I have a Schwinn World Sport 10 speed and i was thinking about converting it to a fixed gear. The only issue I have is that I live on a big steep hill. Would it be all that much harder to ride up the hill with a fixed gear? Also what gear ratio would you guys suggest for someone who isn't all that experienced with fixed gears and lives on a large hill?

52 11

thatch, I think that's a little too... uhm... steep.

do you want to go up the hill or down the hill?

both, plus i live in a fairly hilly town.

42-15 is a pretty good bet for a hilly area.

45-17 is where i started

Still have all 12 gears? Pick one and see if you can live with it. When you find the one you like, count the teeth on the cog and find a track cog to match.

i thought you just bought a raleigh rush hour.

or maybe there's more than one griffin. whatever.

when i first saw this thread i thought "wait! i don't remember making that"

I run 46:17 in a relatively flat area. I'm heading somehwere very hilly, so I think I'll rock 46:19 then. We'll see.

See the attached guide to figure out what equivalent gearings are. I can't remember who made this (i think it was someone on this site). It's super useful.

yeah thats me
i should have it real soon

I live in a pretty hilly area and I run 41:14. You still have to get out of the saddle but it works.

I think this is the way to go. I weigh 240, and I was thinking that the dish of the wheel wouldn't hold up, but it did on some 50 mph long descents and it was fine.
after gettign my gearing that way and riding single speed a couple months (still totally green), I realized how much stronger it makes you, and you can move up to bigger gears if you ride a lot get in better shape.
I am starting to think of the "practicality" of the 6 spd cassette for riding with no shifters. a little forward and back in the dropouts and you got some versatility, but that fixed wheel looks so clean and pure.

I was thinkin....

This is when things start to get dangerous.
Just kidding.