Hi all,

I've been riding fixed gear for over two years now and I got a new job that will require that I ride more, so I want to be able to get places faster and with less effort.

I currently have a flip flop hub running 16 in the rear and 46 in the front. I would be fine with just running a three speed with my 46 being the middle gear. I love the simplicity of single speed so I would prefer to either just have multiple gears in the front or the back but I don't know which is "better" to do so I guess that's where I'll start with the info I need.

I know the rear will depend on the clearance I have which I will post as soon as I can get it measured.

Internal gear Hub .. good luck in the search for "Free Lunch" .. the faster with less effort . physics is not going to take a Holiday.

If your rear drops are 120mm, you could check out the Six Fyx, but unless your ride is really hilly or you're constantly spinning out your current gear it's doubtful you'll see a major speed increase.

Don't we all, kid. Don't we all.

I just set a bunch of personal records on hill segments in Strava with my fixed gear today. Beat some times set on my 2x10 speed bike.

Gear ratio only changes torque, but power in = power out (minus losses, where a FG/SS wins) so if you wanna go somewhere you've gotta make the watts. Now, the multispeed will let you get there with less effort by being able to go slower with a manageable cadence but less effort means longer time. Getting there in less time means more effort. If you need to get places faster with less effort, put your money in better tires, aero bars or a motor other than your legs.

Hi all,

Thanks for the responses. Unless I'm missing something it's easier to go 20mph on a geared bike (both acceleration at top speed) than it is on my fixie when I have to petal at a very high RPM. Having a geared bike also allows me to either go faster or at least not have to petal while going downhill.

Back to my actual conversion though, it looks like my rear drops are right around 120mm, this bike used to be a road bike that got converted at some point to a single speed. So what is everyone's opinion between adding gears to the crank versus the rear, obviously I can have more gears in the back. Which should give me a larger spread between the bottom and top ratios, which is easier to convert, which has less maintenance, which adds less weight, which is better for balance?

Jens Voigt knocked out the effort to cover 51.115km, in Exactly an Hour on a track bike .. speed .. ...it really is about the work you put out.

you just need the right gear ratio for the purpose ..

120mm rear dropout , you are talking 5 speed freewheels a 30 year old frame and a 1, 2 or triple ring crank , turning it back into an old fashioned, 5/10/15 speed.

though there is the Internal gear hub option still, Sturmey Archer Hubs can be made up with quite narrow widths. 3 & 5 speed..

build the wheels up with racing quality rims and expensive tires to lower the rolling resistance ..

I have a 3 speed IGH and a 2 speed internal gear Swiss made Crank, the 250% of mine has the same 3 ratios used twice for 6 widely spaced gears.


there is also a 1.65% overdrive crank both from the Swiss shop, and the Patterson Metro, from Asia.


then the chain never moves off the front and rear chain-wheels .

It's the hub shell turning slower or faster than the cog and the chain ring turning faster than the crank arm because of planetary gears in the components.

History Note, they time trial-ed in England on 3 speed bikes , again, about the effort, not the miracle of magic parts.


Air resistance.. Do the Math .. https://physics.ucsd.edu/do-the-math/tag/air-resistance/

I don't get into the fixed-gear stuff much. But I was thinking that it wasn't uncommon to take an old road frame, and grind off all the little doohickeys that hold cables and derailleurs and such, to have a cleaner slicker frame. If that's the case with your bike, it might be easier to go pick up another vintage multi-speed bike that hasn't been converted.

Generally, you'll have a wider gear range with multiple gears in the back, so that would be the preferred arrangement if you just convert the front or rear.

It is possible to build 3-speed (or more) hubs into a new wheel, but I don't know what hub widths are available, or what other issues might come up there.

Over longer distances, changing terrain, and variable weather a geared bike can be advantageous... a three speed rear wheel could offer a little more range without having to make too many changes to the bike and could be swapped back to a fg/ss.

It is probably cheaper to buy a used vintage multi-speed bike that to upgrade your single speed bike. Sturmey-Archer makes a 3 speed hub (S30) for a 120mm spacing. Sturmey Archer When you add the price of the hub ($75) plus the shift mechanism (Sturmey Archer) and cables ($25) to the cost of building a wheel - spokes, rim, and labor, you have a pretty costly upgrade. At that, you still have only 3 speeds.

I have not quite similar problem but I decided for myself that I want to find electric bike which could pass on one charge of the order of 70-80 km: fishing and riding outdoors

Good point. Honestly, it could be quite possibly less expensive to go this route as well. Buying a new rear wheel, freewheel, derailleurs, shifters, chain, cables off eBay can easily run into the same prices that a decent 10/12/14 speed off Craigslist would cost depending on your local market.

Oh, also becuase N+1...