Originally Posted by
wjjones
I am “old and slow” myself. l am 68, a bit overweight, with bad knees. I don’t try to mash big gears or maintain 20 mph like in my youth (10-12 mph is more like it).
Anyway, my Shinola single speed came with a 38T chainring and an 18T rear cog. Short hills were easy, but I was spinning out on level ground. I went down to a 16T cog, and now I can cruise at my usual speed and climb some short hills. My area is pretty flat.
You may have to experiment and you may not nail it the first time.
38/16 is what I have on my single speed. With the 700x42 tires on that bike, that works out to approximately 66 gear inches. I only have to contend with wind, since we don't have any natural hills around here.
