Commuting on a fixed gear?
 

Hi. I have read that bike messengers and some commuters like fixed gear bikes because of the weight savings and lack of things that can go wrong. What is a good gear ratio? My commute would be 25 miles round trip with a 1-2% climb on the way home. I'm an experience roadbiker so I don't mind mashing or spinning, but I am intrigued by riding a fixie?

What is a good average gearing on a fixed gear bike for commuting?

1- convert a beater - cheaper - so to find out if you like it
2- buy some cogs - dura ace will work - from 14t 15t 16T flavors so to have options

start with the 16T for a whole week, then move up one at a time

if needed, go down on tooth count, or up, depending on how they feel for you or measure in your bike computer.

I go with 88 gear inches, but I do not cyclocommute every day.

i run 42x16 and like it a lot, other than i can't get a LOT of speed, i can't go much over 20 mph for very long. where i live is really flat, but really windy as well, so i like to keep it a little lower. i think most others around here run a larger ratio.

oh and i commute every day, not as far as you would be though...

Commuting on a fixed gear? Nope. Can't be done. Fixed only works for 1) going to the bar 2) going to indie rock shows 3) going to your friend's art opening.

I rock 79 gear inches (48x16) and 81 gear inches (46x15).
I think both are nice.

Set a gear on your geared bike and see what you can reasonably tolerate for your route. Use that gear to figure out chainring/sprocket combos.

Seriously guys, if you think the hipster/mess bag situation is bad now, then you really have not looked into the crystal ball enough to foresee what a nightmare it would be if Sincity joined your ranks. Discourage him as much as possible, unless of course you love to be called "gay." :)

I run 74 gear inches (48x17). An 18 tooth cog on the other side gives me 70 if I want it.

My old conversion ran 66, but it was a real tank. The low gearing came in handy for the hills though.

iI run a 44x17 and commute everyday but my commute is only 2 miles each way....I think that most people run somewhere in the vicinity of 70-80 gear inches

As someone said, you have your road bike to help you get an idea of what sort of gear inch you want to run - buy cogs that get you close ony our fixie and don't be afraid to play around with the gearing until you get it just right.

Also consider getting a flip flop fixed/fixed rear hub if you want to be able to take your bike on a commute (with a lower gear inch) and on group rides (with a higher gear inch) or whatnot.

Excellent advice.

Yes, I just lived with one gear on my geared bike to figure out what would work for me.
However, after I started riding fixed gear, I found that I could have gone up a tooth or two.
When we have no ice on the road, I commute round trip 27 miles on my fixed gear with an 800' gain on the way home.
I find it much easier, faster and more fun than on my geared bike.

48x16- only problem is getting up hills over 15% grade

46x16 - 4 miles downhill, 4 miles uphill. gets the job done in low temps and crappy weather.

44x16 from somerville to newton mass. a coupla hills. 24 miles r/t. easy.

I ride a 69 inch gear, 42x16 and when I have to ride to my parents house, I have to climb a nice 300' gain hill. It have to crank it over hard but i can make it home. I could probably gear higher but where I live its really hilly in parts. I love my fixie because its simple, nimble, and I don't have to worry about dinging the tubes (my other bike is a soda can thin Cannondale).

38x14. Upper Darby, PA to Center City, Philly. 12 miles RT. Mostly Downhill in, mostly Uphill out.

I commute 8 miles each way on a heavy Schwinn Traveler, 46x16. No complaints after a few weeks now

I was wondering how long it would be before you ended up over here.

46x16, 10 miles r/t everyday, and it's Chicago so it's nearly totally flat. I could probably stand to drop a tooth in the back. I like riding my fixed in the city for the oft-mentioned reasons- simplicity, elegance, so so easy to maintain (I hate cables), and sexxx appeal, yo.

EDIT: I, too, have a crinkly aluminum Cannondale.

I like somewhere around 70 gear inches. I live in hillly terrain.

I tried living with 1 gear on a geared bike for a while in trying to choose my gear ratio, and found I could tolerate taller gears on a climb without a freewheel than with. That's good, because coming down tthe other side, you want the tallest gear you can tolerate.

So for me anyway, I could easily drop a couple of teeth in the back on a fixed gear compared to a single speed.

Im running 46x16 on my 20 mile r/t commute everyday. Moderate hills both ways. I find its alot easier to climb hills on a certain hills with my fixed as opposed to my geared bike. I now find that I fly up hills on my fixed that would normally kill me on my geared. I dont know why .

But go for it. I find it alot more fun and challenging.

52x17 across Gainesville, ~10 miles rt. Gvl's not really hilly, but I manage to hit pretty much all the big ones on my ride. It's probably way to tall of a gear, but works just fine for me. I may sing differently after I get the fenders on.


I should not be in front of a computer right now.

I am currently using 72 gear inches... 40x15..

here is a nifty chart you can use to get your gear selection ...

http://www.i1.net/~dwolfe/gerz/

and here is a cadence calculator to give you some idea of what RPM you will be spinning @ any given MPH .

http://fixedgeargallery.com/articles...ence/index.htm

=)

Enjoy!


I like my gearing because it allows me to spin and I have learned to like it ! When I started, I used a massive 52x14 gear.. it was overkill for me so I quickly realized my mistake (thanks to ss/fg people for telling me how it is)... and I geared down and bam ! Instant improvements in cadence and spinning performance !

Hells yes.