yet another gearing question
#1
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yet another gearing question
is 48 x 19 a good gear for a first fixed.
The bike I bought is geared at 48 X 16. The gearing is a bit too high. Am I better dropping down the chainring size or swapping for a bigger cog?
Thanx
The bike I bought is geared at 48 X 16. The gearing is a bit too high. Am I better dropping down the chainring size or swapping for a bigger cog?
Thanx
#2
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Cogs are cheaper.
I'm pretty happy with 48x17. I'm running 170mm cranks with a 34" inseam.
Not the greatest for frequent starts and stops, but when I can open it up and grab the tips of the horns, look out. Yeee-haw!
I'm pretty happy with 48x17. I'm running 170mm cranks with a 34" inseam.
Not the greatest for frequent starts and stops, but when I can open it up and grab the tips of the horns, look out. Yeee-haw!
#3
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Originally Posted by skanking biker
is 48 x 19 a good gear for a first fixed.
The bike I bought is geared at 48 X 16. The gearing is a bit too high. Am I better dropping down the chainring size or swapping for a bigger cog?
Thanx
The bike I bought is geared at 48 X 16. The gearing is a bit too high. Am I better dropping down the chainring size or swapping for a bigger cog?
Thanx
#4
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Changing the cog is definitely cheaper and depending on the length of your dropouts (i'm assuming you've got horizontal) you might not even have to adjust the chain length.
48x16 = 1:3.00 ratio
48x19 = 1:2.53 ratio
48x20 = 1:2.40 ratio
I'd go with 48x19 or 48x20 to get your spinning up to par and then go back to the 48x16 when you're ready.
Kaz
48x16 = 1:3.00 ratio
48x19 = 1:2.53 ratio
48x20 = 1:2.40 ratio
I'd go with 48x19 or 48x20 to get your spinning up to par and then go back to the 48x16 when you're ready.
Kaz
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its got a fixed fixed flip flop hub, so i can keep the existing one. If getting a cog is cheaper, i;ll go that route. the bike has track drops, so i dont know how that will affect the chainlength and other considerations you mentioned.
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You might need to add a link or two.
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Buying a new cog is cheaper than buying a new chainring, but if your cranks are 130BCD you can probably find a used 3/32" chainring for little or nothing if you do a little scrounging. Used track cogs seem to hold their value pretty well, provided they're not worn out. If you do some garage sailing, you can probably buy a whole bike for what an EAI cog costs.
Go to your local bike co-op and see what they have lying around in the bins.
m.
Go to your local bike co-op and see what they have lying around in the bins.
m.
Last edited by mcatano; 06-05-05 at 02:41 PM.
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yeah, come by freewheel (1818 Park St. South) on thursday afternoons. They'd be happy to hook you up with a chainring for a modest donation.
track "drops" are handlebars. track "dropouts" aren't called dropouts, they're called "ends".
track "drops" are handlebars. track "dropouts" aren't called dropouts, they're called "ends".
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Just by luck, all of my cranksets that I use are 110 BCD, which means that I can use old BMX, MTB, Road compact, or rings from touring bikes.
The few bikes that I found in the trash all had 110 BCD rings on them, so now I have TONS of rings, in many size choices from 42t-52t in 2 tooth increments, in both steel and alu. My favorite LBS also has literally hundreds of these rings, so they are cheap and plentifiul for me.
I guesss what I'm saying is that I am set for life on chain rings, and I've only bought one.
PS. Danscomp.com sells cheap rings.
EDIT: HERE is a really helpful trick on chain length and dropout position. Listen up people:
To keep the same chain length, and thus the same position in the dropouts, keep the same total # of teeth on the ring + cog.
i.e 44x16 and 42x18 will yield the same dropout position and chain length because of the same total number of teeth (60).
The few bikes that I found in the trash all had 110 BCD rings on them, so now I have TONS of rings, in many size choices from 42t-52t in 2 tooth increments, in both steel and alu. My favorite LBS also has literally hundreds of these rings, so they are cheap and plentifiul for me.
I guesss what I'm saying is that I am set for life on chain rings, and I've only bought one.
PS. Danscomp.com sells cheap rings.
EDIT: HERE is a really helpful trick on chain length and dropout position. Listen up people:
To keep the same chain length, and thus the same position in the dropouts, keep the same total # of teeth on the ring + cog.
i.e 44x16 and 42x18 will yield the same dropout position and chain length because of the same total number of teeth (60).
Last edited by BostonFixed; 06-05-05 at 05:29 PM.