so i'm currently running a 52/15 conversion which i guess gives me a 90.1 inch gear [using the chainring/cassette * wheel size formula]. this is good for flats, but it's definitely slowing down my spin uphill, and the end result is i'm really pushing my legs much harder than i'd like.
when the bike was modified, the whole chainring was left on, with the outer and inner rings intact, and the inner ring is 40 teeth, which would give me something like a 69.3 inch gear.
now, i'm wondering if that's going to be too low for me, causing me to spin at too high an rpm and slowing down my overall top speed to the point where it's going ot be a hassle.
i do live in nyc and there are a surprising number of hills, so i def want to go lower. the question is just how much.
any advice is helpful.

*blank stare*

Bicycles sure have become complicated. I remember the days when I was more concerned about finding a clothespin to attach a playing card to the spokes.

All I know is that on BMX bikes we always used to run either 43,44, or 45 in the front and 16 in the back.

ANy help here? http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index ... 71444.html

No fixie here, sorry.

Well you are always going to have to compromise between flats and uphill. Where in brooklyn are these "hills" that are causing you trouble? lol.

Anyhow, I would say two things- first, you can increase your ability to take those "hills" over time.. you cant however, train your ability to not look like a dirk when you are spinning out on flats. I would really recommend to simply take out a geared bike with same tire size etc and cycle through the gears and see if you get a gear ratio (since tire size will be constant) that works the way you want it to. Then go from there. This way the decision will really be based on the terrain you are covering and your personal preferences.

(Then you can come to Connecticut when you want hills;))

Actually, a fixed gear bike is about as basic as you can get. No shocks, only one gear, a bare-bones frame. You can't coast, the pedals are always turning. Some guys don't have brakes on them, they stop by backpedaling. I can't imagine what this does to knees.

More info here.

you'd be surprised - i live out in boro park and near sunset park there are very steep inclines - as well as the climb over the bridges. and the hills in prospect park are no joke. no, the hills are not entirely too steep to climb, although there is one where i def have to stand on my pedals b/c it's about a 40-45 degree inclince. my legs are overdeveloped as it is, and i'm pushing them a lot more than i'm getting an aerobic workout on this bike.

edit: ive been riding this gearing for about a year & think it's time to push for a quicker spin and less of a leg strengthening workout.

Here's a group from my area: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/StFG/

Edit: Hmmm, you may need a password.

You know, just a suggestion- since Im not the one who has to ride it but there might just be some times when you need to get off the bike and walk it. I dont know. But my advice still stands.

i definitely hear you, and i think there are times where a more 'sensible' person might think 'this is not a good idea'. but even the steepest hills are do-able, and i dont like to back down if something is physically possible, regardless of whether or not it's a good idea. i'm stu[bborn]pid like that.
the reason i'm looking to change is b/c for most of the inclines, unless i really want to either push my legs or stand up, i'm not getting much of a spin and i'd like to try and find a happy medium between the two.

Why not get a bike with more than one gear? What's the appeal of the fixed gear versus having more options?

people who ride fixies are nuts... I hate those fuckers. I once almost hit a girl on her fixie because she was too weak to stop it... AT A STOP SIGN.

ha, well, we love you too
i am actually a very safe rider - i mean, you have to be in nyc. either you learn how to control yr bike or you get squished. simple.



it's hard to explain. up until last summer i had never ridden a fixed gear bike. i'd seen/heard a lot about them, but never tried one. then on a whim i took an old bike and had it converted. i figured if i didnt like it, it didnt cost me much to do, and i could sell it. i've never looked back. the connection with the road and the simplicity of the machine is something that either you like or you dont. i happen to love it. i feel much more connected and in tune with my body, the bike, and the road, than i ever did on a geared bike. so, beauty in simplicity, i guess.