Hello everyone I recently purchased a cheaper Alloy frame Fixed gear bicycle to get some exercise out in the sticks. I'm surrounded by cornfields here in the Midwest and all the land is relatively flat. After my first bike ride I realized my crank is pretty much junk since the screw and inner threading completely stripped out after the first ride of about 5 miles in the country just trying to get used to the fixed gear. I'm in the process of buying a new crankset and want something dependable.. I have an idea of what I want as i'm 25 and have been riding bikes since i was about 3... just not a fixie. I'm looking at a 46/15 tooth set-up and trying to decide between a SRAM S300 courier, a leader Corsa, or a standard Andel crank. I've looked up some stuff on each but haven't really found many people who use the leader and wondered if anyone around here has one or an opinion on them, as well as my 46/15 set up for mostly flat land. Thanks!
New to the Community/Fixed gear world!!
Rmilledge32
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Hello everyone I recently purchased a cheaper Alloy frame Fixed gear bicycle to get some exercise out in the sticks. I'm surrounded by cornfields here in the Midwest and all the land is relatively flat. After my first bike ride I realized my crank is pretty much junk since the screw and inner threading completely stripped out after the first ride of about 5 miles in the country just trying to get used to the fixed gear. I'm in the process of buying a new crankset and want something dependable.. I have an idea of what I want as i'm 25 and have been riding bikes since i was about 3... just not a fixie. I'm looking at a 46/15 tooth set-up and trying to decide between a SRAM S300 courier, a leader Corsa, or a standard Andel crank. I've looked up some stuff on each but haven't really found many people who use the leader and wondered if anyone around here has one or an opinion on them, as well as my 46/15 set up for mostly flat land. Thanks!
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46x15 is 83 gear inches which is fairly large gear. Even though it is "mostly flat" where you live i suspect there are some hills and grades. Additionlly there is wind. I find the wind harder than climbing. Most use a general all round gear of approximately 70". You will end up with several cogs of different teeth. I use 70 for general riding and 80" for group riding on a mostly flat course with no real climbs. I think you may have difficulty keeping up a good cadence with 83" unless you are on a flat course with a strong tail wind. There are various gear calculators online; I use Wabi Cycles. I have Andel cranks that came with the Wabi and it works fine and is reasonably round. Check out Ben's Cycles for fixed gear componets. Ben's carries Andel products. I don't know if Sram would be a better buy or not. Andel products get rebranded and marked up by other companies. It seems to me Andel is about as cheap as you will find that is descently made but certainly not "track quality". I'm not pushing Andel, just my experience. Others here have far more experience than me. I'm still trying to figure this stuff out.
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Thank you, that's what I'm looking for is personal experience with the products not just reviews from random people that for all I know could be done by people within the corp. So if what I've been reading about the gear inches is correct I need to step up to a higher tooth on the Cog correct? likely a 17-18 to get closer to that 70"?
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Bigger cog or smaller ring or both. Gear inches = (ring/cog) X wheel diameter in inches. Diameter is about 26.5 inches for the typical 700-25 tire. 46x17 is about 72 inches.
70 inches is the common starting point for many FG riders because it equates to normal cruising speed at normal cadence for many riders. With a 70-inch gear, 90 rpm gets you almost 19 mph, 100 is just under 21.
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Well...since im on mostly flat surfaces would a 46X16 allow a slightly higher top end speed, or am I thinking backwards and should go with an 18... I'm not looking to go super fast but most of my country roads are just massive stretches of flat strait-aways with occasional chip and seal areas...lol
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go here and play with different gears and candence. Wabi Cycles gearing info page
Like I said you will end up with several cogs for different road conditions and fitness levels. You want a gear you can realistically ride at 90 rpm if the road is flat and the wind is light. It would be good if you can get three cog sizes with one chain. You may end up with several length chains. Most but not all are using 70 gear inches or something very close-76/73. A few are using higher or lower 60/80. A 46x17=73". A cadence of 90=19.5 mph. Cadence of 100 is 21.7 mph. On the flats you want to get your speed out of rpm not mashing. for some riders this may be riding at a cadence of 90 while others ride at 100 rpm. Look at the Wabi chart. You may find another chain ring other than a 46 better for you. I like the 46T but I running 650 tires and have to use larger cogs (fewer teeth) to give me the gearing I wnat. I have a nimber of different cogs. I have found after gaining fitness and experimentation the 70" to be the best all round gear for me but I ride through lots of rollers, short climbs and grades with oftern strong winds. The Andel cogs are only $15.
