Just to clarify. He has been riding for YEARS so his ability to keep the same cadence despite the bigger gear is way higher than a normal cyclist. Just putting that out there for fixie riders that are thinking about going up a size
Absolutely. He positions this video as if it's a question about the gearing itself, but he touches on the real consideration @11:05 - "I'm learning that *_I_* actually ... have the engine to actually push that big gear ratio" On flat straightaways, it basically comes down to: if *_you_* can maintain the same cadence, then yes a bigger ratio is always faster; if *_you_* can't avoid a reduction in cadence^, then it's not (^technically, only if the relative reduction in cadence exceeds the relative increase in gear ratio - so in Zach's example he needed to average >13/15ths of his normal cadence in order to go faster).
I'm I the only one that thinks that for street going up in chainring is better than going down on Cog, because a smaller circumference cause more friction making pedaling more uncomfortable, so lets say, 52:16 should do the same as 49:13 but I also should be smoother.
As a point of reference for myself. Around 20 years ago, and demonstrates my age and that of bike recently replaced. Not as someone who considered themselves fit. Managed 20 miles in 1.5hrs the first time, and 1hr the second. Had to contend with head wind, and wind behind me given each direction. I did have bike go in to make as a hybrid, skinnier road tyres from mountain bike tyres, a full service, and a different chain set from original, essentially expecting for it to be done in this manner of video. However, as was using 3 chain rails at front and 7 cogs on rear cassette. Was vaguely recall as couldn’t go bigger at front. May have had something to do with derailleur. Because I wanted to push myself harder. The modification back then failed to deliver. I tended to mainly use just the front gears, and mostly rode round in highest gear everywhere. And stood on pedals to get myself up the hills back then, using body weight as leverage I guess. Just thinking out loud, and give a food for thought :)
When I went from 53 - 16 to 49 - 16, I found I went faster in-city. I could spin and be far more efficient. Then I went 49 - 17 (about 76 gear inches) and found it even faster. I've settled into 49 - 17 for almost 20 years now and it totally works for me.
@Critical Path, Omg that's just my story. Year ago i was riding 46/16 spinning like hell and it felt like i was wasting my energy. Rn i ride 53/16 but i can't maintain high cadence. So i'm thinking what would be better to use at flat surface... 53/13 with extremely low cadence but apparently high speed. Or 46/15 with much faster cadence and theoretically high speed.
I'm an urban rider and found 46/16 to be really nice balance of torque output for quick manoeuvring and spinning during flats is comfortable to maintain - dropping to 46/15 is really nice for long/group rides and can use the same chain
I inherited my first fixie with a ratio of 53/14 back in 2009. Used it for mess work in NYC. Didn't know any better. My knees are 75 years old. Right now, I ride 38/13 and keep it chill. After years of playing around with a few combinations, I think the best way to grow as a fixed gear rider is to go back and forth between small and large ratios. Keeps your body guessing.
Interesting about keeping the body guessing by going back and forth between different ratios because I've been doing that with single speed mountain biking for a long time, and for a similar reason. I ride fixed on my daily commute and I've never thought of varying the ratio just to mix it up.
This happened to me but I am much happier riding with a smaller ratio 48x17. When you are energized and pumped up a high ratio is no big deal, but can be way difficult if you are tired and are going down hill towards traffic. And if you don't ride that often the big ratio always feels tough at first, if you ride daily it just gets easier.
I used to ride 52x13 when I rode 4 hours a day a few years ago and loved it! I did find that small cogs eat up your chains fast though, so I ran through 3 or 4 cogs and chains a year. Now I don't ride that often anymore, so I am on 52x16 and that makes a hell of a difference :)
I'm currently riding that setup and been riding it for a couple years now and I can't see myself dropping down anytime soon,it's awesome..will admit that it takes a little while to get used to,but once u do it's great!
This is really interesting, I ride a spinny ratio, for me a 46/19 works well and I can average 16-17mph on flat-ish terrain including gravel. I’m a Singlespeed rider so I don’t have to worry about spinning out on hills, I just aero tuck and bomb it. The spinny ratio allows me to climb some pretty steep stuff. If I rode fixed I’d have to run a bigger gear.
