FIXED GEAR RATIOS
Thread started by
barleye at 04.24.08 - 9:04 am
I've been riding 42 x 14 for 6-7 months and it's fine on straight away but somewhat difficult uphill. I changed up to 42 x 16 and it's good on hills and straight away.... I'm pedaling a lot more and feels like i'm maxing out. What are you guys riding?
I have a 48 chain ring....would you recommend 48 x 18? or 19? if I go with the 48?
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lately i've been riding 48x17 and i like that ratio quite a bit.
brassknuckle04.24.08 - 9:10 am
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Is it true that if you go 1 tooth up in the rear, its equal to going two teeth higher in the front??
speedybrian200004.24.08 - 9:12 am
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"Is it true that if you go 1 tooth up in the rear, its equal to going two teeth higher in the front??"
The opposite, 1 tooth bigger in the rear is equal to 2-3 smaller in the front.
Like analbeadman I run 42x15.
toweliesbong04.24.08 - 9:15 am
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Is it true that if you go 1 tooth up in the rear, its equal to going two teeth higher in the front??
speedybrian2000
If that's true then, in a roundabout way, I'm running the same as Dan.
50 x 18
There was a dude on the Bass Ride running 53 x 14. Yikes!
Eric Hair04.24.08 - 9:15 am
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Try 48 X 17.
Here is a comparison using gear inches. Not accurate but a good comparison.
44 x 14 = 84.9
44 x 16 = 74.3
48 x 19 = 68.2
48 x 18 = 72.0
48 x 17 = 76.2
48 x 17 will put you in the middle of the two combinations you've already used. There are other factors to consider when recommending gear ratios, like your average speed, what cadence you normally spin, you fitness, etc. but I hope this helps.
sc_nomad04.24.08 - 9:48 am
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48 x 16 - 81 another possibility if the 44 x 14 was comfortable.
sc_nomad04.24.08 - 9:52 am
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The best one of all those is 48x17 because of its number of skid patches... and street ratio
tallcans4tallbikes04.24.08 - 9:54 am
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48x17 here also. I like it but I do spin out especially going down hills. I'll probably try 50x17 next.
web77704.24.08 - 10:21 am
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i ride 48 16 and it feels really good on up and down hills.
funanu04.24.08 - 10:27 am
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I run 52x14 on my Russian Track frame and 48x14 on my steamroller
les04.24.08 - 10:32 am
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you can't have it both ways...there's always a tradeoff for riding a single speed...
pick your poison... do you like an easier time going up the hill, or would you rather bomb down the other side?
that's why I have a single freewheel, to coast down the other side...
adrian04.24.08 - 10:50 am
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oh, i thought you guys were compensating for something running those big 53 tooth sprockets!
speedybrian200004.24.08 - 10:59 am
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I saw a single speed for sale and I'm wondering if 52x20 a good ratio. I have no knowledge of the ratio stuff so I thinking if this is good all around ratio... Thanks!
Al
digablesoul04.24.08 - 11:09 am
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been riding 42/16 for a bit over 4 years, before that it was 48/17 but that was because there were no hills where I lived.
I prefer to have a lower gear so I can mash up hills with ease. Going down, or going straight fast, or long rides it's not optimal.
Check out this online gear calculator. It will calculate gear inches as well as skid patches for you brakeless dudes.
http://software.bareknucklebrigade.com/
~B
Mook04.24.08 - 11:29 am
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i'm turning 48x17 and find it optimum for my present condition. can spin fast enough to stay with traffic and manage most normal hills and inclines. skidding it, though, is tough. but that is probably just me.
just starting to run 49x17 on another bike and can definitely feel the difference with just that 1.5 gear inch difference. but that's where i can improve my conditioning.
indigis04.24.08 - 2:01 pm
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I have 56 x 18. Yeah, it's a bit much.
