Gearing up for winter

[dave r]

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.

A couple of months ago when I first geared down to 65 I thought I had made a mistake, after the first commute I nearly put the gearing back up. I've now done a Cycle Chat forum ride, discover Rutland, a coupe of club rides and a couple of months commuting and I'm glad I left it at 65 and I'm having fun riding it.

[clarion]

My gearing is 48x15, or about 85".  But, to confuse things, I have an S3X, so I have 63" and about 54" too, now.  That means I can ride up to crystal palace without ruining my knees, and wthout spinning myself silly on the descent.  I do have a 16t sprocket, which I may try touring with, but I don't think I'll be using it for winter.

[revrob]

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

The road from Penygroes to Carmel is fixable - I've done it on a 66", and would happily do it on my present 63". The toughest section is the Clogwyn Melyn section, which is a grin and bearnit section!

The descent I refer to is the one on the road from Rhosgadfan down into Waunfawr. I haven't ridden up this on a fixed, and have no intention of trying - that's a 24" hill!

If any of you know the climb out of Penmachno, which takes you over to Llan Ffestiniog eventally, I know someone who has ridden up that on a fixed - which IMHO is a real cause for 'Chapeau'!

[Efrogwr]

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

The road from Penygroes to Carmel is fixable - I've done it on a 66", and would happily do it on my present 63". The toughest section is the Clogwyn Melyn section, which is a grin and bearnit section!

The descent I refer to is the one on the road from Rhosgadfan down into Waunfawr. I haven't ridden up this on a fixed, and have no intention of trying - that's a 24" hill!

If any of you know the climb out of Penmachno, which takes you over to Llan Ffestiniog eventally, I know someone who has ridden up that on a fixed - which IMHO is a real cause for 'Chapeau'!

I was referring to the Rhosgadfan road. It's hard work on 18" (because I'm old. fat and lazy).

 

[IanDG]

Wind is my main reason for a low gear. 15 miles across a desolate moor with a 30mph+ wind in your face can be a 'bit of a grind' on too high a gear.

[Old Git]

On my commute I am riding 48/18 at the moment but I AM going to
reduce that in the next week or so to take the pressure off of my knees

JohnT

[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.)

Well, since posting the above, I have actually lost another 5-6kg and it's made a noticeable difference to my climbing ability - I feel at times like my gear choice is limiting my ability to go uphill as fast as I'd like.

I still like the low gear though (as do my knees) - on the flat section of my commute, I'm doing 110rpm for sustained periods, and the spinniness feels good. Not sure if gearing up would result in reducing my rpm or increasing my speed.

d.

[DrMekon]

I'm a similar weight to you, and I've been very happy on 67" all winter. It's only when I get a tailwind I find it a bit frustrating. I got stuck behind a guy on a flat barred commuter bike the other day doing 35kph. I wasn't exerting myself, but there was no way I could spin fast enough to get clear of him. Still, coming back the other way, I wouldn't have wanted a bigger gear.

[Chris N]

You guys need to practice on a smaller gear. Spinning a 60" fix at 40kph (and that's not that fast, about 130rpm or so) will do wonders for your technique and mean you don't need to compensate with massive gears.

[Ian H]

I moved from 43x17 to 43x18 a few years ago. It gets me up the hills a little easier and doesn't seem to slow me on any but the  steepest descents. Perhaps if I moved somewhere flatter I might change.

[citoyen]

You guys need to practice on a smaller gear. Spinning a 60" fix at 40kph (and that's not that fast, about 130rpm or so) will do wonders for your technique and mean you don't need to compensate with massive gears.

I have a long, relatively gentle descent on my usual commuting route where I average >140rpm quite comfortably, but I just don't have whatever it is that enables you to sustain that kind of speed/cadence for long periods on the flat.

Heck, I couldn't even maintain that speed for very long on my 20spd carbon road bike. 

I'm certainly faster than I was six months ago, though. And I'll keep working on it...

d.

[Ian H]

I do remember (still) an occasion about thirty years ago when I first took to fixed. My first attempt at a brakeless descent of a 1:7 led to double-vision because my head was nodding so furiously.

[Chris N]

I have a long, relatively gentle descent on my usual commuting route where I average >140rpm quite comfortably, but I just don't have whatever it is that enables you to sustain that kind of speed/cadence for long periods on the flat.

You need to move somewhere hillier. I have a descent on my way to work that drops 250 feet in a mile - a good workout on the way back too.

[simonp]

Back to 46/17 for me. Primarily because Feline can’t spin as fast, so I’m training myself to spin a bit slower.

[Hot Flatus]

I've gone from 48x16 to 15, and now 19. I much prefer the lighter gear, and not only am I quicker, but it doesn't cause havoc with my muscle balance. Might stick an 18 on, but not going any higher.

[Feline]

My son is still riding around the local hills on an 85" fixed gear. I am wondering if I should gear him down. He can get up Cheddar gorge except for the one steep LH hairpin on it 

[simonp]

I've gone from 48x16 to 15, and now 19. I much prefer the lighter gear, and not only am I quicker, but it doesn't cause havoc with my muscle balance. Might stick an 18 on, but not going any higher.

For an all round gear I’d agree. I might try 46x16 though, just to see what it’s like.

[simonp]

My son is still riding around the local hills on an 85" fixed gear. I am wondering if I should gear him down. He can get up Cheddar gorge except for the one steep LH hairpin on it 

That hairpin always catches me by surprise, because each corner is steeper than the last, and you keep thinking you’ve done it then there’s another steeper one. Never tried on a gear higher than 69” yet. Nor lower than 67”!

Edit: Apart from 23” on the tandem.

[itsbruce]

I geared down from 72" to 67.5 after observing how much more control you can have when spinning.  I can remember racing one flat-bar commuter type who was spinning crazily in a tiny gear and comfortably outpacing him in the straight road sections but being trounced on a stretch where there were many speed bumps.  He didn't just freewheel over them and take the hit, as other geared riders might; he just made a tiny correction to the rate of spin and treated them like very small hills.

[αdαmsκι]

I'm off touring for a few days on my Pompino. The thought of a 71″ gear + panniers + hills didn't appeal, so the Pompino is now 48 x 20, which works out at 64″. That'll be entertaining when I remove the panniers.

[Chris S]

I'm off touring for a few days on my Pompino. The thought of a 71″ gear + panniers + hills didn't appeal, so the Pompino is now 48 x 20, which works out at 64″. That'll be entertaining when I remove the panniers.

I found 73" not too bad, round there - though here I am slumped over my bars having "a moment" after 2500m of the 3000m of climbing boab and I did on a DIY 200.

[αdαmsκι]

But Chris, 73″ is geared down for you! If the 48x20 is too spinny I can always flip the wheel.