches will require you to rotate your pedals more frequently but require less force. What are you not understanding?
I think the Asian guy was able to understand me and translate into bikanese for all of us. (sorry if you're not really Asian, Asian guy ;))

Reverse torque and all that...

Abandon thread is right!!!

The culture of the forum is the language of its users and the purpose of the forum.

You spelled ****** wrong. Are you trying to get around the language filter?

Is this bikeforums.net or d00chegifs.com? Confused...

Oooooof. Good joke bro!

u mad?

http://i.imgur.com/bXwVs.gif

The culture of the forum is the language of its users and the purpose of the forum.
Well... I'd suggest you guys pick up the meaning of gear inches, along with basic comparative words (like smaller, larger, etc.)

Is the increased RPM offset by the shorter gear inches, meaning that it will require virtually the same amount of effort to backpedal (i.e. - brake by resisting forward movement)???

If speed is constant between the two bikes, is ease in braking constant as well??!?!?
No. You already showed in your post that you understand that the gear inch is a function of the gear ratio and wheel diameter.

Lower gear inches will require more rapid pedaling to go the same speed as higher gear inches. As Prooftheory stated, the gear inch is a measure of mechanical advantage, so low g.i. provides easier braking because more mechanical advantage means you have to use less force to get the same result but you have to move your legs more.

I am replying to your original question in good faith and restating previous responses.