# How low should I go?



## Ibbots (16 Aug 2011)

After a couple of days when the prevailing headwind on my homeward journey has been more than the slight inconvenience that's it's been most of the Summer, I've been thinking ahead to the dark days. Currently running on a 70" fixed gear, which has been fine so far, but cranking it up the last hill home can be draining with consecutive days of strong headwinds I usually have to deal with in Winter. As well as being a little easier on thighs I think a lower gear will be faster in heavy going if a little spinny at times.

So, assuming at least some of you are weak like me, what adjustment do you make to your gear ratio for Winter and does it help?


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## Theseus (16 Aug 2011)

I run a 70 (48*18) most of the year, even in winter.

The time did change down to 63 (48*20) was for a couple of weeks before (to get used to it), and the riding of the Edinburgh to St. Andrews just to help me up some of the climbs. Mind you, the descents were exciting.


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## dave r (16 Aug 2011)

I'm a little under your gearing, 68" 46x18, I dropped from a 70" 44x17 last Autumn to the 68 and have left it on through the summer, I'm thinking of dropping it again this autumn to a 65" 44"x18, but I don't think I would want to go any lower. My pearson came with a 72" gear and the only differences between the 72" and the 68" is the 68" makes the hills a little easier and I have to spin a little more, I think I might find the 65" is to low and top speed suffers, but it should make the bigger hills easier when I start to use the bike for winter club rides again. If I was only commuting I'd leave the gearing at the 68" all year round.


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## tyred (17 Aug 2011)

A question of suck it an see imo. Track sprockets aren't overly expensive (or at least don't need to be, depending on what you buy) and are easy changed so just experiment.


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## gaz (17 Aug 2011)

Touche said:


> I run a 70 (48*18) most of the year, even in winter.
> 
> The time did change down to 63 (48*20) was for a couple of weeks before (to get used to it), and the riding of the Edinburgh to St. Andrews just to help me up some of the climbs. Mind you, the descents were exciting.



48x18 is 72" 48x20 is 64.8"


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## Theseus (17 Aug 2011)

gaz said:


> 48x18 is 72" 48x20 is 64.8"




Sheldon's calculator must have an error in it then.


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## mangid (17 Aug 2011)

Touche said:


> Sheldon's calculator must have an error in it then.





*Gear chart using Gear Inches*
_
*For 700 X 23 / 23-622 tire with 170 mm cranks*
__
*With Custom Sprocket(s) Cassette*
_ 48
18 70.1


Sheldon gives it as 70.1, another site gives it as 69.19, I've always thought it was around 70, presumably it can vary depending on you weight on the day and tyre. Ridden 48x18 for getting on 15 years now, even managed to climb 2500ft over 12 miles when in Yosemite a couple of weeks ago, going up was not as hard as coming down. 

--
Dan


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## gaz (17 Aug 2011)

Touche said:


> Sheldon's calculator must have an error in it then.



aaah yes. If you look at the 27" tyre in general then it is 72 but if you drill down to 700c23 then it's 70.1
We are both right and wrong, as neither of us stated which tyre our gear inch was relating to


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## Theseus (17 Aug 2011)

gaz said:


> aaah yes. If you look at the 27" tyre in general then it is 72 but if you drill down to 700c23 then it's 70.1
> We are both right and wrong, as neither of us stated which tyre our gear inch was relating to




Well ... Mine was neither, I have 25-622 and 165 cranks, not that crank length affects Gear Inches.


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## Ibbots (17 Aug 2011)

I know I could muddle though on current gear - have done for the last couple of years on single speed but I fancy just making it a little easier and being able to walk up the stairs without thighs screaming. I could put a 19T on the back but this might be too low at 66" or put a 46T ring and get 67", either way I'm messing with the chain.

thanks for the responses


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## Pennine-Paul (17 Aug 2011)

I prefer the highest gear i can get up the hills in to make it easier on the downhill

I use 44/16 in hilly areas and 44/14 on flattish rides(I can climb a 10% on this without too much problem)

I found a 44/18 too slow on the flat and too spinny downhill and not that much easier climbing


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## Ibbots (17 Aug 2011)

It's not so much the hills, but the headwind. I'm just looking to take some of the grind out of my daily winter slog into the inevitable north westerly. As I have been progressing with the fixed I find I am able to spin a bit faster when climbing out of the saddle rather than grinding away. Going down the otherside is a different matter however.


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## Matty (19 Aug 2011)

It's the reason I only have a single gear. Yeah it sucks into a wind and yeah it sucks on most Fridays, but it's my only exercise and am much fitter for it. If I were you stick at it. Full year round commuter here with 45*16 whatever that is in inches.


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## fossyant (19 Aug 2011)

77" here - 46 x 16 and it's hilly where I live.


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## Ibbots (20 Aug 2011)

fossyant said:


> 77" here - 46 x 16 and it's hilly where I live.


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## Zoiders (22 Aug 2011)

A measly 75" and it's hilly.


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## Bicycle (25 Sep 2011)

gaz said:


> aaah yes. If you look at the 27" tyre in general then it is 72 but if you drill down to 700c23 then it's 70.1
> We are both right and wrong, as neither of us stated which tyre our gear inch was relating to




Mmmm...  

No. Touche was right. He quoted his gear inches correctly.

You were wrong. You corrected him without knowing the necessary data.

Why would Touche feel the need to verify his data by giving a tyre size?

Why would anyone else think to correct him without knowing his tyre size?

"We were both right and wrong" Ha ha ha ha ha....


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## Theseus (25 Sep 2011)

Bicycle said:


> Mmmm...
> 
> No. Touche was right. He quoted his gear inches correctly.
> 
> ...