When I first started riding fixed (10 years ago in Berlin), I started with the classic 16/46 ratio. Is was ok to get used to traffic and building up leg strength. Within a year I switched to 13/50. Pretty big difference. I had more speed, but les control. And even with a howl year of riding fixed, it really started to hurt my knees. Skidding was near impossible. My “brakes” literally became left/right or straight. Riding between traffic was very risky but very fun. One beautiful day the cops pulled me over for my “reckless riding” and noticed that I didn’t have brakes. In Germany you are required to ride with brakes (at least one). So I bought one (front wheel). This turned out to helped me cheat a skid, so, I decided to combine front wheel brakes with the skid. I know…laws 🥱🙄 My “advice”. Don’t beginn with a big ratio like 13/46 13/50. Lean to skid (both legs). Maybe bunny hops? Can help you dodge traffic on to the sidewalk if necessary. Start low, and build the necessary muscle. Just like when lifting weights 🤟 Thanks for the video 🤙
I didn't see the video yet I started from 76 gear inches I moved to 71 Then to 68 Now i am with 63.7 and i have the faster average speed, 25km/h in every terrain, light uphills i don't even feel them I can skid easily, i have brakes but i do it for fun, spin is better if you are 40+ years old, for your heart, and of course better for knees
I got back into track bike cycling after 8 years and started with my old ratio which a 48/17 but I felt like I was always over spinning on all terrain, which was in January this year, I’ve worked my way up to my current ratio which is a 51/15 which I use on all my current rides, I don’t commute with it I ride it for pure fitness and enjoyment, I’m now averaging a nice 70-80rpm on rides at 20+miles which is mostly flat terrain but I have no qualms when in climbing situations. The only drawback in my opinion is how much energy it takes when slowing down on longer rides.
The suburbs of Sacramento have fewer controlled intersections with lights. I would say if you want to go faster change the rear COG one tooth smaller at a time. Just remember that the faster you're going the harder it's going to be to come to a safe stop. Especially in an emergency situations.
Going from a 15 to a 13 tooth cog would increase your speed from 15.5 to 17.88 mph if you were pedalling at the same rate, but your power/effort would have to increase a lot for that. The fact that your new speed was closer to 17.88 than 15.5 mph suggests to me you benefited from tailwinds on your loop more than you were hindered by headwinds - or you were making more of an effort with the bigger gear. I know from riding with ordinary gears that selecting an abnormally big gear only helps if you have a tailwind.
I used to daily 54:13 3-4 years ago. I found it super easy. I would put my weight on the down peddles without using my leg muscles too much. My legs became beefy and with time my joints were able to keep up. 6-12 hours of daily cycling was brutal but suuuper effective training. After 2 to 3 years of it I randomly decided to see exactly what my body could do. We have a water canal in my city and you can cycle alongside it for MILES. The goal was to see how far I can get with in an hour. After 20 minutes of putting as much force as I could manage into the bike, the 54 tooth chain ring warped so bad I had to stop. I got a 52 after that but it never felt as challenging. I put as much force as I could in it as well but this one never warped. 52:13 is the highest reliable ratio in my opinion. Since then I have always advocated for people to use the highest gear ratio they can
That's been my observation. I ride a small 48×19 most of the time because a slower pace suits much longer rides. There is a 17 on the other side I use for tailwinds. On short fast rides this is about 1.5mph faster. No real hills around here. One thing is sure. The really big gears do limit the hills you can climb. Physics takes over!
4:45 Zach explains why I have a 56x14 gear setup. I hate spinning, I love to keep an good cadence when I'm riding. As far as "Is it faster?" The answer is, it can be. But for me I've got to have some distanced to get up to speed. When I'm at my comfortable pace, I'll pass Looks and Bianchis with 46x18 setups.
Sick bro. I just upgraded from a 48×16 to a 54×16 gear setup. Feels much more efficient to me. I still get up hills and maintain the same average speed with less spin.
the amount of trendy fixie/tarck kids (particularly younger ones) I see arguing over big gear ratios is honestly concerning, unless you plan on being a knee surgeon in, say, 15 years.... kids out here are tryna climb mountains with a 3.0+ gear ratio like it's somehow a good idea, then descend it brakeless on shredded tires... There should be a point where health and logic takes precedence over bragging rights...
‘Health and logic’ to the younger fixed gear crowd? That’s akin to standing at a skatepark telling kids the advantages of helmets, waste of breath. I was an idiot on a bike when I was younger and proudly so. With injury comes experience lol... you just hope it’s survivable.
I've ridden Fixed since high school daily as my main means of transportation for many years now [im 26 now] and have always gone with my 52/13 ratio. keep in mind im only 5'9 and weigh 140 pounds on a wet day. I love this ratio especially on flat land and down hill. Up hills are always a tough one but after some weeks you get used to it.
I've been riding 49/17 for almost 4 years and I just now switched over to an 18t cog in the rear because my town is very hilly and I like to off-road a bit and on my old gear ratio I felt like unless I went to the beach or somewhere else flat I never got to a comfortable cadence. But on my very first ride with the 49/18 ratio it was bliss. Hills aren't so bad anymore I can stop easier and even on flats I can still get up to speed well. The best part is I'm always at a comfortable cadence no matter what
I actually just passed thru Sacramento on my way to Oroville where my family lives and brought my bike with me and it's so different, almost nothing but flats or offroad and the new gear ratio still rocks great!
