Gearing up for winter

[itsbruce]

48:19 (68") was fine for the hills near Alfriston, so it can certainly do for the winter in London.

[Manotea]

I'm looking to build leg strength and have just moved to 42x14 (81") for commuting purposes (actually I don't commute at the moment but I'll put 3~4 laps into Richmond Park several times a week, circa 40~50km).

In fact I'll probably go longer after a couple of weeks as I want to make my legs hurt. Think of it as an alternative to using the turbo. I'll have to buy a larger chainring as Miche Track sprockets only go down to 14T.

Edit: Just scored a Miche 46T Chain ring on eBay for £5!

[Deano]

This is very strange I'm looking to build leg strength and have just moved to 42x14 (81") for commuting purposes (actually I don't commute at the moment but I'll put 3~4 laps into Richmond Park several times a week, circa 40~50km).

In fact I'll probably go longer after a couple of weeks as I want to make my legs hurt. Think of it as an alternative to using the turbo. I'll have to buy a larger chainring as Miche Track sprockets only go down to 14T.

Hubjub are flogging 12-tooth (!) sprockets.  About 3/4 of the way down the page.

Hubjub presents: Tools Etc

[Zoidburg]

I think we think about it too much.

I must confess that I banged my fixed together with whatever was to hand at the time making a quick guess at the gear inches.

I though I was around 70-72" maybe but when I finaly bothered to check on a gear calculator it turned out to be a 74.5"

By then it was too late, I was already strong enough to push it so why gear down?

[itsbruce]

In my case, to find out what it's like.  If I am going to ride fixed almost exclusively, in a range of different conditions, it's useful information.

[Manotea]

But to address the premise of the thread, ISTM that unless you live somewhere with extreme weather or hilliness there is precious little reason to gear updown for winter. All it did for me was make me slower, hence the entry in Manotea's Little Black Book of Hardcore Homilies, "Short gears make you weak".

*Edit

[itsbruce]

I'm looking to build leg strength

Really not an issue for me (heavy squatting = big thighs and I've always had strong calves), so I'm investigating spinniness.

[IanDG]

It used to be common practice for club riders to move to fixed during the winter and gear down (usually to something in the low 60's) after a seasons racing.

But to address the premise of the thread, ISTM that unless you live somewhere with extreme weather or hilliness there is precious little reason to gear up for winter. All it did for me was make me slower, hence the entry in Manotea's Little Black Book of Hardcore Homilies, "Short gears make you weak".

Not sure I understand the idea of gearing up for extreme weather or hilliness? One of my reasons for riding a low gear is the strong Outer Hebrides winds that I have to tackle on many rides.

[Manotea]

It used to be common practice for club riders to move to fixed during the winter and gear down (usually to something in the low 60's) after a seasons racing.

But to address the premise of the thread, ISTM that unless you live somewhere with extreme weather or hilliness there is precious little reason to gear up for winter. All it did for me was make me slower, hence the entry in Manotea's Little Black Book of Hardcore Homilies, "Short gears make you weak".

Not sure I understand the idea of gearing up for extreme weather or hilliness? One of my reasons for riding a low gear is the strong Outer Hebrides winds that I have to tackle on many rides.

It seems I don't understand the difference between gearing up and gearing down. This can be the only explanation why I'm about to switch from 42x14 to 46x14, for local outings at least. That's gonna hurt...

[simonp]

Well, I've been on 71" for a while now.

I've been all over the place on it, including doing some route investigation work (did 150km one day) and loving it.

Rode down to the PO last night at very fast to post routesheets only to find out I had 30 mins more than I thought.

[simonp]

Still on 71".  Fine on the club run until it got properly hilly.  56kph would have been more interesting with 67".

[simonp]

Still on 71".  Fine on the club run until it got properly hilly.  56kph would have been more interesting with 67".

And 61kph even more so.

Towing a trailer with 71" turns out to be ok.  Maybe not if it was heavily loaded, though.

The windy weather today hasn't been a big deal either.

[dave r]

Since I posted on this thread last year I have changed my chainset, I am now on 46x18 with 165 cranks, its about an inch lower on the gearing and the shorter cranks make descending a lot easier.

[Manotea]

Rode my first official 200km on 83" (46x15) last week (Upper Thames). The UT is fairly fixed friendly but has some long drags which I've struggled on 71" in my porky past. 83" feels 'normal' now. Time to either up step again or go hill hunting. Stepping up is simpler, logistically.

[Rhys W]

83"? That's practically a track gear!

[Chris N]

Dragged my bike out of the shed at 6.30 am.  Remembered that the last time I used it the gear felt a bit high, so flipped the wheel.  Seemed like even harder work than usual on the ride in this morning, but put it down to the works christmas curry last night.