0gravity04.24.08 - 2:10 pm
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re 48x17 "skidding it, though, is tough. but that is probably just me."
i can't skid at all with my 42x15. i'm so lame.
toweliesbong04.24.08 - 2:11 pm
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That is lame!
Change your technique, try bracing the tops of your quads against the handlebars, exactly the way they do in the skid competition video form the block party, its the easiest way.
Anyone want to buy a Near Mint 21 or 22 cog? Great for Polo or Fixie trix, and looking like a skidding Pro!
Seriously I'll sell them for $1 a tooth or trade for a 17t cog I need one!
tallcans4tallbikes04.24.08 - 2:17 pm
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I think I'll keep being lame and save my tires. I only have, what, 5 skid patches?
toweliesbong04.24.08 - 2:20 pm
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Well 5 if you never take your wheel or chain off. You still should work at it in case of emergency, that's on the real. Check out Soma Everwear tires, they last forever. Yer not lame tho, I know I've seen you on rides.
Once you get that skid down though, yer gonna do it all the time!
tallcans4tallbikes04.24.08 - 2:29 pm
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I just switched to 46/14 the other day. Skidding is now a pain in the ass. I'm cool with just skipping, though.
NEWB31004.24.08 - 2:48 pm
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nah, i'm an old man. i gots brakes. don't know if i'll ever learn to skid. i'm working on trackstands and riding backwards at the moment.
toweliesbong04.24.08 - 2:52 pm
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46x17 is apparently the 'los angeles ratio'.
i run 46x15.
ruinedbyidiots04.24.08 - 6:04 pm
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was riding 46X16 before i gave the fixed a brake to let my knees heal....
... also have 26x16 on my polo bike... wheeeee
e-rock04.24.08 - 6:32 pm
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I ride a 46X17 and I enjoy the ration around 73 gear inches. I would also recommend getting longer crank arms. I ride over 170 on my fixie. On my Felt race track bike I ride with 175mm crank arms and 49X15 setup.
LudiChrist04.24.08 - 8:34 pm
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i ride 48x15 = for me it is great for the time being......even on hills
i still ride 48x14 once in a while.......not much of a differrence between the two....maybe about 2mph....
DAYLO04.24.08 - 11:09 pm
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48x16 for me, and I suck at skidding. But I don't care, because riding it is fun.
markedge04.25.08 - 10:10 am
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LUDICHRIST
arent you afraid of pedal strike with such long arms on the drome?
ruinedbyidiots04.25.08 - 10:47 am
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I like to ride a 48/18 i think its about 72 gear inches....but we have a lot of hills in SLC....its a lot of spinning. I also changed my gear ratio to make it a little bit easier to do tricks...but its still fun for riiding in the city
check it here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dphFKz_FYJA
EricFromELSalvador04.26.08 - 2:28 am
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I was riding 48x16 when I first switched to fixed and after a month or two of solid riding decided to see about making climbing a little easier and went to 48x17 which I like quite a bit. That said, it's not as peppy in the straight aways as I'd like and I'm considering dropping the cog to 15 to see how much difference that makes.
seanbonner04.26.08 - 7:16 am
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The number of skid patches is a function of the lowest common denominator of the gear ratio. The higher the LCD, the higher the number of skid patches, the longer the tire will last. Double your money for ambidextrous ridazz.
e.g. 48 front, 16 back. 16 goes into 48 4 times. therefore 4 skid patches.
change the back to 17, things get more interesting. 17 can't go into 48 an integral number of times any way you cut it, so you gotta work out the lowest common denominator. which is fun since 17 is a prime number. have fun with that.
ephemerae04.26.08 - 1:58 pm
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46x17 is apparently the 'los angeles ratio'.
i run 46x15.
ruinedbyidiots
04.24.08 - 9:04 pm
Are you running the 'ojai ratio'?
Eric Hair04.26.08 - 3:05 pm
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yes, that is the ojai ratio.
a 17t cog garners you 17 skid patches.
ruinedbyidiots04.26.08 - 6:27 pm
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34 skid patches if you can skid with either foot back.