I ride 16/53...I started with 16/48 but spun out easily. I rode gravel and road with the same bike. (I switch to SS over fixed, for safety) I heard all the *anecdotal stuff about big gears. The only thing that held true was (at first) it was an extreme workout. Once you get used to it though...you can hold your own or surpass most geared bikes. I'm a hill climber. I had to learn to mash out of saddle and carry momentum.
I built my fixie 3 years ago and have had the same exact setup you just showed in the video for those 3 years. I had no idea what I was doing when I built the bike I have gotten so used to it I know how to control every little aspect of the bike. It's very easy to ride slow around town because you exert almost no effort at all to ride slow, and riding "slow" with such a large ratio is actually going "normal" speed with smaller gearing.
Just speaking outta personal experience(pls read all the way to the end before commenting) I live in a country where most of the terrain is flat,save some OK-ish and really steep slopes(when I mean steep,I'm talking about the kinda steep where it's a struggle to ride up said slopes on 48/17,depending on your climbing capabilities). The first ratio that I rode fixed on was 48:17(on a Liberty belonging to a friend o' mine).It's a ratio that to me,is kind of a 'fun ride ratio',given the little effort that's needed to bring it up to speed. Fast forward to my first fixed gear,and the ratio that came with it was 50:14.Back then,I found it spinny(given my past of grinding 50:12 on my roadie).In the end,I didn't have much of a choice but to switch up to a 58:14,because I wasn't able to maximise my speed and endurance on the 50:14.That said tho,I wouldn't mind switching back to 50:14 if even more hills popped up in my country. While climbing those scant slopes on 58:14 wasn't a problem,it simply wasn't as fun as flying up those same slopes on a lower ratio. As of today,I'm running 58:13 and I plan to drop my ratio a tad to something similar to 58:14 when the time comes(I'm contemplating to use 63:15,to make full use of the chainstay void that had been granted to me and to maximise the 'smoothness' of my gear).
Personally I like big gear ratios. I also feel safer to come to a stop than from a high cadence. To increase gear ratio: I increased slowly, sprocket by sprocket from 18 to 13, than changing the chainring and starting again (2-3 weeks apart). I'm now using a 58/13 for city commuting/training. I like going at about 46km/h (29mph) without overspinning. My body likes 83rpm :) Indeed there is a problem with stopping. I use skip&stop, prevents the knee problems. I'm using the ratio for almost 3 years now with no problem. Starting from red lights and small hills are just a matter of training, your body will get used. I'm glad I saw this from you, didn't know about the hour record ratio, that's great info. I do feel better on 58/14, but I thought I didn't train so hard. People might want to know that Criterium riders (like for red hook) use 50/14 or 48/14. That's twists, corners, accelerations, breaks and they still get to 60km/h (37.5mph) in the straights.
@@dxllee7 about 2 years, started at 48/17. I do about 30km a day with a fixed gear, with some intervals between traffic lights :). Also got a roller for winter so my training doesn't go down. Same: 30km a day, one day intense, one day easy. Went like this: 48/17 -> 14 ->13, to 52/13, 56/13 and finally to 58/13. Those are the gear ratios that needed most time to adjust to. And I ride it for fun, I like speed and the feeling of a fixed gear, feels more fluent in traffic, not actually training for a race :)
@@bucharestcycling324 Wow! That’s some awesome advice. Appreciate you replying to my question. I’ve been trying to keep in mind to actually enjoy the ride and push myself each time I ride. Thank you again!
I'm a former masher, now a spinner convert. I just found it more practical for my urban environment with hills and traffic. Recently built myself a much lighter wheelset, so I may increase my ratio slightly, but I'm also getting old, so these knees aren't as fresh as they once were. I definitely feel like I am spinning out on times when I get on trails that allow me to open up with longer uninterrupted stretches, but those aren't the rides I often find myself using a fixed gear for.
This is why I use two track bikes. One with a 54/15 plus drop bars for long flat rides and another with a 50/16 plus risers for city riding and daily errands.
48-17 seems to be the sweet spot for me. It uses a nice mix of cardio and strength, it has just enough spin for an enjoyable cadence (for me), I usually average around 17mph+/-, and it's easier to skid. I used to ride big ratios but not so much anymore.
I use my fixed gear bike to ride long distances every day, with a few traffic lights, so bigger gear ratios work for me, even knowing that I have some very high hills in that long travel make me feel less exhausted having not to spin alot.
Aaaannd I just ordered a 15 tooth cog. I've been wanting to make the move from a 47 to 49 chainring, but waiting for new AARN stock was just making me sad. Can't wait for new ratio day!
Increased ratio is only useful after also finding a corresponding margin gain that can make use of it. For example: lighter rotating mass, increased leveraged or stronger rider. Also: freewheel > fixie
awesome vid Zach! I ride a total beach cruiser ratio on my fixed gear, cause I do tricks, carry heavy loads of groceries, and want to be able to evade cars by accelerating quickly if i have to.
