Sincitycycler

Hi. I have read that bike messengers and some commuters like fixed gear bikes because of the weight savings and lack of things that can go wrong. What is a good gear ratio? My commute would be 25 miles round trip with a 1-2% climb on the way home. I'm an experience roadbiker so I don't mind mashing or spinning, but I am intrigued by riding a fixie? There is a bike for sale online with a 39Tx15T. Suggestions?

Sincitycycler

So nobody uses a fixie here? Thanks

BillyBob

There are a few. The fixed gear forums have people that would be able to advise you about gear ratios for commuting. I believe they aim for about 70 gear inches.

I don't have a fixed gear although I am considering it.

Daily Commute

Some people swear by fixies for commuting. And I agree, as long as your commute involves temperatures well below 0F, when free wheels start to get iffy. If you find riding a fixie fun, then go for it.

Personally, I find gears to be very useful. Yes, sometimes they cause problems, but going fixie to avoid gear problems is like cutting off your fingers to avoid papercuts.

LóFarkas

Hi there! I commute fixed, as do many in the ss/fixed forum. I ride 44/16, which is about the average in fixed circles. So 39/15 on 700C tyres might be a touch too low, but it's thereabouts, so it's well worth a try if the bike is ok otherwise (make sure it has a proper track hub with a lockring and horizontal or track dropouts). If you're a roadie, you'll know how much you like to spin. Most if not all tech issues (fixie-specific and general) are covered on sheldonbrown.com as you might know, so read around there and go to the ss/fg subforum if you're still unsure about something.
And don't forget to keep those cranks spinning

marqueemoon

I posted over in ss/fixed on you post about gear ratios. Since selling my beater fixed conversion I'm pretty much a fair weather fixed commuter. I use a geared bike with fenders for the nasty stuff. Fixed gives you more control in the rain, but only if you can see where you're going. Riding over pitch black potholed streets on a fixed bike is not my idea of fun, because as long as I'm moving the cranks are turning, and sometimes I don't want them to.

A 1-2% grade on a fixed bike is actually fun, because you have your momentum helping you turn the cranks a little bit. Spinning downhill really doesn't bother me. I think it's improved my riding. It might be weird at first if you're used to throwing it in the big ring for the downhills.

I guess the short answer is I love my fixed bike, but I'm glad it's not my only option.

Mars

I have a fixie that I commute with sometimes. They are ok, but not my first choice. they are fun to ride, requiring greater levels of concentration and planning. But... they require greater levels of concentration and planning. They are also slower than a geared bike and harder on your knees. They are as hard to go downhill on as uphill on. The simlicity aspect is nice, but you have to keep a close eye on the tension of the chain.

I still ride my fixie for errands and sometimes for commuting. Different strokes for different folks.

peregrine

I'm quite ignorant about fixies, does 44/16 cause you problems on a hilly ride? I have to climb a fairly steep hill on my way to work and I deffinitely use my 39T... but it could be that I'm just a wimp

hamandcheese

I ride 46/16 fixed for wet weather commuting. Its a pretty big gear but I don't have any hills (except one extreme one that I have to walk up two blocks) on my commute. My regular roadie is a bit too nice to ride in the muck if I can help it. Check this out to figure out what you're riding now and what you might need as far as gear ratio.

MN Dan

I love my fixed gear for commuting. It works for me because it's the same route day after day, so I don't really need the gears. The benefit is there really is nothing to break and it's works great in the snow and slush. As the gearing goes; you can get front chainrings and cogs for the rear for about $10-20 each if you look around ebay. Oh, the other benefit-fixed gear bikes are cheap.

buelito

I commute 46 miles round trip on a fixie... I have a road bike I use as well, but my commuter of choice is a fixie...and I ride a brake, which I use when going downhill to control the speed--to save my knees. My ratio is 48/18. I ride on a bike path (W&OD in the Virginia suburbs of Washington DC), and include a nasty hill every night going home. At first that hill was a horrible thing to watch, as my cadence slowly slowed to a crawl. It is not much better now, but I definitely feel a lot stronger on it than I did before. My bike is not a converted road bike, but a KHS 100 track bike.

You will enjoy riding the fixie--your pedal stroke will be rounder, and you will learn to 'pedal through' things, rather than to coast through them.

train safe-

climbo

used to commute on a fixie with a 42x15, in realtively flat areas, it works great. I used an older frame and wheels, hardly ever cleaned it, it just ran and ran day in day out with minimal maintenance.

same time

I commute on my fixed gear about half the time, cyclocross or road bike the other half. Depends on what mood I'm in.

The biggest benefit to the fixed gear, in my opinion, isn't the lack of things that go wrong or the light weight, though those things are nice. It's how easy the bike is to maintain. Just keep the chain lubed, air in the tires, that's it. No derailleurs to clean, cables to adjust, etc. You can even neglect the bike for a while, and all that happens is the chain gets noisy.

I ride a 42 x 15 gear (76 gear inches), and my commute includes two short steep hills. I think you'll find 39 x 15 a bit small, especially if your commute is flat. I have a front brake and use it on the downhills.

