# Sportive Gearing



## rugbyluke (19 Feb 2015)

Hi All,

I have always had a fixed commuter/local ride, and a geared sportive/ride out with friends bike.

After doing the new forest 100 last October and remembering the aggravation of losing momentum up hills, mechanical faults, chain coming off, chain jumping & skipping, irritating noises etc etc.

I have decided to build a single speed sportive bike, I've opted for single speed as a need to coast down hill. (After trying a single speed I didn't notice this "Freewheel affect" thing".

Just need some advice on Gearing, was thinking 48x16? what do you all think on gearing?


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## screenman (19 Feb 2015)

Would it be better to learn how to set gears up properly. I have never suffered any of the things you write about there.

Do not get me wrong, I do like a fixie.


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## rugbyluke (19 Feb 2015)

this is true, most of it can be sorted, however the loss of momentum cannot, I can also build a beautiful bike for a 1/3 of the price


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## Racing roadkill (19 Feb 2015)

Fixies work. Go for the biggest chain ring and smallest sprocket you can get away with, with the chain you have. Then use your legs. 48/16 is very acceptable.


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## rugbyluke (19 Feb 2015)

Actually, was nearly 5000ft of climbing, perhaps 44x18/16


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## KneesUp (19 Feb 2015)

rugbyluke said:


> this is true, most of it can be sorted, however the loss of momentum cannot, I can also build a beautiful bike for a 1/3 of the price


How will having a freewheel and one gear prevent "loss of momentum" more than having a freewheel and multiple gears?


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## rugbyluke (19 Feb 2015)

KneesUp said:


> How will having a freewheel and one gear prevent "loss of momentum" more than having a freewheel and multiple gears?



Haha what you said makes complete sense, but I cant explain it.


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## screenman (19 Feb 2015)

Loss of momentum from something more efficient, how do you work that out.

Being cheaper I get, being simple I get, losing momentum due to gears, nope not that one.


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## rugbyluke (19 Feb 2015)

That's most of the reasons why I want to build the bike. The momentum thing I could of worded better, how can I put this..............I go uphill faster on a single speed/fixed. But lets drop that one before I have a bigger fool out of my self .

Anyway, what gearing would you recommend for something like New forest 100


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## screenman (19 Feb 2015)

65 inch. I averaged 24mph last time I rode that gearing so it should be fine. That was only for a club 10 though.


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## Sharky (19 Feb 2015)

There is something special about single speed (freewheel) bikes. Something that defies logical thinking. On a single, when you start going up, you just gradually increase the power effort and maintain pace. On a gears bike, you change down, slow down, change down etc. there are of course limits, too steep and you stall and even have to get off. So you have to find the right gear on which you can just get up the steepest hill on your normal routes. Also depends on your strength and technique. 

It's impossible to recommend a specific ratio, as we are all different. I'm old and find a 44 x17 just about right. The illogical thing about my Single speed bike is that I can get round my normal circuit on a Sunday morning achieving the same or better average speed that I do on my gears bike!

Cheers Keith


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## andyfraser (19 Feb 2015)

rugbyluke said:


> That's most of the reasons why I want to build the bike. The momentum thing I could of worded better, how can I put this..............I go uphill faster on a single speed/fixed. But lets drop that one before I have a bigger fool out of my self .


I think I get what you're saying. I'm planning to buy a single speed bike and as an experiment I picked a gear similar to 44x18 and stayed in it. My top speed went down but my average speed went up, including going up hill.


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## rugbyluke (19 Feb 2015)

Thanks Keith, spot on 

Ive always been more of a "Gear masher" than a "spinner" I guess its trial and error. my commuter is 53X14 but in the 14miles each way I climb 43ft


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## fossyant (19 Feb 2015)

Fixed is best for fitness. Blooming fantastic really. I can climb moderate hills just as quick on a laden fixed compared to a geared road bike with no loads. It's probably down to you have no gears to grab for so keep pedalling.


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## 4F (19 Feb 2015)

Having played around with a few combinations over the years 47 x 18 fixed is my gear of choice at the moment and I am more of a grinder than a spinner.


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## jdtate101 (20 Feb 2015)

I ride a heavy steel 46x17 fixed and can get up most climbs, always seemed a good ratio to me as I can sit at 20mph comfortably on the flats. Perhaps build it using a carbon frame and light wheels to make hills easier on longer sportives? Maybe a cheap PlanetX frame would do, the PX track frames won't support brakes, but the Stealth TT frames have brake mounts and horizontal dropouts.


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## mjr (20 Feb 2015)

screenman said:


> Being cheaper I get, being simple I get, losing momentum due to gears, nope not that one.


You have to ease off at least a bit for most derailleurs to shift smoothly and there's a short "chain between cogs" moment of no power being applied. If you're straining yourself because it's a tough climb or because you misjudged traffic, that can make enough of a difference. (I had a nice lean against a handy fence as a result once! Get off, lift back wheel, shift into bottom gear, remount and restart...)


