What’s your all-around urban gearing? In gear-inches, please!
08-29-20, 01:29 PM
#1
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What’s your all-around urban gearing? In gear-inches, please!
Just curious: what gear-inch number(s) do urban single-speed riders settle in for?
Gear-inches = rear wheel diameter x front chainring ÷ rear cog
Please specify if your number is for fixed or freewheel. Thanks!
Gear-inches = rear wheel diameter x front chainring ÷ rear cog
Please specify if your number is for fixed or freewheel. Thanks!
08-29-20, 03:59 PM
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Mid-70s is usually my happy place. Currently running 48x17 fixed on 700c with 28mm tires.
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09-01-20, 07:06 PM
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Slowpoke here, 65 gear inches, freewheel with coaster brake. With this gearing there are a couple hills in my locale that I can barely climb, so it's enough. Most of the time, it's just right for lazy cruising.
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09-01-20, 07:54 PM
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700c x 35mm tires, 38x16 gear with a freewheel. I believe that's low 60s. I mix in a lot of singletrack and go looking for hills to climb though. If I was riding flatter terrain with smooth tires and fixed, I'd want something taller. I picked this one around what works for me on 50+ mile gravel races.
32x20 on my 29er with 2.4" tires. that's 50 GI, which is just a bit on the tall side for mtb gearing.
32x20 on my 29er with 2.4" tires. that's 50 GI, which is just a bit on the tall side for mtb gearing.
Last edited by mack_turtle; 09-04-20 at 09:17 AM.
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09-04-20, 12:44 AM
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I'm on 16x48 (78.7 gi) freewheel, I live and ride around a mostly flat area and I'm still able to handle what slopes are here. I like being able to mash up to city speed limit to match cars when I need. I'm still stuck running 700c x 23.
Last edited by GhostSS; 09-04-20 at 12:49 AM.
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09-05-20, 02:31 PM
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Pretty low here - 42x19 on 700c 40s, freewheel - puts me around 61-62 gi I think. But I live at the base of the mountains. 25% grade right out my front door. And I ride lots of dirt on it too, so it's not all urban riding. I'm sometimes envious of folks who live where it's not so steep!
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09-05-20, 06:40 PM
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Fix gear, 44-17 = 70"
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09-05-20, 06:48 PM
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09-05-20, 08:44 PM
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I have a P bass with flats and a Q-filter! Awesome! And a Ripper, which is a whole different kind of awesome.  28526;
Otto
Otto
But yeah, numero uno is a P with 10 year old flats and a foam mute. Rippers are killer!
Last edited by pbass; 09-05-20 at 08:50 PM.
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09-06-20, 11:15 AM
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SS CX (700c) = 62.3 gear inches (39 X 17)
BMX Cruiser (26") = 62.7 gear inches (38 X 16)
BMX Cruiser (29") = 62.3 gear inches (28 X 13)
Spin it to win it!
BMX Cruiser (26") = 62.7 gear inches (38 X 16)
BMX Cruiser (29") = 62.3 gear inches (28 X 13)
Spin it to win it!
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09-08-20, 07:49 AM
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70 gear inches when road riding by myself.
80 gear inches to keep up with 20mph group road rides.
50 gear inches for singletrack..
80 gear inches to keep up with 20mph group road rides.
50 gear inches for singletrack..
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09-08-20, 08:19 AM
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Not so much urban, but -
70-in for pavement, achieved either 42x16 (Mercian) or 45x17 (Gitane) on 28 mm tires or 44x17 on 35 mm tires on the Raleigh Competition. 70-in gears have worked really well for me for more than 20 years now, primarily riding the rolling terrain of the "Lakelands Area" of South Carolina. Yes, I do spend some time standing and grunting up the sometimes shockingly steep little climbs around here, and sometimes I don't feel human after spinning to the bottom, but generally it works well.
60-in for gravel via 42x19 on 35 mm on the Raleigh is my current setup. Surly Dingle helps, and it's nice to ride fixed and be able to change gears without completely removing and flipping the rear wheel.
63-in for gravel via 42x18 on 28 mm on the Mercian is what I did for years before the Dingle-speed was built. I got reasonably adept at flipping the rear wheel, but now I'm old. Still, if I was on the Mercian and presented with the opportunity, I'm ready.
Planned but not yet implemented - 52-in singletrack, 60-in ss pavement via 20/22 Dos Eno freewheel and 42/44T rings on the Raleigh. If I can just make myself come up off my wallet ...
70-in for pavement, achieved either 42x16 (Mercian) or 45x17 (Gitane) on 28 mm tires or 44x17 on 35 mm tires on the Raleigh Competition. 70-in gears have worked really well for me for more than 20 years now, primarily riding the rolling terrain of the "Lakelands Area" of South Carolina. Yes, I do spend some time standing and grunting up the sometimes shockingly steep little climbs around here, and sometimes I don't feel human after spinning to the bottom, but generally it works well.
60-in for gravel via 42x19 on 35 mm on the Raleigh is my current setup. Surly Dingle helps, and it's nice to ride fixed and be able to change gears without completely removing and flipping the rear wheel.
63-in for gravel via 42x18 on 28 mm on the Mercian is what I did for years before the Dingle-speed was built. I got reasonably adept at flipping the rear wheel, but now I'm old. Still, if I was on the Mercian and presented with the opportunity, I'm ready.
Planned but not yet implemented - 52-in singletrack, 60-in ss pavement via 20/22 Dos Eno freewheel and 42/44T rings on the Raleigh. If I can just make myself come up off my wallet ...
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09-08-20, 11:35 PM
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My work bike is 75.27 gear inches. I feel like I have the best of both worlds; I don't spin out cruising with traffic, but can muscle up hills. It also gives me a lot of skid patches, though I try to skid judiciously.
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09-08-20, 11:50 PM
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My “gravel” bike, which is definitely a road bike but with treaded tires, came with a 38 front and 17&18 rear. So far I’ve had it in the 59” gear and I’m able to go nearly anywhere, which tells me it’s too easy. I’ve got a bum ticker though so I don’t expect to get very high.
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09-09-20, 06:52 AM
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With all the starting and stopping I seem to do because of vehicle traffic, stop signs, and traffic lights . . . 66 gear inches works well for me in middle age.
*single speed freewheel
*single speed freewheel
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09-09-20, 07:01 AM
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Oddly enough, H.H. England’s Cycling Manual (1st ed. 1917, 23rd ed. 1954) recommended a 65-in gear for gentlemen and a 60-in gear for ladies. I am assuming he was writing about single-speed as opposed to what he would have called fixed-wheel.
F.J. Camm’s Every Cyclist’s Handbook repeatedly references a 65-in gear as if it were the norm.
Last edited by rustystrings61; 11-10-20 at 11:54 AM.
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09-12-20, 05:43 AM
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52x20
this big BMX 700cx47mm
73.3 GI
this big BMX 700cx47mm
73.3 GI
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09-15-20, 06:46 PM
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WABI Special 46x17 > 72.3 .................................................... but im thinking maybe 48 x 17 because i have a 48 ring 
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09-16-20, 10:17 AM
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09-19-20, 09:00 PM
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48x18, 70 gear inches for me. I switch to 52x118 when I am riding in NJ, where it is flat.
Under a RR Bridge in PA w/70 gear inches
Under a RR Bridge in PA w/70 gear inches
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09-21-20, 02:41 PM
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^^^^ why am i told that 48 X 17 is OK but 48 x 18 is not 
something about integers ?
something about integers ?
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