I prefer my cyclocross bike in snow/ice, because it has fatter tires. If you put fatter tires on your fixed gear bike, you often have to put a smaller gear on to compensate for the extra wheel weight.

dobber

I have four bikes that are

A) Fixed gear
B) Utilized for commuting

I have another six that are either geared or singlespeed. Each has it's advantages and disadvantages. The fixed Cross-Check is just a very comfortable ride. The fixed 1 x1 is a low-speed winter demon. The GT track is nimble and quick but sucks on the crappier roads. But there are times I like to amble on the XO-3 or slog along in the rain on the Peugeot converted SS. And the old tank, my trusty Jamis shows it's face in the spring when the roads are still potholed and sandy.

Were I faced with pairing down the fleet, the Cross-Check twins would be the last to go. One fixed and one with choices.

chuckfox

I really enjoy the change of pace of commuting on my fixie. My main commuter is a geared bike and I have a fairly level 6mi commute. The gear on my fixie is a 44/15. It's quite comfortable for climing and provides a brisk pace on the level. There is something very special about the mechanical simplicity of the fixed gear bike...something that resonates in my biking soul that is good!

rainedon

hamandcheese is right. ride your roadbike on your commute and figure out which gear is comfortable throughout the ride. Then when you get home, figure out how many gear inches that combo is and then match it on your new fixie. Most people are comfortable with a 65-75 inch gear. You'll outgrow your first gear quickly if you are riding consitently. I started comfortably with a 42-17 and a month later I went to a 16 and then a couple months after that I settled into a 15. I commute 32 miles RT exclusively on my fixie.

squeakywheel

Conventional wisdom = fixies are good for snow and ice because you get good feedback on traction loss.

I don't know. I've never ridden one. I'm a little put off by the safety issues. Mostly, I really like coasting. I can see it if it is really flat or if you are using fixed gear bikes for training. The most fun I have on a bike is coasting.

My main commute bike is a single speed. It has most of the low maintenance advantages of fixed gear bikes.

Thor29

I usually commute on my fixed gear - the danged thing is just too much fun to leave at home. But there is one thing about it that makes me want to go single-speed instead. That is the need for clipless pedals, which in turn require bike shoes. (I know a lot of people use toe straps, but I hate those things and clipless works so much better). I spend way too much time changing shoes when I go to the gym...

CBBaron

I've run lots of different gear ratios for my 8.5 mile commute with one hill (1/2 mile long ~5%).
The 48x16 that came stock with my track bike is a little steep but very doable with high pressure tires.
The 40x16 on my winter commuter is a pretty good ratio for cold, wet, light snow. It may be a little low for good pavement but winds and cold temps make it more difficult to maintain the same speeds.
I run 40x20 with studded tires when the weather gets really bad. Studded tires are much slower than slicks.
I know some of the messengers in Cleveland run as high as 53x15 without brakes but they are young and crazy kids.
A 39x15 sounds like a decent gear to start. You will probably end up changing it some once you find your comfort zone.
Just make sure you use atleast a front brake.
Fixies are fun and simple. They allow me to neglect maintence on my bike and reduce mechanicals. A SS will have similar maintence requirements but don't provide a backup braking system and I don't find them as fun. I guess its the challenge of riding fixed I really like for my daily commute.
Craig

huhenio

No ... it is not the best thing, but I like it.

recursive

I commute in winter on 48x15. Grades up to 10% don't present too much difficulty. I think I'm more of a masher though. For bad weather commuting, the fix is much easier to maintain than the geared bike I was riding last winter.

max-a-mill

i am slowly growing addicted to my daily fix.....

i vary between a fixed roadbike conversion (46x18) and a corsscheck with a freewheel and fenders (44x17, just for when it rains anymore).

i have 1 big hill and i got to say that going down is quite scary when your legs are going a million miles an hour and cars are whizzing by, it is still dark, blah blah.....

but man does it wake you up!

try it! either you'll love it or hate it (but i advise getting used to it on weekends when you don't have to be anywhere at a certain time).

as for maintenence a freewheeling singlespeed gives you ALMOST as little maintenence with all the lovely ability to coast (which is still just awesome for me somedays when i just don't feel like PEADLLING THE WHOLE WAY to work). and actually if you get a fixed/free wheel you can try both by just flipping the wheel.

barba

get a flip flop hub and decide if you like it fixed or freewheel better. Or put two different size cogs on either side. That way you can "change gears" to suit the terrain or switch between fixed and free.

rule

I wouldn't try learning how to start commuting and riding fixed at the same time. When I first started commuting, I got surprised all the time. Heck it still happens enough as it is. I'm getting used to it, but I am glad that back then I wasn't also trying to figure out any bike handling issues as well.

But hey, that's just me.

noisebeam

I commute nearly only on fixed gear (74.5 gear"). My commute is perfectly flat - I've done weekend rides with some hills though. Of course its different than many geared with a freewheel, but not as huge a difference as one may gather from some posts about fixed gear on these forums.

The bigger difference for me is the different geometries of the frame, giving different handling and comfort for the ride.

Al