On arriving at work, I checked the size of the cogs and realised that I'd already flipped to the winter gear a few weeks ago - so this morning I was back on 68"

[Chris N]

Chap on the club run yesterday was on his winter fixed: 53/16. He does normally ride TTs on 53/14 though. 

[Ewan Houzami]

I used 42/18 for a couple of years as I got used to riding fixed, but reading threads like this made me feel like a wimp, so I whacked a 16T on the back ostensibly for summer use. That was too much for my left knee which twinges when I give it some on the the short sharp hills around SE London/NE Kent. I'm now on a nice and supple 42/17 (~65/66'' depending on which chart you consult) which feels just right. My Goldilocks gear if you will. I'm built like a climber so can't really grind big gears anyway, and I'll spin at around 90-100 on the flat. Can't remember anybody coming past me though.. (he claims, arrogantly!). I reckon I might stick to this gear year round now.

[IanDG]

Sorted the winter bike out last week and changed the rear sprocket from a 20 to a 21 with a 48t chain ring

[revrob]

I'm on 40/17. Since we moved from Llanberis to Waunfawr most of my rides now involve a nice climb home from all but one direction - and that is a very steep spinny descent!

Disc brake on front fork being considered for this descent in the wet!

[dave r]

Since my two posts on here I've geared down again, I'm still on 165 cranks, but I'm now riding a 44x18 set up which gives me a 65 inch gear, its a blast to ride. I've slightly compromised my top end, but I'm still topping out around 20mph and averaging around 15mph, climbing is easier but descents are more interesting. What I think has happened is 4 years on fixed has smoothed out my pedaling and made me better at spinning, It did a similar thing when I was riding fixed in the late 1980's.

[IanDG]

Since my two posts on here I've geared down again, I'm still on 165 cranks, but I'm now riding a 44x18 set up which gives me a 65 inch gear, its a blast to ride. I've slightly compromised my top end, but I'm still topping out around 20mph and averaging around 15mph, climbing is easier but descents are more interesting. What I think has happened is 4 years on fixed has smoothed out my pedaling and made me better at spinning, It did a similar thing when I was riding fixed in the late 1980's.

This reply explains my thoughts re. fixed gearing. What average speed do you ride? 65" @ 15mph is about 77rpm. If that is your cruising speed and your comfortable cadence why go any higher?

I ride a 62" gear, average about 15mph and am comfortable at 80-85rpm

[Efrogwr]

I'm on 40/17. Since we moved from Llanberis to Waunfawr most of my rides now involve a nice climb home from all but one direction - and that is a very steep spinny descent!

Disc brake on front fork being considered for this descent in the wet!

Is the steep one the mountain road from Penygroes?
And do you ride up it on fixed?

[dave r]

Since my two posts on here I've geared down again, I'm still on 165 cranks, but I'm now riding a 44x18 set up which gives me a 65 inch gear, its a blast to ride. I've slightly compromised my top end, but I'm still topping out around 20mph and averaging around 15mph, climbing is easier but descents are more interesting. What I think has happened is 4 years on fixed has smoothed out my pedaling and made me better at spinning, It did a similar thing when I was riding fixed in the late 1980's.

This reply explains my thoughts re. fixed gearing. What average speed do you ride? 65" @ 15mph is about 77rpm. If that is your cruising speed and your comfortable cadence why go any higher?

I ride a 62" gear, average about 15mph and am comfortable at 80-85rpm

My cruising speed is around 19-20 mph, close to flat out, I'm normally very comfortable up to 30mph on a descent and only start to get uncomfortable around 35mph. I did most of this mornings club ride on my own and on the ride out to the Cafe the tail wind was pushing my level road cruising speed into the mid twenties a lot of the time, on the ride back the head wind was keeping me down to 15-16 mph for large parts of it.

[citoyen]

I've been riding a 65" gear on my commute for the last few months and finding it suits me very well. I had thought I would eventually go up to about 72" but I've been wondering lately if it would be the right thing to do and the last few posts here make me even less sure... (I don't have the build of a climber but I might yet if I can shed another 5-6kg. I'll certainly never have the build of a sprinter.)

My average speed on my usual route (which has a couple of modest climbs) is about 23-24km/h. Cruising speed on the flat is 30-32km/h. Average speed on the longer, flatter route I sometimes do is 28-30km/h. Not sure what cadence that translates to but I find it comfortable.

I regularly hit 58-60km/h on the short, sharp descent on my way to the station in the morning. I'm getting quite used to the high rpm and don't find it nearly as terrifying as I did the first few times. Not sure I could sustain that kind of speed for a long descent though.

d.