it is fun to climb hills at 18mph

Not necessarily. But rear cogs are generally cheaper than front chainrings, and a 1-tooth change in the back makes more of a difference than a 1-tooth change in the front and usually doesn't require changing the chain length.

Generally speaking: 1 tooth on the rear is equal to a 3 tooth change on the front.

48/16 (approximately) = 51/17

I used to be the same way...
But
Learn to spin, your knees will thank you

Wow really, you got that I cant spin out of that comment? I love the generalizations people make on the the internet from such little info.

Maybe I cant spin but your reading comprehension sucks. I was questioning light gear ratios (like 42-18) but Im sure you can spin that comfortably at 20 MPH too since you are such a master of cycling technique right?

bikecalc.com is a handy tool for this kind of stuff!!!

I am spinning at 46/19. Highly maneuverable. Often-times, I out-maneuver pedestrians; not just cars. This keeps me from danger in highly congested urban conditions. I haven't had a scary moment ever since I dropped from 46/17.

Excellent!!

I challenge you to show me a working chain tensioner on a fixed gear drivetrain.

Axle tug/adjusters != chain tensioner.

I'm running a 42x15. It's just a tad faster. At one time I had a 53x15 on my fixie! It was great for hauling ass on flat roads, utterly useless on steep hills.

If you think 20mph with a 42:18 ratio is uncomfortable then you were right. You can't spin. 110rpm should not be a hardship, ride your bike more and use a lower gear to develop your spin. Your normal cruising RPM should be in the region of 90-100 I believe, so that your knees don't get angry.

re: chain tensioners, I accidentally put a wheel in fixed-side first when putting together a bike using the old derailler as the tensioner. Let's say it's possible to use one when the wheel is fixed, but you can never ever... EVER even hint at backpedalling. It will eff things up rather spectacularly. Note: this is speculation as I realized my mistake before I even got the bike rolling on the ground.

OP: as others have said, just get a lower-toothed cog in the back and give that a whirl. 46 on the chainring is ideal in my city (and my opinion), but that's more costly and could be more hassle. Try a 16 on the back and work harder on your climbing, and your descents can help you spin as you go.

i was riding 42/16 on ss for a while and had the same problem, kind of frustrating. when i converted to fg i switched to 46/16 and so far its been pretty ideal, not too terrible for climbing hills either

Please show me where I said that I found 42-18 uncomfortable at 20 mph. I said I found 48-18 spun out too easily for me, I never said under what conditions. I was refereing to the very large hills that I have to ride down during my commute. I easily hit 35+ on decents and found the spin to fast to control at 35+, let me guess now you are going to tell me that if I cant spin comfortably at 190 rpm then I cant spin and should go practice riding.

I commute every day and ride both days on the weekend. Dont worry about my spin, go ride yourself instead of trying to be an internet bike guru coach.

bike came w/ a 46-15 which was brutal on the hills around here. I've since switched out to 42-17 and i love it. You're right about not going much over 25mph though but it's comfortable for the majority of my riding which is a down a hill then back up it.

If i lived on flats there is no way i would ride that gear, probably would have left the 46-15.

Wait. I thought we were talking about spinning; not bombing downhill and spinning like a sweating bullet. ... That's what the freewheels are for. You don't need to be fixated on spinning down full speed. You just have to get down the hill right? Maybe slow down and take it easy?

I like bombing hills on my fixed gear. Only bike I have is a fixed gear. I no likey freewheels.

It's all cool, to each his own.

Fixed with 46/17

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k2.../newezt017.jpg

can i have your bike? mmmmmmmm. bmc. bmmmmmmc.

gnarly tension bro

How can you tell the tension from the pic?

My suggestion, hop on your road bike. See what gear feels most comfortable for the areas you want to ride your ss and simulate that ratio wise by using this gearing calc http://software.bareknucklebrigade.c...it.applet.html . It seems most fixed riders i know prefer a higher ratio (2.8+) than a lot of the others, if you were doing tt's i can imagine you might want to go taller on your gearing.


RooNYC seems to know what i'm talking about, i'm running 50/16 and it's a blast to sprint on.

looking at the chain?

looks really taut, no sag whatsoever.

just saying.

Properly tensioned chains should not sag. It should have some give when you push it but not look droopy.

True. When pushed on, it sags about 3/4". Seems about right...