So I just bought a Fuji Feather, I think from around 2014? and the gear ratio is 46-16. I'm living in Brooklyn where it's moderately flat but still with a decent amount of hills. 46-16 is nice for the hills but I find myself spinning out for sure downhill and occasionally on flats too. I decided on a single speed because my older bike, an old Raleigh, I used as a single speed because the gearing was messed up and the ratio I used was 51-17 which made me think maybe 46-15 would be better for me. Yesterday I went to my LBS and talked to one of the employees and he said it was a bad idea to go to a 15 in the back because it was fragile? or would brake? He recommended I up the front but I couldn't tell if it was a sales pitch because he followed by telling me how much they could do it for. So the question is, would going down to 15 help me to take advantage of the flats/ downhill or am I really just missing gears?
Also, didn't know if this was part of the issue in any way but I am just under 6'1'' and riding a 61cm frame which feels okay but I recognize it's almost too large...

Probably aren't going to feel to much of a difference with a single reduction of a tooth.

Living in a hilly place can be annoying because you have to find a happy medium between flats and hills. You could also try a slightly larger chainring in the front -- that should help with the spinning out a little, more so than changing the rear cog.

I am several freewheel cogs: A 14, 16, 17, 18 and a 22.


If you get a cog tool/wrench they are super easy to remove and put back on.


I have a Fuji Feather as well. I replaced the factory wheels with Wabi Sub 15's. They have the added feature of Freewheel on BOTH sides of the rear hub.


I arrived at a 16 on one side and a 22 of the rear hub.


Why you ask? The 16 is for the normal riding around. I flip the hub IF and ONLY IF there is a massive hill that I must climb. In the Finger Lakes of NY state and we have some intense hills. (Normally I avoid them but sometimes they are not avoidable.)


You may want to buy a 14 and a 15 and a cog removal tool/wrench. Test and try out what you like!! And then you can fine tune it yourself and don't need a BIKE SHOP REPAIR guy to convince you of something you don't actually need or want.

Yeah was thinking 15 would be a nice compromise but have you ever heard of 15 teeth braking? Or was the LBS just trying to sell me something?

Yeah, that was the first sign of bullsh- -.

and why would a 15 break and not a 16?

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark...

I have never met anyone that stops mid ride, and flips their wheel. I don't know how I would feel about that.

Yeah thought it was strange too ...

So maybe go up to 47? I feel like I don't need a huge change just a slight bump...
Btw, why does changing the front vs the back help more with spinning?

I would use a stronger term than strange. I would call it bullsh- -! and that guy was bullsh--ing you. What else will be bullsh-- you about?

It would be the last time I went to that guy.

First and last time!

I'm guessing your riding fixed right? Seems like it, just want to make sure.

I ran 46x16 for a long time in a flat city. Now that I live in a pretty hilly city, I switched to 46-15 and love it.

The one tooth change shouldn't seem like a big jumb but it's a 5 gear inch change. Definitely not nothing. It was enough for me to be able to get the downhill speed I wanted, even though I'm still spinning a pretty fast cadence. There are two 10 percent plus grades in town I've found that were the only things I had to walk up. But they start after 90 degree turns so you can't carry any speed into them. Luckily they aren't on any normal route.

For what it's worth my city is hillier than most of Brooklyn I've seen. Imagine Prospect Park all over.

Also, the LBS guy might not be leading you too far astray. A 15 isn't going to break, but I've read that you don't want to go much smaller than a 15 in the rear on a freewheel since the smaller cog can easier lead to throwing your chain. If you are riding fixed it shouldn't be an issue since you will more than likely be running a little less chain slack than a freewheel and the tension of constantly pedaling keeps the chain in place.

Finally, changing your chainring doesn't have any greater effect on spinning that changing your cog would do.

Running fixed in a flat city here - 48:15 and that is only because I couldn't readily get my hands on a 49t ring.

Yes this is what I'm hoping the 15 will do for me...so you would recommend going with a 15? Before switching the front at least?

I'm riding a freewheel btw

I turn my wheel around mid ride often. I have a bike that can handle any cog 12 to 24 and put on whatever cogs are appropriate for the day. If I am doing serious climbing, I'll being a cog wrench and third cog for the downhills. I've ridden 4 Cycle Oregons this way and will do it again this year. (I'll let you sit with how you feel about that.)

In the early days of the Tour de France, double sided wheels and the stop at the bottoms and tops of mountain passes was just what you did.

Ben

Switching cogs is easier in the long run. Chain length will likely vary less between a 15 and 16 freewheel than it would for a bigger chainring. Lets you deal with moving the wheel in the dropouts instead of adding links to your chain. That and I'd prefer having different cogs and freewheels to change between bikes than screwing with a bunch of chainrings.

Ben--You DA MAN! ...I can't tell you how many 'bike' people I have tried to explain this concept to and they are all like--"WHAT??!! I never heard of such a thing!"


It is what was done for many years BEFORE the multi-geared bike. You had a large rear cog to climb up HILLS and the other smaller cog for everything else.


So glad you verified and actually practice this, as well!

Ok so went to another LBS and was told 16 tooth freewheel was smallest freewheel size they make unless it's for bmx...so no 15 freewheel?

Went to yet another LBS and they said they could order a 15 tooth freewheel by Friday...idk what's going on in Brooklyn

The 1st shop is right.

Unless they have a time machine, I bet the 2nd shop is offering you a FW for a BMX hub. To double check - ask them if it is English threaded, which is what you need for a typical flip-flop hub like is on your Fuji.

Good luck...

Hahaa! Yes. True.


Also, to the OP----You said you bought a Fuji FEATHER and the crank cog is 46 Teeth. I think you have a Fuji Track or they changed out the original because Fuji Feather SPECS say it should be a 44 Teeth. While the Fuji Track specs say 46 Teeth.


Just sayin.

It says feather on the frame and the front is def 46...idk it's from 2013/14? Not exactly sure but I think I decided to get a 48 up front and keep the 16 in back...hoping its what I'm looking for

Well, I'll be a Monkey's Uncle... a Feather with 46 Teeth, hmmm.

I hope you enjoy that 48 - 16 setup.

Let us all know. I am curious.