BMXer here. Just found this channel. I would LOVE a reaction video of fixed gear guys riding a BMX with a freecoaster rear hub. Literally the bike can coast forwards and backgrounds with no pedal movement.
I wasn't prepared to see Wallace as a drop-bar bike. I went back to look at some of your earlier videos. It seems that Wallace switched from a straight bar to a drop bar sometime in May.
Started cycling in February, 2021. Started on a geared bike and hated riding using the other gears except for 48/14. Then got hooked on single speed riding 46/16. Then switched and got addicted to fixed gear riding on 46/16. Kept going with it after watching Zach’s videos and cycling with my buddy. Switched out to 49/16. Then 49/14. 49/13. 53/13. 56/13. Currently on 56/12. Plan on going to 64/12. I ride anywhere from 4 to 7 times a week with at least 15 miles each ride and focus on legs and core in the gym. Given this is over months and daily riding. My buddy says it’s pretty gonzo. I’m aware of the health of my knees and hips and keep those in mind when riding. Thoughts?
Bro the way you use the tree as your bike stand is fresh What's interesting to me is that in the 'car world' some people call bigger ratios small gears( I don't by the way). I think some people think this way because the engine spins slower with a larger ring and pinion size...hence bigger gears = slower crank turns. So I guess that is why they call em that. I myself sometimes even catch myself saying down shifting, which is definitely wrong...I guess?🤔
Great video and topic! I've recently increased my gear ratio too and I think there are other factors that are just as important apart from just the gear ratio. As a fixed rider, I'm also optimizing my bike around 1. My terrain, and average angle of elevation. 2. Use of brakes, with or without. With brakes, you are safer increasing gear ratio. 3. Position on bike. With a properly tuned aggressive position, you can generate enough power to start and stop on high ratios while keeping your knees spinning safely and injury free. I generally advice against emphasis on just 1 parameter, the entire bike AND the rider has to be properly tuned up. Its part of the zen fixie thing.. Just my 2cents!
Agree with you on all three points. Especially number 3. Have to find the right position and modifying, changing, upgrading more than just the chainring and cog.
Every winter I end up with a 50x20. As summer comes along I, tooth by tooth, go to a 16. Every time I change by 1 tooth on the cog it’s like a bad day where you just don’t feel strong or fast but the numbers say otherwise.
This is exactly the video I needed to see. My former manual bike was should I say, frustrating me because I was topping out max gear and wanted more to allow myself to push myself more. Well, recently got an ebike 250W and once again a little disappointed at how quick it cuts out on assist. So, I have already changed the seat for comfort, the handle bars to sit up more, and even changed the chain set all from my old bike to have a baseline. The wheels are bigger, so +2 on the chain set, but I am running a rear 16t on the rear and before my smallest was 14t so would assume the same. I have just ordered a complete crank with 58t and plan to place a 10-12t on the rear cog once I can find one suitable. With the motor, should assist me on hills, and allow me to be like you enjoying riding at a fair pace, comfortable cadence and have the best of all three of my worlds, the old, up cycled and the new and modified. Ebike 42/16 Manual 48/14 Current 48/16 Next will be 58/10 or 12 ideally 10 I recall the differences in hearing from being a biker and changing the sprockets, but in the opposite manner. 3 teeth more on rear, and a drop of a tooth at front. Acceleration was made, wanting to lift 1-3 gears on throttle. So it’s interesting to be playing around now on single gearing front and rear on push bike. Thanks for sharing.
At 7:00 Zach complains about knee pain and shows his pedal stroke. His left knee (the one he complained about) is pointed INWARDS while his right knee is outwards, and both are going in a circle. This means Zach's fit is messed up and he would get this knee damage eventually.
Could be a change in posture in an (ill-fated) attempt to relieve some of the pain. It's stupid, but it's a natural response. Should've gone for clipless, cages and straps allow for way to much lateral joint movement.
@@psychoaiko666 From what I read, it could be his shoes (lack of support from too-soft shoes), how toed in/out his feet are, or if his hips are too narrow or wide for the q-factor he's using. These are all related but subtly different. He's already decided he doesn't like cleats as much as toe clips (and to be fair I don't personally like them either) but they are the fastest way to bandaid the first two problems if adjusted properly.
i rode a 46/16 in college. Decent ratio for moderate top speed, with enough torque to climb hills with some effort. however, going on rides with gear bike dudes, its really difficult to keep up because id pedal 3 times for every one time they would pedal.
I ride fixed and have for a decade plus. I have always had a 56/16 with back brakes. I ride from Folsom to downtown and mob it. I pass and drag race guys with gears on the bike trail allot more often than you would expect. I am however getting old now and will be switching to a 52
I ride hard on flat with 51x13, pure speed no traffic light, on a closed loop, with a peloton. Commuting is either 48x17 or even 46x18 on the Winter beater. 48x13 is totally not suitable for urban riding. 48x17 is definitely the gold standard for busy city riding such as Paris.