Math, I haz it.
Alex Thompson04.26.08 - 7:02 pm
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ruinbyidiots
I don't get toe overlap on my track bike. It has great geometry. There are ways to avoid it.
good rake on fork
short cages
LudiChrist04.26.08 - 8:12 pm
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but i've hit the track once with my crank arm trying to pass somebody I shouldn't have in the way I did. For the most part it avoidable.
LudiChrist04.26.08 - 8:15 pm
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I'm riding on 48-15 with 167.5 cranks and did the LAMC and Hollywood ride last night and really enjoyed it. Hills aren't bad at all and only the worst ones make me stand up and spin them.
dolamyte04.27.08 - 12:19 am
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48x16 = 3x1 = LCD of 1, which means you are hitting the exact same spot on the tire every time you skid if you always do it with the same crank arm forward. 1 full rotation up front gives 3 full rotations out back. If you are running 48x16 and you skid to stop, you would be VERY wise to occasionally derail the chain and rotate the rear wheel forward a few links or you will wear out your tires very quickly.
48x17 has a LCD of 17, so you get 17 skid spots on each crank position.
ideasculptor04.27.08 - 7:08 am
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34 skid patches if you can skid with either foot back.
Math, I haz it.
Alex Thompson
04.26.08 - 10:02 pm
no, it's still 17.. unless you have an odd number in the front too.
stevestevesteve04.27.08 - 10:06 am
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(disclaimer, almost totally irrelevant to discussion at hand)
ideasculptor,
I was wrong. Indeed in this case there are 17 skid spots. I made a mistake, in that I forgot that in order for doubling to occur you need an odd number of teeth on the front chain ring.
If there are an odd number of teeth on the front chain ring, and your rider can skid in symmetrical positions with either the left foot forward or the right foot forward, then you get twice as many skid spots as you would with a even toothed front chain ring.
Without loss of generality, assume a tooth points straight to the sky when the rider skids with the right foot forward. Say that there are (2n + 1) teeth on the front chain ring. If you then revolve the pedals forward exactly a half revolution to the symmetrical position for the left foot, you move the cogs (n + 1/2) teeth forward. You can now see that when the rider skids with the left foot forward you will have not have a tooth pointing straight to the sky, but one pointing straight downward. A photo of the cog in the left foot forward skidding position overlaid with a photo of the cog in the right foot forward skidding position will show the teeth interleaving.
Anyhow, see if that makes sense to you. Obviously most riders skid most often with their legs in one position, rather than skidding ambidextrously. 17 skids spots is enough that the wear pattern should be almost uniform.
Alex Thompson04.27.08 - 10:08 am
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stevestevesteve,
I was writing that long post and missed your post, but yeah - see above, I agree.
Alex Thompson04.27.08 - 10:09 am
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@alex: 17 skids spots is enough that the wear pattern should be almost uniform.
Unless on a penny farthing.
ephemerae04.28.08 - 12:15 am
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Does anyone run a 42 x 16? Im thinking of running either 15 or 16, but I want to keep my 42 front sprocket. Any suggestions?
speedybrian200005.21.08 - 9:35 am
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That's a pretty good gear ratio to start with. It's 69.2 gear inches.
You should be able to get up and over hills without a ton of effort, and descending won't be too spinny on the other side. It'll be easy to throw skids, too. You know, if you like wasting rubber.
46*17 is known in some circles here as the "LA ratio." You'd be just 2 gear inches less than that.
If you find that you're too spinny for your liking, just up the back to a 15 or something.
kyber05.21.08 - 9:40 am
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my redline came with a flip flop hub.
I used to ride 42/16.
now I've been riding 42/15 for well over a year, and it's perfect for me.
spiraldemon05.21.08 - 9:41 am
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I'm now riding 48 x 17 and i like it.
