Single Speeders!

matt581

Hi
I've just turned my old HT mtb in to a single speed, I was quite pleased i managed to do it myself as someone who is normaly mechanicly inept :shock: . My question is about gear ratio. I set it up as 32/16 is that about right for a starting point. Its a 9 mile commute, not to hilly. From Backwell, through Long Ashton and in to town if any ones from Bristol area.

Thanks for the advice

Cheers Matt

Lashan

It all depends on what tyre size you run. The ideal base gear should be around 44/18 or a 44/16 on a 26inch tyre.

Rgds

Lashan - Sri Lanka

Horton

Hi Matt,

I did exactly the same thing for my commuter - much shorter mind, Bedminster to City centre. I started on 32/16 because I do still take it out in Leigh Woods from time to time if I can't be bothered to get my proper bike out of the shed... I did find it far too low a gearing (easy) for anything remotely down hill (North St.) or straight and flat if I want to keep up a decent speed (Cumberland road). I now have 32/14 which is still a bit undergeared to be honest but a willing trade-off to be able to still just about crawl up from the river up into Leigh Woods.

If you've done the same sort of conversion as I did, whipping off the chainrings and hacking an old cassette up and putting it back on with spacers, I would just say try it and see. Bear in mind you won't want to go much smaller than a 12 or 13 tooth on the back as the chain will probably hit the spacers. You'll probably find that whatever seems ok to start with will soon become too easy as you get fitter/stronger as well.

All I would suggest is see how you get on. I think you'll find it slightly harder going on the way home depending on which route you take.

Cheers,
Oli

redvee

Cassette sprockets are OK to mess around with for chainlength for the magic gear wear you don't need a tensioner but crap for riding as the teeth are too shallow and will unship the chain at the wrong moment. I thought they'd be the cheap option but soon had to invest in a proper sprocket after loosing the chain too often for my liking.

matt581

thanks for the replys guys,

i put a coversion kit on, i'll see how i get on tomorrow. i guess it'll just be a case of trial and error untill i find something that fits best.

Cheers Matt

2tired2ride

I've got that ratio on my jump mtb. I woulndn't have it on a mtb if it has slicks on but if they are on knobby's that should be ok or 32/14 (depending on hills) but just see how it goes.

attica

Hi Matt

So you cut off the A370 down past the highways agency place right? What time do you set out? I cover the same stretch.
Last week in the frost I counted 4 other sets of tyre tracks down that path when I passed through at just gone 9am, there's not many of us at the moment.

I'm riding a SS road bike, 42/16 which I find a bit too spinny these days, not sure how that relates to yours though.

Hope to see you out there some time, look out for me, grey bike, black helmet, bum bag, various poncey roadie tops (shorts or tights as well of course).

Cheers drive

vorsprung

32 x 14 is approx 55 gear inches ( 26" with 1.5 in tyre)
32 x 16 is approx 48 gear inches ( 26" with 1.5 in tyre)
44 x 16 is approx 67 gear inches ( 26" with 1.5 in tyre)
44x 18 is approx 59 gear inches ( 26" with 1.5 in tyre)
42 x 17 is approx 66 gear inches ( 700c with 28mm tyre )
42 x 16 is approx 70 gear inches ( 700c with 28mm tyre )

I am riding 42x16 ( 25km commute, hilly devon-somerset border)

attica

Matt, are you there?

Sad news on the A370 this morning, please say it wasn't you.

matt581

Hi Attica

Sorry for not replying earlier, I can usually only go on in my lunch break. It is tragic news about the cyclist this morning. I had a frantic call from my girl friend when she heard. I had an accident a couple of weeks ago.

My SS is a grey GT aggressor; I have a blue bag on my bag. I usually go past there about 7ish. What time do you go through?

I think I might give 44/18 a try and see if that’s a bit better. I was spinning a bit this morning.

Matt

attica

With those ratios I'm not surprised.
I didn't set off from Yatton til 8.45 so I doubt our paths will cross too often. What time is your return leg? Mine is about 18.00 from the city centre

gert_lush

aahh how sweet, trying to set up a mid ride meet up

I am thinking maybe I need to get in on the SS/Fixie scene....everyone seems to be at it these days and i'm feeling left out!

attica

More "safety in numbers" than romantic liason tonight, besides I want to see what it looks like spinning 20 inches less than my (already spinny) 69

gert_lush

48 does seem pretty spinny, I can just imagine someone cycling along with legs in some kind of cartoon blur going downhill

matt581

My return is about 5ish from the centre,

'aahh how sweet, trying to set up a mid ride meet up'

Lol if attica is a leggy blond female then i might be a bit more intrested in a mid ride meet up on some dark Long Ashton lane

Im going to put 44/18 on tonight and try that tomorrow or do you think 44/16 woud be better. Im still very new at this but i enjoyed it a lot more today on SS it seemed to put a bit more fun in, I even managed to scalp some one

felix500

Matt

I do that same route on a single speed although join the A370 at the George Inn just along from Backwell. The hill up to this junction is hard work on a ss and everyday I doubt i'll make it to the top (awlays do though!). I'm riding a 48/16 ratio on a blue Pearson Touche. On route at about 7:15am, returning about 6:45pm.

Having limped through the traffic yesterday, i was shocked and upset to learn it was a cylsit around my age, traveling on the route I use (although I do cut through LA rather than along the bypass) and at the time I ride. Tried to shield my wife from the news last night but she saw it on tv and was obvioulsy pretty disturbed by it.

matt581

I used 44/18 this morning and found it a lot better. My bike is still a bit of work in progress as it still has big nobbly mtb tyres and front suspension but i'll change that after Christmas.

It has put a bit of fun back into the daily commute, on the way home i took the cycle path that follows the train track.

Matt

felix500

Yeah I take that path on the way home. I skip the first section by carrying on along the B3130 then turning left at the corssroads (by the llamas!). Much quicker and probabaly safer given all the twists, turns and dodging in and out of teh road through the housing estate along the first section. Not so keen on it coming the other way though.

It's certainly a great route for single speed use. I don't reckon there's any difference between inbound and outbound, certainly not from Nailsea where I start. Both ways seem to be generally uphill over the first half, downhill over the second half. Gets the legs burning in places either way. It takes me about 30 minutes to get to Bristol (Old Market). Same going home but a bit shorter along the cycle path by the railway.

Spitchips - BANNED

Persoanlly I would only opt for a single speed if living in holland or biking over salt flats in Utah - not old hilly UK - many a time I needed to revert to the 'granny ring' too climb a vertical hill or too - and there are loads in West Yorkshire - especially over too Holme Moss and Emley Mast