Favorite video. Getting back into my fixie riding w my old 2012 Leader 725. Enjoyed this video very much. In 48x15 but was amazing to see you do the 13. Question, Did you need a different wheel with smaller hub diameter to use the 13t, just wondering.
It has taken riding bikes 5-6 hours a day every weekend or more for 8-14 years when younger for me to never have knee pain. Which is interesting cause i NEVER knew till a few years ago that biking could give you knee pain lol.
I recommend starting (for 700x28c) front 46 and rear 16, or thereabouts, and with hills you're gonna be at about the same since you have to go back down them, but if you have flat land, and good strength, and you start averaging 85 or higher rpm (90h100 rpm under load) then you can go down 1 tooth at a time on the wheel cog, and up 2 gears at a time with the chain ring. Worst case you can have a backup gear and change again. This change is also unlikely to need a new chain. Keep in mind torque for braking speed. In my opinion length of ride matters a lot. For 5-10 minute rides you can go all the way up to 58x11, and ball out at 38mph the whole way. But for 1h or more, definitely should be closer to 46x16 or so. But ball out with aero and weight reduction, especially at the same time.
I ride a 46/16 around a 25-30 mile loop with about a 1000ft of elevation and average 17-19mph depending on weather and wind. I don’t think your ratio is doing you any favors if you are going 15-16 mph on such high ratios. Should be going 20+ with a good cadence of 80-105 rpm
Cadence is keyyyyy. Once your legs figure out your comfort cadence the gear ratio matters less. I'm a masher though so low gear ratios make me slow. I tracklocross on a 51x17 ratio ( to be fair Florida hella flat and I'm afraid of advanced trails with big drops) in the windy bits I'm more than happy to churn butter through corners and love a good short intense climb. Riding style always varies as well as fitness so challenge yourself but recognize your gear and how it makes you feel.
I started riding fixed almost 40 years ago and generally ~75 GI with a 165mm crank has been the best compromise year round in all weather conditions allowing me to avg 18 mph on a 50 mile ride, even as an old fart. spinning=winning
Makes a lot of sense that on a flat route around Sac, the big gear would be a lot faster. But yeah, for all the reasons you talk about, a 49x13 might be more fear than needed for every-day riding. Thing is, if you ride that big gear regularly, you might find that those climbs and starts and stops get easier as you get stronger. 46x16 on my SS is perfect for me. But my geared bike goes up to a 50x12 that only gets used down big hills.
I like to run a 42/14 and that has got me to an average speed of 17mph. I run that ratio because it's very well balanced in terms of top speed and acceleration.
The knee issues are a real concern, I ride a 26' mtb and 42-11, and delivering food for 3-4 hours straight at good speed, sprinting very often when available, and while the first months my knee hurts, I did rest for days every now and then, and take some rides to focus on form (this smoking thc, ita good for my kinesthesic focus and awareness) and now i feel my knees stronger than ever, no more pain and I have discover a few techniques of pwdaling in order to allow different muscles to do the job while others rest, rotating the effort... I feel great, probably should do some medical test to reach a better and more truhful conclusion but it seems doable, at least for now, Ive been riding my bike for 2 years now. Sorry for my english, its bot my native tongue
And im 34 years old, so no at my peak recovery/adaptation. Not encouraging anybody to do this but sharing my brief experience, I had knee tracking issues before getting on the bike and they have gone now. Who knows...
"Spin to win" is only true in two cases: -Fast acceleration is needed and speeds below 30mph/50kph are needed to win -Resistance to overcome is high: heavy load/rider, headwind, steep climbing For all other cases, gear ratios above 80 are more efficient and faster, the power output falling dramatically above 120rpm. Above this cadence, one is essentially moving their legs more than pushing the bike forward. Hence why track cyclist only ever reach cadences of 200+ on rollers where resistance is minimal (low power generation needed) and why they only ever use ratios lower than 90 in points or elimination races (air resistance decreased by group riding, fast acceleration needed for short bursts). Besides this saying pretty much only goes for roadies when climbing, you don't see them spinning out on descents
What people don't get is that it's not a matter of your legs not being strong enough, it's a matter of the wind being too heavy, past 40 km/h what is keeping your wheels from spinning faster is just the air
Zach does it so we don't have to. 15% gear increase and brakeless! I'm not sure that that was the smartest idea. Ok, I just did a little math. Your 49x15 at 15.5mph average gives an average cadence of right around 60rpm, hardly spinning as it is. 16.9 with the big gear gives around 55. How about next week try a larger rear sprocket and see what spinning gets you?
The problem is he isn’t going all out or measuring the power that he’s putting out, so he’d just go easy with the smaller ratio and say that it’s slower.
Great info I've been riding 52 tooth by 12 tooth for more than 30 years and man I love it 700 25 c tires had front brake only never used it I'm from Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean
I've used either 48 or 56/13 for years the biggest problem I've had is it's easy to slide the rear wheel out on slippery ground and when it does lose grip it really does.
