Oh, riders of Single Speed/Fixed wheel - Lend me your ear...
cloggsy71
Posts: 2,208 Member
I'm looking at a Single Speed/Fixed at the moment. I am told it has a 44/16 which can be spec'd with a 44/18 configuration if required...
Please explain (& what gear is that the equivalent to on a 'proper' road bike)
Please explain (& what gear is that the equivalent to on a 'proper' road bike)
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44/16 is roughly equivalent to 50/18 or 53/19, 44/18 is more like a 50/21, or 53/22
basically, divide the big by the little to get the gear-up ratio, then divide a "normal" chainring size by that ratio to get the "normal" no. of teeth on the cassette...
if the frame has "track ends" or "horizontal dropouts" you could slide the wheel back and forth to take up the slack and actually use a odd-numbered sprocket at the back as well... this can cause a little more chain/drivetrain wear though apparently according to the almighty Sheldon Brown - though in fariness when I've bodged singlespeeds together on MTB's with vertical dropouts and had to use a "magic ratio" gear to get tension, i've had odd-numbered sprockets at the back, and even at times the odd "half link" in a chain to get things right.
Part of me misses having a "fixie" for the winter rides - great way to keep warm (you can't stop pedalling) - but I really doubt that I could cope with the cadence vagaries anymore without my knees exploding - maybe if I lived somewhere a little less "rolling" terrain - if I lived maybe 20 miles east of here, out towards Selby/Snaith, where it's as flat as a witches tit for a 50 mile loop, I'd have one anyday.
anything else don't you understand about fixies Clive ??0 -
oh... it's not the "blue blow - job" on Planet-X's clearance page is it ?? Always fancied one of those, especially in "Triggers Mums Bathroom Blue"...
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So it's a fairly reasonable ration then; I just didn't want to be spinning like a Chav on the small ring at the front & big ring on the back
No, it isn't the Pompino. It was just a Mango with bull horns: http://www.mangobikes.co.uk/bikes/custom/custom-build-your-single-speed-bike
Though I doubt I would use it TBH...0 -
I found one of the biggest things with a fixie, was to get a much shorter crank-length than I normally rode - think my last fixie had a 165 on it, whereas I normally ride on 172.5 - though I'd have cheerfully gone shorter than 165 but that's as short as Record Pista's came in iirc...
Helps a) with keeping cadence up, shorter crank arms = easier spinning at 90+rpm (i.e. anything marginally downhill, or when out with people riding on geared bikes!) and b) makes it harder to deck the pedals when going around corners and (obviously) still furiously pedalling...
had a look at the Mango... they're a bit Hipster, beardie, skinny-jeans twattish aren't they... think its the deep section rims and silly colour-combinations that make me think that - personally I quite like the OLD Pompino's (the ones with the welded wishbone seatstays) because they remind me of old 1950's "road-path" bikes - the clubbers favourite - ride to work all week, swap wheels for the weekend to something lighter for clubruns, or pull the brakes off and ride grasstrack races on a sunday morning... all on the same bike.
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FWIW - On the track gear ratios are expressed in "gear inches". A 50 X 15 is a 90" gear (very standard).
For every tooth added or subtracted to the front chainring is equal to 2" of overall gear inches. For every tooth added or subtracted to the rear cogs is equal to 6" of overall gear inches.
So changing a 50 X 15 (90") to a 50 X 14 would increase it 6" (to a 96" gear).
Your road bike 53 X 15 is a 96", you can use that as a frame of reference for "comfort".0 -
prefer something like this...
maybe not as practical, but I could simply hang it on the wall and stare at it all night instead of the TV...
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I found one of the biggest things with a fixie, was to get a much shorter crank-length than I normally rode - think my last fixie had a 165 on it, whereas I normally ride on 172.5 - though I'd have cheerfully gone shorter than 165 but that's as short as Record Pista's came in iirc...
Helps a) with keeping cadence up, shorter crank arms = easier spinning at 90+rpm (i.e. anything marginally downhill, or when out with people riding on geared bikes!) and b) makes it harder to deck the pedals when going around corners and (obviously) still furiously pedalling...
had a look at the Mango... they're a bit Hipster, beardie, skinny-jeans twattish aren't they... think its the deep section rims and silly colour-combinations that make me think that - personally I quite like the OLD Pompino's (the ones with the welded wishbone seatstays) because they remind me of old 1950's "road-path" bikes - the clubbers favourite - ride to work all week, swap wheels for the weekend to something lighter for clubruns, or pull the brakes off and ride grasstrack races on a sunday morning... all on the same bike.
