What gearing - ?

[simongt]

I'm debating whether to get a 'fun' bike with a flip flop rear hub to enjoy when I retire in a couple of years or so, but haven't rode single speed for may a year; said previous bikes being general purpose rather than sporty. I'm now 67 and with my knees being a bit worn , am riding lower gear ratios than in the past. Any recommendations as to suitable gearing for proposed chromoly framed bike please - ?

 

[I like Skol]

I wouldn't bother! What might have been 'fun' when you were younger will be pointless and frankly quite stupid now you are older with more sense. Let the past lie and keep the pleasant memories as they are.

 

[All uphill]

I wouldn't bother! What might have been 'fun' when you were younger will be pointless and frankly quite stupid now you are older with more sense. Let the past lie and keep the pleasant memories as they are.

I'm 65 and 3/4 and thoroughly enjoy riding singlespeed! Not so far as I might have done 40 years ago, but it's still a great way to get around.

Go for it, I say.

 

[simongt]

A cyclist '...older with more sense...' - ? An oxymoron if I ever heard one - !

 

[Moodyman]

Rising bikes at your age. You should know better!

 

[I like Skol]

A cyclist '...older with more sense...' - ? An oxymoron if I ever heard one - !

Ok, I may not be the perfect practitioner of what I preach

 

[Sharky]

Go for it. I am 70 and my SS is one of my favourite rides. Choose a gear that will get you up the steepest hill on your normal routes and be happy to walk if too steep. Suggest starting with a 68" gear and have the next larger/smaller sprocket in your tool box as contingency.

Strain on your knees is unlikely. Uphill will hurt a bit, but you soon come to a flat or descent and you will be twiddling. More likely to strain your knees using gears as it is easy to ride too high a gear for too long.

Fixed or SS very much depends on the terrain. If hilly, a fixed is a real strain on the descents.
Good luck

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I wouldn't bother! What might have been 'fun' when you were younger will be pointless and frankly quite stupid now you are older with more sense. Let the past lie and keep the pleasant memories as they are.

I'm now 69 years old and on fixed during the winter, great fun, I'm running a 44x17 68 inch set up and it puts a smile on my face.

 

[ColinJ]

A strange post by he of Skol!

I am just shy of 65 and really like my singlespeed bike. It has a 72" gear and I can get up long stretches at 4-5% gradient, 200 m at 10%, and short slogs at 12-13%.

 

[Nick Saddlesore]

Same age, can't do hills, but can spin. 62" on my fixed and the same when I put on a freewheel for bridleways.

 

[andrew_s]

You can always just try it out and see what suits. Just pick a gear and don't change for the whole ride. For checking fixed gearing you can refrain from freewheeling.

 

[ColinJ]

You can always just try it out and see what suits. Just pick a gear and don't change for the whole ride.

That's what I did to pick my gear. I chose one that didn't have me spinning like crazy just to go at a comfortable speed on the flat. I struggle going up any significant hill but I avoid most of them - I have a bike with a triple chainset and a biggish cassette for those.

 

[Old jon]

My two pennorth, I'm 70. The fixed is on 62 inch or thereabouts, loads of fun. And I do surprise myself just what I can ride up. Oh aye, started ridin again after retiring five years ago.

 

[12boy]

I used to think 80 gear inches was minimum. A few years ago I dropped down to 72.5 and it is nice, especially with hills...and I mean modest hills and of course headwinds. Or both. But I use easy rolling tires. The 72.5 with studded snows is a lot more work.
The joy of one speed, fixed or SS is its simplicity. Hop on and pedal. If there is a hill or headwind go slower or stand up to pedal. I've read that the direct drive aspect of having no chain tensioner is more efficient and it seems that way to me. I quit riding fixed because I am naturaly most comfortable at 60-70 rpm and going down hills at 140 rpm isn't comfortable for me, but a fixed gear bike seems much better sensiing traction loss than about anvthing else I've r idden.

 

[I like Skol]

but a fixed gear bike seems much better sensiing traction loss than about anvthing else I've r idden.

How so? As a practical person of medium intelligence, how is it different to spin out a tyre fixed v freewheel?