42 x 14 was too hard up hills
42 x 16 max'd out on straight aways
42 x 15 i may try it
barleye05.21.08 - 9:58 am
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Alex is slowly starting to suck at math...
jericho1ne05.21.08 - 10:48 am
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right now i ride a 42-16
spin out all the time, but it's good for your legs to get used to moving fast i guess.
I had started with 52-17 - it was huuuuge. Great for straightaways and really pounding it. But my favorite is still 52-19. I'm more of a power pedaler.
richtotheie05.21.08 - 10:59 am
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I just switched from a 42 x 16 to 45 x 16 and I love it! I still spin, but at a comfortable level with 170mm cranks. It feels so much faster at top speed, I must have picked up 2-3mph! But I havent tried any hills yet ( I try to avoid them anyways)
speedybrian200007.12.08 - 10:19 am
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anywhere from 70-75 gear inches works well for me for street/commuting, good for stop and go at lights as well as hills. if i'm doing a faster group ride or riding for fun 75-80 is better. more than 80+ and my knees start to feel it.
tfunk40807.12.08 - 10:38 am
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48 x 15, love all my skid patches, weeeeeeeeee.
And it's fine up and down hills. Fine in the front of the rides, as well as the back. And it's fine in costumes, clown or robot.
Then again, I won't have knees in a few years.So, boohoo.
Jaz07.12.08 - 1:58 pm
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I've been riding 48x17 on the swobo and recently switched to 44x15 and like it a lot.
On the masi I'm setting it up with 46x16 which is a little lower but not much.
If the swobo gets too easy and I feel like those are too similar I may switch the chainrings and make the swobo 46x15 and the masi 44x16
seanbonner07.13.08 - 6:40 pm
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I'm trying to convert and 80's Nishiki and bought a wheelset that's laced to a formula flip flop hub. I'm going to be using the single speed side freewheel for now. I've got a 50t and 39t chainwheel and was wondering what would be the best setup for me?
I'm not going to be going too fast on this and will need some help on the inclines. I'd like to use the 50t and need to know what would be good for me at the rear. 18t? 17t? Should I buy two of them so I can find out what's best for me? Thanks...
Al
digablesoul08.25.08 - 4:28 pm
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18t or 19t might work. Also, consider using the location of the 39 for the 50 t chainring or move the 50 chainring to the inside of spider (closer to the frame). It might give you a straighter chainline.
sc_nomad08.25.08 - 4:36 pm
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Al,
I have 53 x 16. Fast on the straightaway but hills are rough.
I think you should go with the 50 x 18, that will make it easier to climb hills. Maybe you can get the 17 if later on you want to get more power.
skd08.25.08 - 6:39 pm
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If Im not mistaken this ride will be the #100
leoleo08.25.08 - 6:55 pm
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fuck wrong thread
as you were
leoleo08.25.08 - 6:55 pm
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i run 48x17, i just changed from 48x18.
i went for the 17 for the skid patches and the higher ratio because i was spinning out on wolfpack.
i feel like for general commuting i would use a 46x17 though.
mikeywally08.25.08 - 7:24 pm
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screw you all, you're all weak,
you aint shit until you run 8894857 X 4
quads of steel bitches.
KiMS108.26.08 - 6:23 pm
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i need a snooty bike nerd to shame me on this question.
what ratio's are accepted on the track ?
HANDBONE08.27.08 - 6:29 pm
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i got 52x17, not because i like it, im just too lazy to change my chain ring =D
markcruzniggah08.27.08 - 7:31 pm
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yeah i could care less as well, but thats just cause i'm a lazy fuck too... but i wanna start riding the track and i understand you need a certain ratio.
HANDBONE08.27.08 - 7:33 pm
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I was riding 39 x15 it was awesome uphills,but i had to pedal alot to keep up wiyth my friends that ride 45plus.So im getting 48tX15 .imma see if i like it more.
Huey55502.9.10 - 11:04 pm
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Ridazz Roulette!
Freewheels & gears are awesome.
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