Hi everyone.

I'm currently running a 46/16 gear and its fine for my commute, but I was thinking of getting a bigger freewheel rear cog that would allow me to climb hills much easier and ride at a more casual pace.

I was thinking maybe an 18t, but maybe even a 20t?

I'm wanting to have it so I can use my 16 when its flat, but if I want to do more distance riding I can use my larger one without burning out my legs so badly on the hills and just have a nice casual pace.

HTFU. That is my advice.

46x19 is a great gear.

Agree
I have this combo on one of my bikes and it's very comfortable for rolling terrain and climbs pretty well. (Depending on my legs at the time.)

I run 53/22 which is similar to 46/19. I just rode a hilly 51.9 miles average speed of 15.7 and 2100 feet of climbing. One of the climbs was a 14% grade that was fortunately only a couple of hundred yards long. I also did a century ride that was all flat and averaged 16.9 mph. I didn't have a cadence sensor but it was aroud 85. Your level of fitness will determine the gears you need. I choose to train around what I have instead of changing parts.

How did the human race do things before the internet existed?

Nobody will be able to tell you what gearing will be best for you. Buy a few cheap freewheels and try them out.

Cheap is realtive, even budget amazon ones will still cost me $20 a gear, and if I was made of money, i'd just have a nice high end road bike instead of my beater fixie.

Make your best guess, then, and buy one. If it works, then great. If not, go whatever direction you need to go from there. None of us can tell you what will work for you. I can tell you what I ride, but I doubt that would be of much help, unless you happen to know the terrain I ride, my condition, and many other factors.

If you're going to depend on the internet for everything, you should probably learn how to use it better.

https://www.amazon.com/Sunlite-Easy-O...lite+freewheel

I'll echo the HTFU advice. With a single speed, you're always going to be in the wrong gear. Just get used to it.

That is the beauty of riding a bike that has 1 gear...

The old saying is true (at least for me) - whenever I ride a multi-geared bike I spend a lot of time worrying if I am in the right gear and whether I should shift, but on my fixed bike I know for a fact that it is wrong & just deal with it...

Get an IGH. Problem solved.

IGH is a great alternative, but I never liked SS for road riding.

It's not a fixie, it's a SS.

If I were you, I'd go with an 18t. But I'm not you so I have no clue as to what you'd feel comfortable with.

What you are describing is a multi-speed freewheel bicycle.
That are surprisingly common and might even be in general use.



If you were riding a proper fixed gear I would suggest a Sturmey Archer 3 speed S3X internal fixed gear hub, but for your application the 3spd AW with freewheel has been available since 1936 and has proven eminently successful. An AW equipped 46X16 will yield your current 76 Gear Inches with a useful 57GI reduction and a leg busting 101GI for descending.

-Bandera

just got my 19 in today, took it for a 20 mile ride, and its a great easy gear, and I averaged about the same speed i did with my 16t, but got much less worn out.