Not sure why you are trying to stir this over a month later. As far as I was concerned this was a non-issue.

If you are taking this up on my behalf ... Leave it !!


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## Bicycle (25 Sep 2011)

My apologies.

I wasn't raking it up on anyone's behalf.

I'd read the thread whilst ho-humming about my own gearing (69").

I had a giggle at the correction and subsequent _'we were both wrong'_ thing.

I just replied for a giggle. 

I didn't even look at the date. I was interested in the benefits of various gear sizes. Still am.

Apologies again.


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## Theseus (25 Sep 2011)

Bicycle said:


> My apologies.
> 
> I wasn't raking it up on anyone's behalf.
> 
> ...



Explanation & apology accepted.

I probably owe you one for snapping too fast.

Have a pint on me ...


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## brockers (25 Sep 2011)

F*ck me, you lot! I'd hate to be your knees. I'm going down to 42/17 (but then I'm an ageing whippet).


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## Ibbots (26 Sep 2011)

Just popped in for the first look for a while and see this thread again. I think I'm a little pre-senile as I'd forgotten all about my intention to wimp out and have actually been planning ordering a smaller sprocket to go for a bigger gear - obviously had some easy commutes recently. I will likely be whining again as soon as it gets windy.


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## tyred (26 Sep 2011)

Ibbots said:


> Just popped in for the first look for a while and see this thread again. I think I'm a little pre-senile as I'd forgotten all about my intention to wimp out and have actually been planning ordering a smaller sprocket to go for a bigger gear - obviously had some easy commutes recently. I will likely be whining again as soon as it gets windy.



I think you obviously need another bike 


One for windy days, one for calm days...


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## Ibbots (26 Sep 2011)

tyred said:


> I think you obviously need another bike
> 
> 
> One for windy days, one for calm days...



Sound advice, at least until some invents a mechanism that would allow one to have a number of sprockets available and select the appropriate gear for speed and conditions. Perhaps big gears for going downhill and small for up. Until someone comes up with this miracle device I'd better have a word with the wife about selling the child to fund the range of bikes I am going to need.


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## dave r (26 Sep 2011)

Ibbots said:


> Sound advice, at least until some invents a mechanism that would allow one to have a number of sprockets available and select the appropriate gear for speed and conditions. Perhaps big gears for going downhill and small for up. Until someone comes up with this miracle device I'd better have a word with the wife about selling the child to fund the range of bikes I am going to need.





They already have, the sturmey archer three speed fixed hub.

http://www.benscycle.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=10167


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## Ibbots (27 Sep 2011)

It's a start. Could do with more gears, say 20, and the ability to coast occasionally without having to pedal would be nice - you know, rest the legs a bit.


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## just jim (27 Sep 2011)

Ibbots said:


> It's a start. Could do with more gears, say 20, and the ability to coast occasionally without having to pedal would be nice - you know, rest the legs a bit.



Crazy talk!


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## Ibbots (27 Sep 2011)

tyred said:


> I think you obviously need another bike
> 
> 
> One for windy days, one for calm days...



Hang on a minute, forget all this heretical talk about changing gears whilst actually moving, I think we may have finally found a use for the several frames and assorted bits I have collected over the years and clutttering up the shed. Mrs I. was on about making some space for storing more useless (ie none cycle related) tat so how can she argue. Good work Tyred.

Work be hanged, this requires some further thought and an extended trawl around the internet...


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## Fiona N (17 Oct 2011)

tyred said:


> I think you obviously need another bike
> 
> 
> One for windy days, one for calm days...




I can sympathise with that riding most days into/back from Kendal on a NE/SW route. Any day I feel perky going I know it's going to hurt coming home. 

I'm a girl - it's hilly here so I use 63 (using 27 inch wheel diameter to calculate )


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## al-fresco (18 Oct 2011)

Standard Langster gearing of 42 X 16 (69") is close to perfect for me on the undulating North Shropshire plain and I can just about grunt up the hill to the pub of a Sunday.


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## Rohloff_Brompton_Rider (18 Oct 2011)

65",67" & 71" fixed depending which tyres i'm running (23,32,35). i live in hilly rossendale and it's taken 6 months to finally master the 150rpm 6 mile down hills (13%), i was using brakes less and less as time went on. i need the lower gearing to get up some of the hills in the wind (but i do weigh 18 stone sometimes).


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## Ibbots (18 Oct 2011)

Got my off road single speed out at the weekend for the first time since last winter. After a bit of a run in period getting used to finding traction when climbing I found that I was actually climbing as well if not better than before. I'm going to continue "manning the eff up" and stick with the 70" on the commuter, though the recent wind has confirmed previous boasts about getting a bigger gear where premature - blown almost to a standstill at the top of my final climb home last night, today looks worse. If I survive the winter and get in some good beasting sessions over moors I might be in a better position for a bigger gear in spring.

Having said all that...just built a winter beast out of my old Inbred: 44/18 single speed running Marathon Winter spiked road tyres, about 65" I think. Now not quite sure why I felt the need to go for come spiked tyres, I have managed for the last 10 winters without. Still, it's another working bike bringing the stable back up to 5.

Keep it up, whatever gear you are pushing


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## Old Plodder (31 Oct 2011)

I don't want to be flamed, but I used to tour on a 63", Kent, Surrey, Sussex, & Essex; some hills are short & sharp,
others drag on. I found it hard to keep up with the pedals going down the big ones, & still had to walk (yes, walk!)
up some of the steep ones. All in all, I had fun, but I went over to riding single speed, about a 59", & found it more
'relaxing'.

I think, in the 60's~70's, fixed tended to be around 69"~72" general riding, & about 80"~90" for the clubman.

Use what is 'right' for you; be that fixed or single; & enjoy your ride.


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