Sharky said:


> The illogical thing about my Single speed bike is that I can get round my normal circuit on a Sunday morning achieving the same or better average speed that I do on my gears bike!


Why's that illogical? If you picked the right gear for the circuit then you just reduced drivetrain losses, eliminated shifting losses and increased concentration on pedalling rather than thinking "should I change gear?" so much.

At the risk of being thrown out of this section, have you considered trying hub gears?


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## screenman (20 Feb 2015)

MJRAY. what is your optimum cadence?


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## mjr (20 Feb 2015)

screenman said:


> MJRAY. what is your optimum cadence?


It seems fairly low (I really am more Fred than Froome...) but I've never tested it. There was no wattbike locally last time I discussed cadence (someone suggested that as a way to find out) and damned if I'm making a four-hour trip just for this sort of stuff that makes little practical difference. (by the way, if you put @ in front of my screen name, I'm far more likely to spot your reply)


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## screenman (20 Feb 2015)

mjray said:


> It seems fairly low (I really am more Fred than Froome...) but I've never tested it. There was no wattbike locally last time I discussed cadence (someone suggested that as a way to find out) and damned if I'm making a four-hour trip just for this sort of stuff that makes little practical difference. (by the way, if you put @ in front of my screen name, I'm far more likely to spot your reply)



You really do not need a watt bike to tell you at what speed you are most comfortable pedaling.


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## mjr (20 Feb 2015)

screenman said:


> You really do not need a watt bike to tell you at what speed you are most comfortable pedaling.


Ah, it depends what you mean by optimal though: most comfortable is unlikely to be most powerful.


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## screenman (20 Feb 2015)

mjray said:


> Ah, it depends what you mean by optimal though: most comfortable is unlikely to be most powerful.



Most of us have a happy number, mine used to be 93 it is now 85, having a range of gears helps me stay at that number, without losing momentum.

I do like voices and single speeds, I do not consider them better than gears, just different.


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## mikeee (20 Feb 2015)

I ride 48 18 and I've managed some fairly steep hills on it. It's not too bad a gear on descents and on the flat. Have debated swapping it around but have never got round to it.


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## MrGrumpy (27 Feb 2015)

Well...... just about to change mine from a 48 x 16 to a 48 x 18, i`m a gear masher but these last few weeks with the wind has made me rethink and I think for me knees sake its time to change to something a bit easier for the commute. Also hoping that I can get a bit more life out of my chains and sprockets for this minimal maintenance malarky with fixed gears is a misnommer!


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## broady (27 Feb 2015)

I miss read a crank as what I thought was 48. A 38 arrived through the post, rather than send it back I opted to spend more money and buy a 12 & 13 tooth sproket kit (I've no idea what length this gave), but I did quite like it.
I ended up sticking with the 38x13
Not actually sure what is on my other ss, but I know its ??x16


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## totallyfixed (28 Feb 2015)

Racing roadkill said:


> Fixies work. Go for the biggest chain ring and smallest sprocket you can get away with, with the chain you have. Then use your legs. 48/16 is very acceptable.


48x16, ok on the flat but in the hills? I would like to see that.


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## MrGrumpy (28 Feb 2015)

its doable on hills but you are grinding and honking up them as for the long hills yes forget it, been there and got the t shirt, painful!!


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## Dave Davenport (28 Feb 2015)

I ride a fixed around the forest a lot and find a 44x16 works well for me, unless I'm trying to stay with a (geared) group and there's a tailwind.


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## totallyfixed (28 Feb 2015)

MrGrumpy said:


> its doable on hills but you are grinding and honking up them as for the long hills yes forget it, been there and got the t shirt, painful!!


This of course depends on your definition of hills .
5-6% rolling
Up to 11% moderately hilly, not too difficult
11-14% hilly, hard work
14-18% doable but only just, needs to be a short hill if at the upper end.

This on 50 x 18


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## ColinJ (28 Feb 2015)

Barking mad, the lot of you fixters! 

I'll stick to twiddling up steep stuff in 26/28 or 28/29 if I need to, and freewheeling down the fast descents. I just checked my GPS and the max speed on it since I last reset it was 84 kph ... that would be about 240 rpm in a 50/18 gear - rather you, than me!


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## dave r (28 Feb 2015)

I either ride 46x18 or 44x18, I've experimented with other ratio's but those two seem to be the ones that suite me.


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## screenman (1 Mar 2015)

Froomie to ride fixed in the Tour seems it is faster.


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## Old Plodder (27 Mar 2015)

I used to ride 63" in hilly terrain, now I'm older (& less fit) I ride a 60" S/Spd.


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## Wightdragon (3 Apr 2015)

Dave Davenport said:


> I ride a fixed around the forest a lot and find a 44x16 works well for me, unless I'm trying to stay with a (geared) group and there's a tailwind.


Too quick for them?


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## Dave Davenport (3 Apr 2015)

Wightdragon said:


> Too quick for them?


If only.


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