44/16 vs 46/17 fixed ratio question
 

So I'm running 44/16 w a GI of 74.3

Two friends are running 46/17 w a GI of 73.1

Why is skidding more difficult w my bike. The frame geometry seems identical to theirs. Could the crank arm length be an issue?

Was thinking of swapping out the rear cog for a 19t. Is this ok? Lowering my GI to 62.5.

(FYI I've been a singlespeed commuter since I was in college. I now ride for fun and have started using the fixed side of my flipflop hub.)

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...imer-for-Newbs

uncle sixty loves you

haha thanks unk.

I tried to do SOME searching before i posted.

I just don't understand why such a small difference in GI feels like a big difference. So a good ball park for GI is 69-72 I assume? Choosing which ever has a good amount of skid patches?

Same pedal system? It's easier to skid if you crank up the pressure in your rear tire. The difference in gear inches is basically meaningless between your bike and your friends.

i like 46/17 tons, and that's in hilly ****ing seattle.

I dig the 46/17 ratio. Easy to skid. But the GI is so close to my 44/16 yet it's ridiculously harder to skid. Weird.

As I've read the crank arm length doesn't matter.

I ride in tropically hot weather. Bike pressure is up at 120psi so I'm sure it's not that.

Is 44/19 too easy to stop? I'm about to order a new rear cog. 17/18/19 ? Any input.

Crank length definitely matters. Longer cranks = more leverage, but might limit how fast you can spin.

How do you like your current ratio when you're actually riding? That matters more than how easy it is to skid..

The ride is fine I suppose. I don't have much to base it off of. I get up small hills fairly easily. Bigger hills require me to have a decent lead in.

My main goal was to ride brakeless.

I don't commute anymore. The bike is just for leisure. Tricks

In that case, go as low as you want. 19 or 20T should do it.

Being that you just started riding fixed i am gonna say that your ability to skid, or lack thereof is probably due to technique and not because you are running a marginally taller gear.

Until you perfect your mad skidding skilz do keep running a brake and then... leave it there.

You can read "Braking 101" after you study up on gearing.

Your Uncle Sixty.

Skidding is all about technique. If you want to skid while still in the saddle then you're gonna need lower gear inches, but in general it's about technique.

Just make sure you have good foot retention and remember to pull up on your other leg as you push down with your stronger one!

tonight I learned how to skid without SPD clips :p

i learned it without foot retention cause i'm dumb so now its nice and easy...it totally matters about technique more than anything else tho

Hey thanks guys for the advice. Much obliged. I will be running a break until I get comfy with the tech as suggested.

I was just curious about the ratios bc 74.3 vs 73.1 didn't seem like much of a spread in terms of GI. Yet I can skid much easier on the 73.1.

Anyhow I'll be picking up a 17t and a 19t to give it a go.

i strongly suggest running a brake forever.

Although those who do run brakeless have told me that 5+ years of riding fixed was the point they stopped using a brake.

Take into account the number of skid patches. I would suggest 17t or 19t rear cog, because they are going to maximize the number of skid patches for a 46t chain ring.

48/17 for life

44/17 is a good ratio, so versatile.

Or the 47/18, same gear inches, but looks bigger than 44/17. The teeth of both chainring and cog doesn't need to carry that much load on a smaller sized ratio.

Are you saying you can tell/feel the difference of ~1 GI ?

... totally believable.

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just go 52/19 like me...you look awesome and have less chainwear but its just as easy as 46/17
though i must say finding a 46 is much easier than a 52

one of my bikes is 49/19 and the other 44/17
the 44/17 feels much more responsive even tho they are pretty much the same ratio.

torque?!

learning to skid on the lowest practical ratio is highly recommended. i learned and stuck w/ 42x16. approx 70gi if i recall. i ran many different gears. anything above 70gi requires holding torque and strength to skid and keep skidding. why ppl ride a bigger gear than 70gi is beyond me, especially brakeless.. super pointless... and a quick way to to T bone someone ... ppl who ride bigger gears are slow.. uphill, short downhills, flat, in traffic, off the line.. and take forever to stop.

a lot of people neglect their rear tire.. if you're running a 28c rando or whatever... skidding is gonna be beyond tough, especially if you're learning. fat tires weigh more, grip better, and are usually a bit taller... which also ups your gear inches.

get urself a nice 700x23. like a michelin pro3 race.. skids quite easily.. same w/ vitoria rubinos, and just about any high end tire w/ harder rubber down the center

also... road geometry is actually easier to skid on than a track bike. to a degree.. being that a track bike's rear wheel sits further under you than a road/touring frame does... for instance, did u kno a schwinn stingway is a wheelie monster? doesn't look it, but it is...

also... understand skidding is 90% technique, 10% strength. and majority of that strength comes from your front foot RESISTING the natural motion of the pedals. keyword.. resisting.. not PULLING UP... or PUSHING back w/ your rear foot. in short.. lock your ankles. and the rest will fall in place...

hope this helps

and whomever said crankarm length doesn't matter.. c'mon now... try turning a boat w/ a steering wheel the size of your car's. simple lever

Keep your brake on!

Confirmation bias.

44x17 has been my favorite ratio so far. Sooooo smooth.