Like I said you will end up with several cogs for different road conditions and fitness levels. You want a gear you can realistically ride at 90 rpm if the road is flat and the wind is light. It would be good if you can get three cog sizes with one chain. You may end up with several length chains. Most but not all are using 70 gear inches or something very close-76/73. A few are using higher or lower 60/80. A 46x17=73". A cadence of 90=19.5 mph. Cadence of 100 is 21.7 mph. On the flats you want to get your speed out of rpm not mashing. for some riders this may be riding at a cadence of 90 while others ride at 100 rpm. Look at the Wabi chart. You may find another chain ring other than a 46 better for you. I like the 46T but I running 650 tires and have to use larger cogs (fewer teeth) to give me the gearing I wnat. I have a nimber of different cogs. I have found after gaining fitness and experimentation the 70" to be the best all round gear for me but I ride through lots of rollers, short climbs and grades with oftern strong winds. The Andel cogs are only $15.
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There's an unexamined assumption in that question. A taller gear will only "allow" a higher speed if you can produce the necessary power. With that 46x15, at 90 rpm you're going almost 22 mph. Can you cruise at that speed solo? Some can and do (I can't). And to get that are you willing to suffer being way overgeared on headwind stretches? (I hear that's an issue in Florida ;-)
For brief periods when you want higher speeds and can achieve them (tailwinds, e.g.) keep in mind that you can learn to spin faster. Most FG riders do. I ride a 73 inch gear (39x14), sometimes in moderately hilly or rolling terrain, and I can easily spin 120 rpm for good stretches (26 mph) on descents, and I can briefly do over 140. And I still have a gear that I can grind up the hill.
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That makes more sense, I'll likely grab some 15-17T cog's and play around with them and figure out what I like most! Thanks for all the help guys.
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I ended up going with a 46/17 and it's working out great for the flat country area I live in! I did find out though my tires only allow about 60 psi..where as my tubes want around 100-120 so I'm going to have to grab some new treads so I can get the correct pressure for the tube's.
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??? why do your tubes "want" 120 psi? Tubes don't care what the pressure is. They just provide a barrier to stop the air. The tire contains the pressure -- without the tire, the tube would just keep stretching until it exploded.
Do the tires say they're limited to 60? Usually there's a pretty good safety margin in those recommendations, so you can probably go to 75-80 safely, and that might be just right. What size are the tires, and how much do you weigh? Almost nobody benefits from 120 psi.
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I was told by the fella at my LBS the tubes can handle up to 120 and its usually best to have them around 90-100 psi. My tires have a 60 psi max, I weigh around 170 lbs and they are 700c tires that came stock with the bike.
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700C /what? There's another number that tells their width (2 digits, between 23 and 38); that's the important number.
The guy at the LBS knows not whereof he speaks. Do a search on this board for "tire pressure" to find many discussions of how to determine optimum tire pressure, based on tire size, rider weight, riding style and road conditions.
Those sound like some cheap tires. The tires that came with my bike had a limit of 90psi. Not that it matters much. Just as long as it holds the air and give you the grip you need. I'm rolling with some gatorskins 700/25c. I fill them up to 120psi in the rear and about 115 in the front. I'm also a little heavier though. (193lbs)
As far as the gearing, I'm comfortable with the 46t / 16t ratio, but when I feel like a want a little more speed, I'll go for the 15t cog. I have the origin rims that have two fixed gear sides to the hub. So I can just flip it for stronger riding days. Where I ride, is pretty much all flat. Houston/Katy, Texas area.
I can't do the 15t too much though, legs will start complaining and cramping if I keep doing it every day or every other day. My mph average really picks up though.
As far as the gearing, I'm comfortable with the 46t / 16t ratio, but when I feel like a want a little more speed, I'll go for the 15t cog. I have the origin rims that have two fixed gear sides to the hub. So I can just flip it for stronger riding days. Where I ride, is pretty much all flat. Houston/Katy, Texas area.
I can't do the 15t too much though, legs will start complaining and cramping if I keep doing it every day or every other day. My mph average really picks up though.
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its a 700/35
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Try them at 60 psi front and 70 rear. Might be comfy and feel plenty fast. Those larger tires at a little lower pressure will give you some protection from the junk along the side of the roads. I wouldn't waste money buying new tires until you have some experience riding the thing.
If you do get new tires eventually, I wouldn't go smaller than 25. And then start with pressures about 90/100. Higher just makes the ride harsh.
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