Fixie Question

[sojudave]

Does anyone know the gear ratio that these fixie dudes use on their bikes? I want to build another suicide bike.

 

[Ed_Straker's_Rat]

I have two fixies running 46/16 and 52/18. They feel about the same to pedal, great on flat roads and not too bad on hills.

 

[sojudave]

So my area is N. Austin and flat isn't exactly what I'm working with, I was thinking of using a freewheel off of a bmx and maybe a smaller front sprocket for the hills.

 

[Sinner4]

Isn't the formula 3 to 1?

 

[sojudave]

I have no clue.

 

[Pinche]

So my area is N. Austin and flat isn't exactly what I'm working with, I was thinking of using a freewheel off of a bmx and maybe a smaller front sprocket for the hills.

Isn't that like a double negative? I'm mean you asked a fixie question but talking about putting a freewheel onto your bike? It'd just be a single speed and not a fixie if you'd use a freewheel. On my fixie I run 39/16. I don't find myself spinning out as I don't go full throttle on it also.

 

[Sinner4]

3 to 1 to go fast on the flat flat out, mine on a 16 in frame with 24 in wheels I went 2 to 1 to climb some hills for the small frame person on the smaller frame.

 

[deorman]

The average 1-spd bike is somewhere around 2.5 to 1. :|

 

[sojudave]

So my area is N. Austin and flat isn't exactly what I'm working with, I was thinking of using a freewheel off of a bmx and maybe a smaller front sprocket for the hills.

Isn't that like a double negative? I'm mean you asked a fixie question but talking about putting a freewheel onto your bike? It'd just be a single speed and not a fixie if you'd use a freewheel. On my fixie I run 39/16. I don't find myself spinning out as I don't go full throttle on it also.

Yeah I guess it is... you know like eating a chicken and egg sandwich. I have no desire to build a fixie. I just didn't know if they geared their bikes a little different than say a beach cruiser.

 

[Ed_Straker's_Rat]

So my area is N. Austin and flat isn't exactly what I'm working with, I was thinking of using a freewheel off of a bmx and maybe a smaller front sprocket for the hills.

Isn't that like a double negative? I'm mean you asked a fixie question but talking about putting a freewheel onto your bike? It'd just be a single speed and not a fixie if you'd use a freewheel. On my fixie I run 39/16. I don't find myself spinning out as I don't go full throttle on it also.

Yeah I guess it is... you know like eating a chicken and egg sandwich. I have no desire to build a fixie. I just didn't know if they geared their bikes a little different than say a beach cruiser.

It all depends on what you are using the bike for. My fixies are both road bikes so the gearing is reasonably high. I also have a single speed 29'er mountain bike that is running 33/18 to get up steep hills etc. If you are running a cruiser/street bike then you would probably want something in between like a 36/18.

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

I would recommend going with the bmx freewheel. Like an 18t or 20t, with a 39 or 40t front chainring. For me, that's a good get around town gearing. Ya I spin out on the flats, but I can get up the chain-breaker steep hills too. And I like coasting and using brakes, so that whole setup makes more sense to me.

 

[Pinche]

On my single speed that my son and I ride around on it's a 44/16. I thought it would be a killer for riding up the overpasses with him on the back. It's not actually that bad and I can still sit down, pedal and not break a sweat. It's just something you have a experiment with as one setup may work good for someone but killer for someone else. My fixie is perfect for around town but once I go back to work in two weeks I'll see if the 39/16 on the fixie is going to burn me out pedaling ten miles each way. On my last rat build. I went with a 36T lucky seven sprocket and I wanna say 18T or 16T on the rear and I thought I was going to be spinning like crazy but it was nice. This was on 26" Firestone straightbar frame board track style with 26x2.125 tires. I'm probably going to go that route on my Norton build also. I think it also depends on how your bike is setup also. Be it a more crouched down board track type stand or more upright with apes or wide beach cruiser style bars. You just gotta try out some different sprocket and freewheel sizes. Maybe even use a flip flop hub in the back so you can run two different size freewheels.