I've been working as a delivery since the pandemic started and the perfect ratio for me is 48/13. I also installed a rear brake because riding for 5 hours with just straps is dumb.
Im amateur at a fixed gear and slightly beginner my ratio is 48 - 14 in first my legs sores fast but i keep on practicing now my legs do not get sore now hehe
my fixed gear i had a 52/15 gear ratio, then 49/16 for a couple years now i’m running 49/18 on my track bike and 42/18 on my tracklocross. i’m from sac too and ride in sf some times and love it for both. on both bikes.
Now, after i saw the video Your ride was pretty flat without stops, no surprise that in those conditions a high gear ratio is faster In city conditions with hills, even small hills, high gear ratio is useless and no fan to ride Second, who is in hurry? We are talking about having fan with our bikes, who cares about Strava times? We are not roadies, we are fixed riders
@@bruhmaxxer it is fun if you can go for all the ride, not only for a 300m decent and for all the ride you struggle with 20rpm cadence, and when you finish you are dead tired and you want to throw your bike in the trash With high cadence you are more effective for higher average speed and you keep your legs relax for bigger rides Off course if your ride is the king of flats, higher gear is better, if your are not going to stop and start all the time
Only depends on RPM, there are “roll out” charts online that tell you how far you travel with one revolution of the crank. Someone with 106 rpm and 54x13 is going farther and faster than 106rpm and 54x23, period. It really is moot point, 99% of bike buyers cannot turn 54x11@90rpm, hence compact chainrings. If you want to go faster lose 50 lbs!
I never thought I'd see the day that Zach rides a bigger gear than me 😭 I'll go hang my head in shame... or maybe I'll have to get the 64t back out of retirement
My 60 tooth crankset is coming in tomorrow, I'm leaning towards a 13 tooth for the rear... but running it freewheel with a brake until I get used to it. Currently running a 49/16 brakeless. Just wanna give the big gear a try as an experiment. 60/13 seem workable? I'm open to other suggestions for the rear cog. These will be going on my aventon Mataro frame set BTW
I went from 46-16 to 48-13 and i gotta say that the difference was insane, had some issues in the beginning but after a couple rides i noticed a significant difference in average speed, i want from 15.9 to 21 on my daily commute (14miles with some hills) Als now i have the legs to even climb a 6% average with this gear ratio
@@sebastiankockelkorn9674 56 jump straight from 48. Did you experiment with 52 or 54? Do you ride for time trials only? I transitioned to a complete sprint style cycling. I don't max out for more than 2 Kms. 56 chainring wouldnt suit my style of cycling as need lot of acceleration to beat best time for short distance. I currently have 53 thinking' between 52 or 54. What would be your recommendation? And how long it took you to get use to 56 chainring please?
I know I’m late to the party but this simple math is why everybody should be familiar with geared bikes. Also for a good sample you should ride it 10x for a good average and compare to your previous average. I bet as you got comfortable and stronger your times would improve.
There are massive pros and cons here , sure you may be faster on tall gearing , but what about enjoying the ride and taking your time . Also the crunch on the knees . Think a person is sounding like a car driver if their only goal in life is to push your chest out and say “ I got here in record time “ ...and it was only to grab a pizza ..wtf
17-ish mph on 49x13 is like under 60rpm cadence! That seems like a ridiculously low cadence to me. I had 49x17 on my fixed gear bike and managed to average 20.2 mph for 26 miles on the street at a comfy average cadence of around 90rpm.
49/17 would be ideal for flats and long distance riding? Looking into upgrading my ration currently riding 46/16 feel like I’m spinning but not getting higher rpm that I push
At 2 minutes 30 and had to pause: A 14t cog is the smallest you can reasonably go before the chain drive becomes way less efficient. If you're already using a 14t, your real options should be to increase your chainring tooth count. This only matters for fixed gears and single speed road/cruiser bikes. Predicting the answer Zach gets to the video title is either "no" or "yes BUT it's more tiring/less fun" due to this. I would like to see if re-testing with a larger chainring produces a different result. Even if that means killing the bling from that purple chopsaw he has lol
MY PREDICTION WAS WRONG! The knee thing he mentions is a fit problem though. And I would still like to see him try a bigger chainring instead of a smaller cog.
i tried fixed gear but going down hill is awful. you have to peddle like a mad man or brake yourself all the way down. went back to single speed after a couple of rides.
@@1slow_gto For wheels I would spend $200. I bought my used kilo TT in good condition for $250 and I don't know if I'd be willing to spend more on wheels than my whole bike. I know wheels are extremely important though.
