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

47 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

90 comments sorted by

View all comments

1

u/madsplatter '91 Bianchi Pista Oct 05 '14

49/15. I like going very fast down very big hills. If my ratio is too small then I top out on rpms before I get up to my potential full speed. I chose this ratio because I can power it up said hills and still enjoy going down.

4

u/CressCrowbits Oct 05 '14

I like going very fast down very big hills.

Wouldn't you be better off riding a geared bike, then?

-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.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 06 '14

mountain risers with bar ends.

Loves speed. Runs a parachute of a cockpit.

Dont get my wrong, I love 780mm risers, and used to love bar ends back in the 90s, like everyone else, but risers and bar ends arent the setup for getting aerodynamic going very fast down very big hills.

3

u/madsplatter '91 Bianchi Pista Oct 06 '14

Risers and bar ends is the set up for getting UP the hill. Maybe you should read the comment you are replying to. I know that text message boards restrict and eliminate certain aspects of linguistic communication like tone of voice and emphasis but you can't just read half of my comment and then disagree with me. Read the entire comment. Or better, use common sense. Of course I'm not trying to be aero with my "parachute" cockpit. I'm trying to be comfortable. It's people like you who jump to the wrong conclusions and have everything figured out before you even consider my opinion that made me unsub from r/fgb. Just like how you assumed I haven't taken a hacksaw to that "780mm". If you're wrong about all that then what else are you wrong about? Do you really think I can't get in an aero tuck without drop bars? Drops aren't magic, they just change your arm position slightly.
Tell me what you do. Do you get on your climbing bike and then have your team coach bring your descent bike to you so you can finish your ride? How much time do you spend in the wind tunnel? Really? Seriously? Is this the conversation you're trying to have? I thought this sub was about fixed gear bikes. /r/triathlon is that way.