Should I run on the smaller chain ring 42, instead of the 53, I cant take the 53 off... the rear is 15. I'm going to a hipster bar "Jacks" in the mission. Or should I just ride my none european frame instead. Right now its 53x15 and any type of hill will kill me.

I have no idea what you just asked.

wha?

sure, go for it.

surprise us.

Translation: The mission is in San Francisco. They have hills there. 53-15 is a rather brutal gear for anything not flat. For me, it's a brutal gear for anything not down hill or down wind. I believe that he still has the double attached to the bike (too cheap to invest $6.99 in BMX chainring bolts, perhaps)

I'm not too sure where the whole hipster bar thing comes into play and what that has to do with using the 42t ring. Leaving the double or (gasp) triple rings on a fixed gear bike looks pretty hokey no matter which ring you actually use, though the small ring might look a little worse. And it looks hokey no matter how cool the person looking at the bike is or isn't. I spent an hour and a half today wearing spandex and riding road bike and I find fixed gear bikes with extra chainrings still on them to be rather half-assed and lame.

My advice would be to go to a bike shop and get some BMX chainring bolts and a chainring tool. All should cost less than $15.00. Ditch the 53 tooth ring.

Does not compute.

Yeah sorry I worded it all wrong and was going to delete the post but it wont let me. MrCjolsen wins the prize he got it dead on. I ended up bringing my original conversion of 42x15 worked great. 53x15... my thighs would have become match books caught on fire.

Get a monster-sized cog (say, 18 or 19t) and take off the tiny ring. You will look like a champ, even if it is not a sky-high gearing.

I've always thought that low-chainring/low-cog was better than highchainring/higher-cog. I'd have a similar gearinch. Just because when I push the pedals I like more of the resistance to come from the rear rather than directly under me. I generally exert less effort with a smaller chainring and still maintain a similar speed.
my .02$

definitely leave both rings on and shift with the heel of your foot.

seriously though, don't worry about what clowns have to say about your bike's appearance. love your avatar.

In my book, less parts = more awesome (to a certain point)

but you shouldn't care what others think.

what does the chain line tell you?

If you have a converted double, then your best chainline is generally with the small ring. At least that's how it is on my bike. I've found that chainrings are cheaper and easier to swap out than cogs.

I'll second the notion that small-small is better. I would think that the shorter the chain, that it would have less of a chance of coming off.

go with the 42. I use that with a 16t cog and hills are no problemo.

Should you?

cute stories about ghosts in the old mill. sometimes it mixes it up and tells one about the plight of a field of rabbits at the hands of a greedy farmer.