General: HIGH GEAR RATIO

I ride a conversion fixie and i have a 52/14 gear ratio. It's ok riding up steep hills, but impossible to control my bike going down steep hills going into lights or intersections. I would like to be able to do things like sit down skids and wheelies, but it seems a little immpossible because of my heavy gear. Am I just being a pussy, or is my gearing to high? What would some people suggest as a better ratio? Thanks

thank you so much that was very helpful. did u end up going with the 46/16? could u still smash, or did u have to pedal too fast?

haha im sorry greg im a little new your gonna have to explain that a little lol

o ok definitely i think im gonna go with that. Since youve already done the research, what are some good front chainrings and rear cogs that i can buy. what are yours? any complaints or regrets?

Cool thanks a lot i saw that in the other thread and checked it out. Thank you so much for your suggestions. If anyone else has any other advice i'm trying to learn as much as i can so let me know!

haha yea thats true the reason i stareted geting a little worried was because someone who I rode with told me i was crazy for riding that gearing with no brakes, and then i was wondering why i couldnt sit down skid or stop on hills when people who were much less experienced riders than me (hard to find) could do all that shit.

yea thats what i figured i already have normal skids down but they're a bitch haha especcially cuz i dont have a bike with the geometrey for that. The big concern is being able to slow down coming down hills.

I try to stop the whole way down because i know how dangerous it is without a brake. Sometimes I even have to walk my bike down hills. I'm an extrmeley careful rider when it comes to things like that.

haha yea exactly, do u think if i brought my gearing to the 46/16 it would fix my steep hill problem?

Yes definitely the problem with going down hills for me is that the high gear makes it really hard to backpedal so i was thinking that if i put it in a lower gear, i could reisit and skid or skip a lot easier

Yea stinky i c what you mean, i've been riding for a couple months and consider myself a competent rider, i just feel like the only thing holding me back at this point is my gear, because the only times i have trouble are on steep hills, and if i can solve that by changing gears, then thats how i would want to do it, i've been riding like this for a while and done well without a front brake, and can't think of a time when i would use it other than these hills, and that kind of seems like a waste of $70 or so to me, but i've definitely thought about it.

Save your knees and spin to win! I go with 42/17 with all kinds of skid patches and low gear for keeping under control in the city..

42 is crazyyy small.. 49x17 ftw. When going down hills, its all about foot retention, slow yourself down, and let it fly down hills

Yeah, 42x 17 is just too small. Come on guys. Unless your pulling your kids around sesame street in the trailer. Even then, Big bird would heckle you.

his toe cages would be.....epic.

whats good about a 45/16 gear?

Posted By: GOBSTOPTODROPwhats good about a 45/16 gear?

you can spin your pedals a million miles a minute and go nowhere

well riding around with 45/16 is not very smart, but theres no way I would ever ride around town with a 52/14.. Your looking at both extremes . Pick something practical , yet somewhat challenging .

I would go a little bigger, if you want a good all around gear. I think people find that a 48 tooth ring is ideal

well a 52/21 is only a 2.4 ratio, which is actually easier than the 45/16 at 2.8 .. So yeah dont run a 52/21 either . If your keeping the 52 on, I'd say run a 18 cog, giving you a 2.8 ratio, same as a 49x17 which I think is ideal.

Posted By: deermattwell a 52/21 is only a 2.4 ratio, which is actually easier than the 45/16 at 2.8 .. So yeah dont run a 52/21 either . If your keeping the 52 on, I'd say run a 18 cog, giving you a 2.8 ratio, same as a 49x17 which I think is ideal.

my ratio is very low, with 23s tires its around 65 gear inches. i thought he was looking for a lower ratio for more control, and with a ratio this low, i can maneuver adeptly at my whim through traffic, perfect for me. the problem with such a low ratio is a low top speed for some people, but i have short crank arms. though they make pedaling harder, they allow me to spin very quickly which lessens the top speed problem. if youre looking for more control, try to look for something at 70 gear inches or lower assuming 165mm crank arms, but there is no ideal. beg, borrow, and deal for a variety of used cogs because no one can say use this and dont use that. find whats right for you!

Posted By: tangsutoI think what might come off as confusing is what deermatt pointed out. Just because you get a bigger ring, but have a bigger cog also doesn't mean your ratio is any higher. It's actually a combination of the two. Bigger ring and smaller cog makes your ratio go up.
So what I think deermatt is saying with his example of 52x21 vs. 49x17 is, what's the point of having a huge ring and huge cog if it's actually easier than having a combination of the smaller 49x17 which is actually harder and faster (what I believe is more of what you're looking for)?

if the ratio is the same, the ratio is the same, of course, haha, but there are very subtle differences. with a larger combination of the same ratio, itll be smoother, quieter, and more durable while giving up a little weight. i must say my drive train is absolutely inaudible, and i like the look of a large chain ring as well, but my cog is uncommonly large because i like a low ratio. however, whether you want to go larger or smaller on a given ratio shouldnt be an issue now. i suggested finding your perfect ratio by working around the chain ring because its easier to change out in my opinion, cheaper, and for many conversions, the largest ring cannot be removed.

45 x 16 is optimal for me for city riding. Acceleration and deceleration are both quick. 46 x 16 is not that much different so I think that would be a good choice. But hell, if you've been riding 52/14 then you probably won't like it.

You guys should check out the rabbit gear calculator. It not only gives you ratios and skid patches and crap, but also gives comparable ratios. For example 46x16 is the same as 43x15 except for the number of skid patches. At least with this tool you can get an idea of where you want to be gear-inches wise. I generally try to run the smallest chainring/cog combo to save weight where I can.

Posted By: a.corby I generally try to run the smallest chainring/cog combo to save weight where I can.

im on the other end of the spectrum trading weight for smoothness. if youre that concerned with weight, i hope your drive train is 3/32.

Thats why I shoot a deuce before I ride!