single speed long distance riding what gear ratio are you using.
Building a bike for winter training one gear, unsure of the gear ratio I stay in the 90 RPM range
on my geared bike I live in Texas its flat and I dont mind suffering on the hills.
I was thinking of a 50T front and a 17T rear, any thoughts?
if its flat, i’d go steeper. I use 2:1 for hilly mtb riding… I’d probably go 50 - 14/15 (and you have 2 gears, standing and sitting…) but just look at what you ride on your other bikes. big ring - mid cassette is usually 53 : 15.
for the off-season, IMHO, start off with 38 / 17 and go for cadence at 100 for long distance on generally flat terrain. develop the aerobic muscle endurance first …then push the big gears later after suppleness kicks in… then go for the 50…
just put on a rear derailleur/cassette such as 11/21 and for the front use a 53t. Some days the legs will want to go 90 and others they will need help!
4217 for me. 5017 seems way too high.
I live in Austin and just set up a 49x18. I’m thinking about going to a 17 or 16.
If it were flatter here, I would definitely go 16 or even 15.
The old school fixed gear iswas 42-17 (66" roll out). I ride with a group of guys that ride fixed all winter, including hills. Some will run as low as 63", a couple up to 70" but not more. If it’s flat, you can get away with a slightly higher gear but you’ll pay on any hills.
I really like my 42t front chainring on a single speed build and as other have mentioned, play around with the rear cog. I have had really good luck running a 42/16 but it is a little hard on the hills in BC. With the cogs, it is just easier to get the gear ratio and play around until you find something comfortable.
I just converted my single speed road build to a 1 X 6 for the winter and the rear is now 23,21,19,17,15,13 which is great for winter riding. I have some custom spacers on the way to put the 6 gears bang in the middle of the rear.
I was thinking of a 50T front and a 17T rear, any thoughts?
Since you asked… Not sure what you mean by long distance, but I use 42x15 fixed for daily flat commute (30-40 mi. rt) and it can get tough with steady wind. My old steel commuter with lights, rack, basket etc. weighs ~30 lbs unloaded and with 42x15 can be a bear on even short freeway overpasses. You might find short climbs easier on a light weight bike. FWIW, I pedal ~95-105 rpm range and have ~270 watt FTP.
I do recommend going single speed, fixed even better, as opposed to freewheeling and leaving it in a certain gear. Its not the same having an emergency bailout or coasting, vs. forced continual pedaling with no bailout gear option.