@@sonymicronin used set of velocity rims,alex rims Honestly look on offer up or ebay For example there's a set of campologos for sale in my area for 210 That's a really good deal Local market is honestly some of the best places to look
Those shoes though... It would also be nice if you posted a follow up about how you felt the next day or few days after that effort. Like how was the knee? Do you think you could keep doing it all the time etc?
i ran 102 and 106 gear inches for years, and definitely cruised way faster than my 70 gear inch days. i'm a bigger rider however (i'm built like a linebacker), and spinning at 120rpm wasn't gonna happen for too long. but even with my huge gear ratios, i can get around like 98% of oakland just fine. i do mostly okay in sf as long as i'm riding alone, but the speed at which i climb hills makes group rides difficult. once i get stuck behind someone climbing with a lower ratio, i just have to get off and walk, lol. at first, the larger ratios were much more difficult, but the extra time it takes for every revolution makes it easier to fire off my muscles more efficiently. so i'll get tired slower over a long ride with a high ratio, vs lower. i do ride with a brake though. skidding makes my knee hurt and slowing down in an emergency takes waaaaay too long.
Just to clarify. He has been riding for YEARS so his ability to keep the same cadence despite the bigger gear is way higher than a normal cyclist. Just putting that out there for fixie riders that are thinking about going up a size
Absolutely. He positions this video as if it's a question about the gearing itself, but he touches on the real consideration @11:05 - "I'm learning that *_I_* actually ... have the engine to actually push that big gear ratio"
On flat straightaways, it basically comes down to: if *_you_* can maintain the same cadence, then yes a bigger ratio is always faster; if *_you_* can't avoid a reduction in cadence^, then it's not (^technically, only if the relative reduction in cadence exceeds the relative increase in gear ratio - so in Zach's example he needed to average >13/15ths of his normal cadence in order to go faster).
Anything is possible no matter the time
I'm I the only one that thinks that for street going up in chainring is better than going down on Cog, because a smaller circumference cause more friction making pedaling more uncomfortable, so lets say, 52:16 should do the same as 49:13 but I also should be smoother.
As a point of reference for myself. Around 20 years ago, and demonstrates my age and that of bike recently replaced.
Not as someone who considered themselves fit.
Managed 20 miles in 1.5hrs the first time, and 1hr the second.
Had to contend with head wind, and wind behind me given each direction.
I did have bike go in to make as a hybrid, skinnier road tyres from mountain bike tyres, a full service, and a different chain set from original, essentially expecting for it to be done in this manner of video.
However, as was using 3 chain rails at front and 7 cogs on rear cassette. Was vaguely recall as couldn’t go bigger at front. May have had something to do with derailleur.
Because I wanted to push myself harder. The modification back then failed to deliver.
I tended to mainly use just the front gears, and mostly rode round in highest gear everywhere.
And stood on pedals to get myself up the hills back then, using body weight as leverage I guess.
Just thinking out loud, and give a food for thought :)
"Please turn green" the mantra of the fixed gear rider
I go on pretty deep trances with this one
@NewTube Channel that only works in new york
I just think of reds for track stand practice
I need that on a t shirt lol
Hahaha. I give every red light a count down thinking I have some magic powers to turn it green. Alas, I just end up jumping reds
When I went from 53 - 16 to 49 - 16, I found I went faster in-city. I could spin and be far more efficient. Then I went 49 - 17 (about 76 gear inches) and found it even faster. I've settled into 49 - 17 for almost 20 years now and it totally works for me.
@Critical Path, Omg that's just my story. Year ago i was riding 46/16 spinning like hell and it felt like i was wasting my energy. Rn i ride 53/16 but i can't maintain high cadence. So i'm thinking what would be better to use at flat surface... 53/13 with extremely low cadence but apparently high speed. Or 46/15 with much faster cadence and theoretically high speed.
how work the 49/16?
I'm an urban rider and found 46/16 to be really nice balance of torque output for quick manoeuvring and spinning during flats is comfortable to maintain - dropping to 46/15 is really nice for long/group rides and can use the same chain
I inherited my first fixie with a ratio of 53/14 back in 2009. Used it for mess work in NYC. Didn't know any better. My knees are 75 years old. Right now, I ride 38/13 and keep it chill. After years of playing around with a few combinations, I think the best way to grow as a fixed gear rider is to go back and forth between small and large ratios. Keeps your body guessing.
Interesting about keeping the body guessing by going back and forth between different ratios because I've been doing that with single speed mountain biking for a long time, and for a similar reason. I ride fixed on my daily commute and I've never thought of varying the ratio just to mix it up.
the new camera really brings up the production quality.
true
Not when your watching in 360p :P
@@joshuahodge8537 its not really all about the resolution.
what's the new camera he got? (this is my first video of his)
@@mydearriley doesnt really know but its in his ig. welcome to the cult my dude
This happened to me but I am much happier riding with a smaller ratio 48x17. When you are energized and pumped up a high ratio is no big deal, but can be way difficult if you are tired and are going down hill towards traffic. And if you don't ride that often the big ratio always feels tough at first, if you ride daily it just gets easier.
