RaleighSport

Hi if anyone of you read the SS/FG forum you probably already know I'm converting a 79 schwinn le tour IV into a SS, I'm doing this because I want to basically not use my car for anything under 30 miles... even after the conversion this bike will probably weigh between 25-30 lbs and probably have 78 gear inches.. is this a suitable commuter for daily use?

JAG410

Sure. Any bike can be a commuter. If you need fenders and racks, and your bike doesn't support them, then you might have an issue. Same would go for having a hilly commute and only one gear. Its up to you and your individual needs as to whether or not that bike will work.

RaleighSport

It has the mount points for racks and fenders I do believe, as for my needs there aren't many hills here but when I find one I want to be able to laugh at it, and still have a good flat speed

somedood

Only you can answer the question about whether the gear inches will work for you and your terrian. Was it is a geared bike before and you are converting it? If so, why not just keep it as a geared bike so you don't have to worry about it?

RaleighSport

It was a junker bike boom era 10 speed, I don't care for it's shifting style at all and I plan to buy a much more modern multigeared bike in the near future for keeping up with my brother in law who is a serious rider... but thanks for the input

groovestew

I don't know much about gear inches, but I just spent a week commuting on a SS with (I think) 70 gear inches (if Sixty Fiver reads this thread, he can confirm). Top speed was acceptable, but not spectacular. Hills were a bit of a challenge - I certainly wasn't laughing at them, and I'm a half-decent climber (for a cycle-commuter).

CliftonGK1

I can't speak for everyone, but 78" would be steep as hell for me. I run 70" on my ss roadie commuter, but I also have a couple of 1 mile (or longer) climbs each direction on my commute. I might roll 75" on a bike I purpose build to take to the velodrome, but that's about it.

Again, just one guy's opinion. I find 65 - 70 inches to be the right ratio for me.

RaleighSport

Okay thanks again, I'm gonna look into a 52/20 for now that should give me 70.4 according to sheldon's calculator... and if I need smaller I can adjust the dropouts/chain as needed. I don't know if this would help input any but I always come in between 140-150 and while I'm not out of shape, I don't have legs of steel just yet.

zoltani

I run about 67GI, but I've got hills, steep ones. Still though, I like this ratio on the flats, but I can spin. It builds endurance.

hueyhoolihan

IMHO the gearing is likely to make it so unenjoyable to ride that it is likely to force you back to driving a car.

i would suggest starting at the high 50's for gearing and work up from there. gearing changes are cheap compared to most other mods, so i guess it doesn't really matter. you'll find out what you need from experience.

RaleighSport

heh.. that's about what I was hoping for on my top end! Well I've got a freewheel I was experimenting with unpinning the cogs on.. I may just have to try a big cog first and step down slowly till I find what I like then.. hmm I'd need a 22t or 24t to get down to that range though..and according to sheldon at 64 GI would be 17.1 mph at 90rpm's, isn't that a bit slow? I'd really like to know...

zoltani

high 50s? Not recommended for someone just starting out IMO. Spinning that ratio down an incline would be nuts....
I agree with Clifon 65-70 seems good for city riding, but we do both live in the same hilly area.

RaleighSport

Well I think from what you guys have told me I'm going to start with a 52/22 that'll put me at 64.1 GI, also it's a wussy SS not a FG so downhill is gonna be no issue at all.. if I develop legs of steel later I'll go ahead and try something in the 50's... thanks a lot!

Leisesturm

Back in the day I had a brief (summer) fling with single speed. I set it up with a 66" inch gear on the advice of a local guru (Thomas Avena). I was about as fit as I ever was and sometimes it was frustrating not to have something bigger but truthfully it was a good thing sometimes that I had that 66" gear. Still, it must be said... if ss/fg was such a great idea, doya's really think all that moolah would be plowed into shifting systems? My commute folders have 7 and 9 speeds respectively and I use every damn one during the trip. Could I complete the trip entirely in a 66" gear? Probably, but it wouldn't be nearly as pleasant and there is one spot that I know I would have to walk up. I have a 70's era Schwinn World Tourist with this funky front freewheel system and 10 speeds that I picked up at a rummage sale. It had drop bars but I have changed it to North Road bars. It shifts extremely well so I am reluctant to mess with the drivetrain but it isn't compatible with anything coming out of Japan these days. I'd never think of making an SS out of it, modern drivetrain components could bring that bike forward 40 years for about that many dollars.

H

Leisesturm

You have it backwards: lower gear inches pedal easier, not harder. If you develop legs of steel, and this is doubtful, because cycling is (relatively) low resistance high rep work which does little to 'develop' your legs. But, anyway, the point is taken. If and when you develop stronger quads you will want to try a bigger gear. Maybe. Try this, however, with your cycling: https://www.twohundredsquats.com/ good luck.

H

nashcommguy

My gear combo is 48x16 Fuji Del-Rey fg conversion w/a seatpost rack/expandable trunkbag on my light days. I use a Motobecane Fantom CX2 for loaded hauling on Mondays and the fg the rest of the week. My terrain is hilly w/a 500 ft drop into work and a 500 ft climb homeward. Before going fg I ran a 46x16 combo over the same terrain w/no problems so I figured adding another inch wouldn't make that much of a difference. The main thing is that I don't use the fg for 'loaded' cycling as it would be too tough on the knees. Although I'm thinking of getting this bike: https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...kilott_s3x.htm and putting a rack and bags on it. I love riding fg.

Btw, my rt daily commute is 41 miles.

zoltani

I was thinking of picking up the S3X wheelset and then I saw that bike, which is only $80 more than the wheelset...for a whole bike...wft?

While I would like to try the S3X wheelset, I definitely don't need another bike. I really would love to try that thing on my cross check...

wolfchild

I run 46/18 on my fixed gear commuter. It's a good gear ratio for rolling terrain with an occassional hill. I have front and rear racks, bike is often loaded when I do grocery shopping. I like anything between 65-70 GI's.

Nate916

I used to run 48/16. This was great on the flats, hill sucked tho. I went to 48/18 and it's like a diff bike. Sometimes I wish I still had the 16t cog on, but when I come to a hill Im glad I have the 18t. I am pretty new to biking (started 2.5 months ago) and I can already tell my legs arent the same. You live in north bay? Depending where your at you def might want to go for mid to high 60's. You live in North Bay? Depending where your at it can get pretty hilly. Cog's are pretty cheap, if what you have dose not feel good try a dif one. To calculate how far one spin will take you divide the chain ring by the cog and multiply it by the diameter (in inches) of your wheel.

16/48 = 3. 3 x 27 (700c) = 81 gear inches.

I could be wrong but I think this is accurate.

RaleighSport

Alright I've been to a LOT of local bike shops today, two places sold out today of 20-22t and the others just looked at me dumb founded at that size... I think I'm just going to order both a 20 and a 22 just to get started from amazon... on the other hand before I do that I'm going to head out to the dump tomorrow and see about a bmx donor bike, since I need drop outs a BB and a headtube for a different project as well... just about any bmx flywheel with the right teeth will do as far as I know as long as it's not cassette.. or there's also this... https://www.amazon.com/Dimension-Coas.../dp/B004JKIEFU I'm asking about it in the SS/FG forum as well, but can you guys tell me if this would be worth my time?