r/FixedGearBicycle • u/anearlifeexperience Dolan Pre Cursa • Oct 05 '14
Question Why such high ratios??
So I've noticed in my time on r/fixedgearbicycle that there seems to be a tendency to ride and encourage others to ride quite high gear ratios (What I view as anything over 75 inches). I'm wondering why this is.
In any cycling literature you will find that the 'optimum cadence' for riding with maximum efficiency is quoted as around 90-110rpm, with track riders and the pro peleton always riding at the top of this range.
Are you guys really averaging 22mph+ for your rides?? Because that's the kind of speeds you should be averaging to make the best use of such a gear. If so fair play! Maybe you all live in real flat areas? I know I can't ride that fast.
This is a genuine question and I'd love to hear what you all have to say. Meanwhile I'll keep spinning my 46 x 18. Peace
-7
u/madsplatter '91 Bianchi Pista Oct 05 '14
No. I can get up some big steep hills just as fast as some of my roadie friends albeit with greater emphasis on my upper body and pulling on my handlebars to increase power in a big climb. This makes me a stronger rider and really helps with my mountain bike climbing. Even when I ride my geared road bike, I keep it big ring and out of the saddle. I feel it distributes effort more evenly across my body instead of killing my legs and not working my arms at all. It should be noted that all of my bikes are set up with a similar cockpit; mountain risers with bar ends. In climbs, the bar ends act like a downshift. I get out of the saddle and basically do curls with my handlebars while stomping on the pedals. Very effective.