Another gearing/newbie advice request

[mrcharly-YHT]

Hi I am presently running 73" on my fixed with 42x15.  i do a 10-15km commute each way with about 80m of climb.  i see the commute very much as a workout where I swap duration for intensity.

If you want intensity and a workout, you would be better off going to a lower gear. High-speed spinning will do more for your training and fitness than cranking a big gear.

[chrisbainbridge]

Thank you.  My weekend rides are lower intensity, higher cadence but I have problems with hills.  I see riding a highish gear for the commute a form of hill repeats.  It seems to be working as I am finding on my geared bike that I can manage hills better.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Riding fixed will make you stronger, I don't think anyone disputes that.

However I'd dispute that 80m of climbing is going to do anything for your climbing ability, even if you push a 200" gear.

Do you ride a geared bike on the weekends?

[L CC]

Hi I am presently running 73" on my fixed with 42x15.  i do a 10-15km commute each way with about 80m of climb.  i see the commute very much as a workout where I swap duration for

I do this too. I'm kidding myself.

If you want intensity and a workout, you would be better off going to a lower gear. High-speed spinning will do more for your training and fitness than cranking a big gear.

That rather assumes that you do high speed spin in a smaller gear. I crank out the same cadence and go slower. A bigger gear at least forces you to work... Till your knees melt.

[Ewan Houzami]

I'm amazed at the inches some people are able to churn. I was happy on 63 - 67" in Cambridge, managing to keep up a 26-28kph average. Now I'm in Yorkshire, I wouldn't go any longer than 63". I tasted blood on my first attempt at a 12% 300m climb - felt like I was winding my way up rather than pedalling. Even with 63", I can spin up to 40-50kph down hills, and still averaging >26kph.

This is my story too. I'm in lumpy SE London / NW kent and I'm starting to find even my 65" quite a high gear these days. Time to go back to the winter fave of 42/18 (63"). I still don't exactly hang about mind, and there's plenty of people I'll pass on inclines and into headwinds.

[Hummers]

An interesting thread 

I have just started riding fixed (53 on the front, 15 on the back). Going up hills is no problem but stopping quickly is a big challenge - going down hills is the next biggest challenge.

Will consider dropping to a 48x15 as I have a spare 170mm crankset and loads of used 48 tooth chain rings.

H

[Manotea]

I have just started riding fixed (53 on the front, 15 on the back). Going up hills is no problem but stopping quickly is a big challenge - going down hills is the next biggest challenge.

Eh? Gulp! Surely your hilly issues are the wrong way round...

(27*53/15=95" for those who have run out of fingers...)

[Hummers]

I have just started riding fixed (53 on the front, 15 on the back). Going up hills is no problem but stopping quickly is a big challenge - going down hills is the next biggest challenge.

Eh? Gulp! Surely your hilly issues are the wrong way round...

(27*53/15=95" for those who have run out of fingers...)

There are no particularly big hills around here  (Hampshire) - but it's going down the buggers which proves a challenge and it doesn't feel particularly 'safe' 

I know Pompey Phil and Plodder use a smaller front ring and the whole braking thing makes sense.

H

[simonp]

Descending is the problem?!

I suppose you're less of a spinner. I hit 199rpm on the Brevet Cymru on 67".

[marcusjb]

There are no particularly big hills around here  (Hampshire) - but it's going down the buggers which proves a challenge and it doesn't feel particularly 'safe' 

I'm intrigued as to what part of it doesn't feel safe? 

I am not a great descender on fixed by any stretch, but I find it far less scary on a taller gear (I only tend to use 67 or 76 - I'm only a little lad, so all this talk of 80+ inch gears is beyond anything I could push).  I get myself far more scared on the lower gear. 

On 95, I'd have thought you'd be finding the downhills fairly straight forwards?

[clarion]

I descend on over 80", and would have higher if it didn't compromise climbing.  I can't imagine getting up anything on 95", on the other hand.

[Hummers]

On 95, I'd have thought you'd be finding the downhills fairly straight forwards?

Only when the chain comes off 

After a few pints it is not so much of a worry although my legs were pretty sore from using them to slow me down.