I'm really surprised; Mango use 175mm cranks: http://www.mangobikes.co.uk/components/drivetrain/chasewood-ss-crankset
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Have you seen the Point Blank though? http://www.mangobikes.co.uk/bikes/point-blank0
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I used to have a 175 set of cranks on my MTB singlespeed - that's a low-cadence "grunt" thing though - just for leverage on the uphills with a 32/18 on the "inbred SS" - but that's with a MTB off-road, and with a singlespeed - not a fixed gear - so I could always stop pedalling on corners and not deck the pedals. IMO the choice of 175mm cranks kind of gives away the intended use/prospective customer base as being the aforementioned beardy hipsters. You wouldn't want too high a cadence, or you'd wear the crutch out in your skinny jeans
Now, that "point blank" looks a bit more interesting...
fleabay throws this one up cheap...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wilier-Toni-Bevilacqua-Bike-2012-Large-/361440701503?hash=item54278b6c3f:g:XSwAAOSwsB9WAQ9J
or if you want something less subdued...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bianchi-Pista-Fixed-Wheel-Bike-/272060430000?hash=item3f5810b6b0:g:lNoAAOSwf-VWWyyC
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bianchi-Pista-/201476383682?hash=item2ee8eda3c2:g:sGQAAOSwfZ1WYIXd
or, more sensibly...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Specialized-Langster-2016-56cm-Medium-Large-Brand-New-In-Box-/252190878343?hash=item3ab7bf6a87:g:fL8AAOSwf-VWWwun
or (hack. spit) from Evans Cycles...
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/fuji/feather-2016-singlespeed-road-bike-ec120580?country=GB¤cy=GBP&esvt=900-GOUKE1049494&esvq=&esvadt=999999-0-515656-1&esvcrea=77120363936&esvplace=&esvd=c&esvaid=50080&gclid=CJTFgajBwskCFWnmwgodT8gGSQ
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Have you seen the Point Blank though? http://www.mangobikes.co.uk/bikes/point-blank
It's disappeared
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It's back Mwahahahahaha!0
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quite like the "metropolitan ink" colourway... though it'd look better still with name lettering on the traditional locations, preferably done in hand turned gold leaf with a black,white pinstripe outline...0
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Yeah, it was a toss up between a few colours, but I decided on Orange. I'm going to wear my purple shell-suit when riding it and profess I'm the son of God and David Ike
I've gone for 46/18 gearing (instead of the 46/16) and I'm going to give riding it fixed a bash; in for a penny, in for a pound
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well - it's got a "flip-flop" rear hub hasn't it... with a 18T freewheel on one side and the fixed on the other, you can always reverse the wheel if you want to be able to freewheel occasionally...0
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Yeah, it was a toss up between a few colours, but I decided on Orange. I'm going to wear my purple shell-suit when riding it and profess I'm the son of God and David Ike
I've gone for 46/18 gearing (instead of the 46/16) and I'm going to give riding it fixed a bash; in for a penny, in for a pound
Fixies not my think but quite like that .... is it me or does it not have breaks? You riding it on a track?0 -
Jakess1971 wrote: »Fixies not my think but quite like that .... is it me or does it not have breaks? You riding it on a track?
No, it comes with brakes. They're just not on the picture for 'aesthetic' (hipster/fixie) reasons
Looking forward to giving it a whirl...0 -
whirl being the operative word, especially with a 68" gear... that'll take some getting used to on the downhills
(not saying it's the wrong choice BTW, it's probably what I'd have opted for, but it's certainly going to be a bit spinny at the speed you normally go at, when you hit a downhill section... takes a bit of getting used to using your legs as "engine braking" - pity it doesn't work like a KERS really...)
oh - and a hint - if you've never ridden a fixed gear before - first ride - flat pedals, sneakers, and shinpads... because you won't want to be clipped onto the pedals with the typical spd's and if you do come adrift, regaining the pedals if you're still moving will be a complete nightmare at 80-90 rpm...
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oh - and a hint - if you've never ridden a fixed gear before - first ride - flat pedals, sneakers, and shinpads... because you won't want to be clipped onto the pedals with the typical spd's and if you do come adrift, regaining the pedals if you're still moving will be a complete nightmare at 80-90 rpm...
Noted 0
