Fixed/Single Speed Commuting

iPete

dhope wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

What GI are folks pushing these days?

I'm building up my SS at the moment and I have a suspicion that I used to run 48/18. However, I've using the original Campag double crankset and so it's a 53 at the front. I think I'm looking at 20t freehub.

48/15 at the moment, around 85 GI
I'll be the one swearing at the little hills in Richmond Park this evening

How the f*** do you do this?

I've just changed to 48x16 (from 46x16), granted my legs always take a few weeks to find themselves but wow.

dhope

iPete wrote:

dhope wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

What GI are folks pushing these days?

I'm building up my SS at the moment and I have a suspicion that I used to run 48/18. However, I've using the original Campag double crankset and so it's a 53 at the front. I think I'm looking at 20t freehub.

48/15 at the moment, around 85 GI
I'll be the one swearing at the little hills in Richmond Park this evening

How the f*** do you do this?

I've just changed to 48x16 (from 46x16), granted my legs always take a few weeks to find themselves but wow.

Grin and bear it mostly. I've been tempted to gear down a bit lately as I'm using the road bike more and I do like being able to spin away rather than grind. I'm still slow away from the lights on the road bike as I forget to change down gears.
That said, I also want to get to Herne Hill velodrome more often so maybe keeping used to a track gear isn't a bad thing either.

itboffin

48/15T tsk

Ghey!

If liv was still on here she'd show you how its done.

dhope

itboffin wrote:

48/15T tsk

Ghey!

If liv was still on here she'd show you how its done.

Indeed, but her knees and Achilles had to retire to the countryside after a life of hard labour

iPete

Hi my name is Pete and I can no longer handle big inches.

Knee randomly seized up last night, back to 46x16 for me, might try out 47x16 in a few weeks. I blame my mate for being so slow I can't keep up a good cadence. What a difference 3.2 inches makes

il_principe

I've found life a lot easier since I dropped from 50x16 to 50x17.

Fireblade96

48x18 is the biggest I can manage round here, big inches is OK for you flatland dwellers but we've got hills y'know !

Clever Pun

Il Principe wrote:

I've found life a lot easier since I dropped from 50x16 to 50x17.

That's cause you are weak

I've been giving it some thought as well

il_principe

Clever Pun wrote:

Il Principe wrote:

I've found life a lot easier since I dropped from 50x16 to 50x17.

That's cause you are weak

I've been giving it some thought as well

As a kitten.

My geared riding has improved since the change. Not sure if the two are correlated though.

roger_merriman

Il Principe wrote:

Clever Pun wrote:

Il Principe wrote:

I've found life a lot easier since I dropped from 50x16 to 50x17.

That's cause you are weak

I've been giving it some thought as well

As a kitten.

My geared riding has improved since the change. Not sure if the two are correlated though.

My SS is my road bike so having 80+ inch gearing while fun on the flat, is limiting as to the routes can take.

With 75inch I can ride though Surrey hills with out too much bother, normally loop over Leith Hill and over Box Hill

iPete

Had my heart set on a Condor Tempo this winter BUT I may have just made myself poor to buy a car & the insurance will cost more than the frame alone

I still need a winter bike & there is no chance I'm running my new [arriving soon 8) ] cinelli vigorosa with mud guards.

What's out there? On-One Pompino/Pompetamine? Don't want to run Crud MKIIs this year.

itboffin

hmmm not really a looker though is it

condorman

50x16. Sydenham Hill (going up it) is out of the saddle once past the yellow lines but it's very doable. That ratio means that you can give most geared bikes a run for their money on the flat (Waterloo Bridge sprint) or uphill on the Dunwich Dynamo.

iPete

itboffin wrote:

hmmm not really a looker though is it

No a bit fugly.

As my 'tart' frame is taking ages to arrive from the USA I may have to leave the build till next year and keep the current frame alive to save monies.

Has anyone ever tried getting SKS Raceblade longs onto a track frame?
Used Crud MKII last year, worked but a bit of pain, rubbed and eventually fell to bits. Here is the abomination..

[/QUOTE]

willy b

My Boardman takes full guards, not that, that is much help as the frames are discontinued now.

okgo

Think I'm going to join you Pete with 46-16, I can spin fine, and actually my commutes have got quicker since I started on the SS, but there are times where I want to BATTER people and I have to wait til Dark Hill to do so, which is not on.

okgo

Just ordered 16t freewheel, removal tool and a nice new KMC z610 hx chain. Hopefully allow me to cruise at a more respectable pace.

iPete

Spent the best part of September training the legs to work at higher cadence and felt faster, going back to the fixie in this wind and cold is now a massive chore.

Am I going soft? Tempted to go down 0.5 GI (46x16) and try 40x14

itboffin

I added a mudguard to my Dolan track bike now it looks totally lame but at least my arse will stay dry this winter

welkman

I am running a 48-16 on the langster and it is just about right for club rides and commuting, a bit of a bugger in a head wind though. I am going through this winter with better clothing and no mud guards. Cant be bothered to fit them to the fixie and they don't fit on the Cervelo S1.

goonz

48/18 on my langster SS, just got my hands on a Mash frame which will be my fixed summer bike just trying to decide what ratio I need. Got a 48t on the front, think a 19 will work ok?

willy b

Incorrect ITbof - I think SS bikes look good with full guards!

iPete - 40-14 IS NOT a gear you would want to be seen in public with.

iPete

willy b wrote:

Incorrect ITbof - I think SS bikes look good with full guards!

iPete - 40-14 IS NOT a gear you would want to be seen in public with.

never fear, realised the error of my ways! I think dropping a tooth on the front to 45x16 will work for winter.

asprilla

goonz wrote:

48/18 on my langster SS, just got my hands on a Mash frame which will be my fixed summer bike just trying to decide what ratio I need. Got a 48t on the front, think a 19 will work ok?

I've got 49/18 on my Peugeot and 48/18 at the moment on the Singular (which I have yet to ride). The Singular actually has more development because it's got 35mm tyres on it.

ketsbaia

*dips toe in water*

Afternoon all. First commute on the SS this morning. Running a 48 x 16 gear, which I found meant spinning out at around 25+ mph. Not tried any 'hills' yet, though, so will leave changing anything for now.

goonz

You spun out at 25mph on a 48/16? Or you stopped spinning?

ketsbaia

I got to the point when I was barely feeling like I was applying any pressure to the pedals.

Or maybe I was spinning as fast as I could be bothered and invoked the law of diminishing returns.

wgwarburton

Hi,
"Barely applying any pressure to the pedals" is good technique. 25 mph on an 81" gear is 107 rpm, and if you are finding that in any way uncomfortable for stretches of less than 15 minutes or so then you really need to work on your technique!

IMHO....of course!
Cheers,
W.

ketsbaia

Heh. Wasn't finding it uncomfortable, just frustrating that I wasn't going faster, dammit.

Looking forward to an interesting winter, though. Might well flip the hub and try fixed soon too.

wgwarburton

ketsbaia wrote:

Heh. Wasn't finding it uncomfortable, just frustrating that I wasn't going faster, dammit.

Looking forward to an interesting winter, though. Might well flip the hub and try fixed soon too.

Go for it. If you stick with SS you will never be able to shake a sneaking suspicion that you may be a wuss...

I'd recommend developing smoothness and fluidity (think turbine, not piston) by practicing high speed stints on the flat before committing yourself to any serious descents. If you suddenly lose confidence in your ability to be smooth things can get alarming....

Cheers,
W.