how big of a gear should I be riding?
 

So I have a single speed bike that has a pretty big gear on it. I have gotten used to it but I dont know if it is the best gear for me. The front chainring is 56 teeth and the back is 16. Should I get something smaller?

Do you want something smaller? If so, then get something smaller. Personal choice.

How do you get up hills?!

The choice would depend on the type of terrain you regularly ride and whether you're experiencing any knee pain. For a flat area, 56x16 might be OK, but I know it wouldn't work for me.

I like the fact that I can cruise at a pretty high speed on it but it is hella hard getting off the line at a stop light. Also since I am putting a lot of pressure on the crank when I first get going would it help if I had a smaller gear? What do you people ride?

I'd get something more like a 56x13, for greater speed.

@ onetwentyeight
I really dont have that much trouble with hills. I usually get a running start at them most of the time and just power up them. its just the getting going that sucks.

in all seriousness, that's a really big gear and most people ride something considerably smaller. your ratio works out to about 117 "gear inches." for comparison, i ride a 42x17 which at 67 gear inches is a bit smaller than average. most folks ultimately find that they like something between 70 and 80. since you live here in portland, you'll probably be similar.

keep your current gear and don't listen to these panzies

I am a wuss my current ss is 42x16 and I am thinking about going a bit lower like a 42x18 for the hills and spinning.

Aaron:)

my friend rides 58x14 in portland. says he loves it. if getting going is your problem just don't stop.

From Sheldon Brown's "Online Gear Calculator" I get 92 gear inches for 56X16 with 700X23 tires.

http://sheldonbrown.com/gears/

I play around with gears a lot, and ride from 72" to 82".
I like lower gear inches for control and precision and higher gear inches for speed.

I presently ride 53X18 for 77", which I find the best of all possible worlds for a reasonably strong rider in hilly terrain.

Anyway, 92" seems like too much for me.
Please note the "for me" part.

oops, i think i entered my suggestion of 56x13... :D

Thats practically eddy merckx gearing...

I ride 39x15 in fairly hilly terrain. Just went from 27x1-1/4 to 700x23 tires, which brought my gear inches from 70.4 to 68.3. Though I do find I'm spinning out easier on the downhills, I think the easier gearing will be better on my knees. I may go with a different ratio when I change up my crankset soon though.

i dont know.

I ride 40x14. Gear i first started out in. I like it. I dont have any problems getting up hills, and going down hills the pedals rarely ever move uncomfortably fast, and if so i just slow down a little.

But quick question to throw in there, i went to my lbs to see if i could get a 14T freewheel cause i have a flip flop hub, and they said that with the type of hub i have i couldn't really fit anything smaller than like a 16T on it, and that ones smaller like 14T and 13T are meant for bmx flip flop hubs. Is this true? Cause if so, to get a freewheel i'll have to get a like 16T for both sides and then get like a 44T chainring in the front to get something along the lines of a similar gear ratio, and at the time i was like **** doing all that

Really not that much work.

Oh, and what kind of hub do you have?

Yeah i know it isn't too much work, it was mainly the money factor of purchasing a new fixed cog, a new freewheel, a larger chainring, and adding some links to my chain.

My rear wheel i bought off a dude used from craigslist, it's a 700c aluminum Wienmann, the only thing it says on the hub is "Suzul, Japan, 5 H"

Mostly true. AC Racing makes a 15t freewheel that fits standard freewheel threading, but it's hard to find, and reportedly not the most durable piece of equipment. 16t freewheels are common.