I have a stack of previously loved 48 tooth chainrings and a 170mm crank that will fit them when the 53 tooth gives up the ghost
 
H

[Deano]

Hummers, for the sake of your knees, let me send you a 17- or 18-tooth sprocket!

When I was out on the Pompey pub run, I was on a 58" gear and the descents weren't that tough. Obviously the beer helped.

[Martin109]

I do find that I want to feel absolutely confident in my brakes when descending.

On one bike with bullhorns and only a front brake (and the bars of a certain vintage) it really didn't feel safe anymore, and I'm going to convert to drops and two brakes.

[Manotea]

As gears get longer  you can descend expotentially faster with less of the natural braking effect you get when you turn your legs 'off, if not positively resisting/braking at least  making the pedals drag your legs round and take the edge off your speed. As you get faster the racing line through corners gets longer, so misjudge a bend and you run out of road or head over the bars as you slam the front brake on when doing say 50kmph downhill.

I'm a real scaredycat descender nowadays...

[Plodder]

On 95, I'd have thought you'd be finding the downhills fairly straight forwards?

Only when the chain comes off 

I hate to say this but I did say those immortal words, "Chain's a bit slack!" only five minutes before you managed to unship the thing.

But I didn't expect you to also unwind the cog as well before the first control pubbe. 

Only you could put such a new twist on going fixed.

[Hummers]

Hummers, for the sake of your knees, let me send you a 17- or 18-tooth sprocket!

When I was out on the Pompey pub run, I was on a 58" gear and the descents weren't that tough.

Ah, but there we no hills on that pub run 

Obviously the beer helped.

Funny, I had no problems on the way home either 

Thanks for the other comments and as for you Mr Plodder, I will see you on the pub ride tonight. 

Harting Hill, anyone?

H

[LEE]

An interesting thread 

I have just started riding fixed (53 on the front, 15 on the back). Going up hills is no problem but stopping quickly is a big challenge - going down hills is the next biggest challenge.

Will consider dropping to a 48x15 as I have a spare 170mm crankset and loads of used 48 tooth chain rings.

H

95.4"

That's a man's gear that is.

I think I'd be worried about tackling a flat road with that.  I'd certainly be checking the BBC weather for wind direction.

This is what Harting Hill is like on a 95" gear

[Ian H]

I turned the wheel back round to 63" (43x18) a few weeks ago. Went out on Monday and stripped the cog on the first big hill. So wheel out again and back to 67" (43x17). It'll stay that way until I get around to finding another double-sided hub and building it up.

[francisbarton]

Just as another data point, I run a 46x19 winter gear at the moment, which I think is nearly 66" with 35mm cx tyres. This is in the fairly lumpy Cotswolds (there are certain hills I have to walk).
As my fitness, and the weather?, improves, I may go back to 46x17, but that will be with narrower tyres as well.
I use an adapted disc hub from velosolo which means I can swap sprockets using a 4mm allen key and have got no thread to strip.

[Henry]

I have just started riding fixed (53 on the front, 15 on the back).

Wunderbar  sounds like your steed for September's jolly is being tamed.

[Henry]

48/18, or flip wheel to 48/19 if there's hills. Couldn't imagine gaining the herculean power to push a bigger gear on long rides like some of yous, unless it was very flat. As it is on 48/18 into a strong headwind on the flat I have been reduced to furiously gnashing on the stem. And it's nice to have a gear you can spin easily when the legs are getting tired. Ahh, nothing like a bit of gearing banter....now must check one's chain tension what....

[Deano]

Hummers, for the sake of your knees, let me send you a 17- or 18-tooth sprocket!

When I was out on the Pompey pub run, I was on a 58" gear and the descents weren't that tough.

Ah, but there we no hills on that pub run 

There was a descent though...

[Hummers]

I have just started riding fixed (53 on the front, 15 on the back).

Wunderbar  sounds like your steed for September's jolly is being tamed.

Call me a scaredy cat but that expedition will probably not be on fixed. I am familiar with the terrain for first 3 days and 200k with 4500m of descent   

I may change my mind but at this point, I plan to take the Hummercian. 

H

[Henry]

Riding fixed only at the moment. But indeed aware of the scale of the task, and reserving the right to dust off the geared bike come September, it do depend how the season goes.

It's good to hear you are exploring the heady pleasures of t'cog Hummers, what fun!