I get off while riding my bicycle.
I used to ride 52x13 when I rode 4 hours a day a few years ago and loved it! I did find that small cogs eat up your chains fast though, so I ran through 3 or 4 cogs and chains a year. Now I don't ride that often anymore, so I am on 52x16 and that makes a hell of a difference :)
I'm currently riding that setup and been riding it for a couple years now and I can't see myself dropping down anytime soon,it's awesome..will admit that it takes a little while to get used to,but once u do it's great!
4 hours a day, wow my knees would explode.
53/13? a ratio of 1 to 4?for 4 hours a day??? do you still have knees, you're lying if you say yes
This is really interesting, I ride a spinny ratio, for me a 46/19 works well and I can average 16-17mph on flat-ish terrain including gravel. I’m a Singlespeed rider so I don’t have to worry about spinning out on hills, I just aero tuck and bomb it. The spinny ratio allows me to climb some pretty steep stuff. If I rode fixed I’d have to run a bigger gear.
Nice. I have a flipflop hub with a bigger sprocket on a freewheel for hills and the smaller cog fixed for flat terrain. I enjoy both.
Pretty irrelevant comment.
When I first started riding fixed (10 years ago in Berlin), I started with the classic 16/46 ratio. Is was ok to get used to traffic and building up leg strength. Within a year I switched to 13/50. Pretty big difference. I had more speed, but les control. And even with a howl year of riding fixed, it really started to hurt my knees. Skidding was near impossible. My “brakes” literally became left/right or straight. Riding between traffic was very risky but very fun. One beautiful day the cops pulled me over for my “reckless riding” and noticed that I didn’t have brakes. In Germany you are required to ride with brakes (at least one). So I bought one (front wheel). This turned out to helped me cheat a skid, so, I decided to combine front wheel brakes with the skid. I know…laws 🥱🙄
My “advice”. Don’t beginn with a big ratio like 13/46 13/50. Lean to skid (both legs). Maybe bunny hops? Can help you dodge traffic on to the sidewalk if necessary. Start low, and build the necessary muscle. Just like when lifting weights 🤟
Thanks for the video 🤙
I didn't see the video yet
I started from 76 gear inches
I moved to 71
Then to 68
Now i am with 63.7 and i have the faster average speed, 25km/h in every terrain, light uphills i don't even feel them
I can skid easily, i have brakes but i do it for fun, spin is better if you are 40+ years old, for your heart, and of course better for knees
“Better for your heart”? Elaborate..
@@tbz1551 the smaller ratio emphasizes cardio over anaerobic exercise. Cardio is very good for the heart.
appreciate if u can let us know your gear
setup...
@@balajim2376 46/19 when I made the post and I am still happy with this
I got back into track bike cycling after 8 years and started with my old ratio which a 48/17 but I felt like I was always over spinning on all terrain, which was in January this year, I’ve worked my way up to my current ratio which is a 51/15 which I use on all my current rides, I don’t commute with it I ride it for pure fitness and enjoyment, I’m now averaging a nice 70-80rpm on rides at 20+miles which is mostly flat terrain but I have no qualms when in climbing situations. The only drawback in my opinion is how much energy it takes when slowing down on longer rides.
The suburbs of Sacramento have fewer controlled intersections with lights.
I would say if you want to go faster change the rear COG one tooth smaller at a time.
Just remember that the faster you're going the harder it's going to be to come to a safe stop. Especially in an emergency situations.
Going from a 15 to a 13 tooth cog would increase your speed from 15.5 to 17.88 mph if you were pedalling at the same rate, but your power/effort would have to increase a lot for that. The fact that your new speed was closer to 17.88 than 15.5 mph suggests to me you benefited from tailwinds on your loop more than you were hindered by headwinds - or you were making more of an effort with the bigger gear. I know from riding with ordinary gears that selecting an abnormally big gear only helps if you have a tailwind.
I used to daily 54:13 3-4 years ago. I found it super easy. I would put my weight on the down peddles without using my leg muscles too much. My legs became beefy and with time my joints were able to keep up. 6-12 hours of daily cycling was brutal but suuuper effective training. After 2 to 3 years of it I randomly decided to see exactly what my body could do. We have a water canal in my city and you can cycle alongside it for MILES. The goal was to see how far I can get with in an hour. After 20 minutes of putting as much force as I could manage into the bike, the 54 tooth chain ring warped so bad I had to stop. I got a 52 after that but it never felt as challenging. I put as much force as I could in it as well but this one never warped. 52:13 is the highest reliable ratio in my opinion. Since then I have always advocated for people to use the highest gear ratio they can
Get in 54 by 15. Thank me later
That's been my observation. I ride a small 48×19 most of the time because a slower pace suits much longer rides. There is a 17 on the other side I use for tailwinds. On short fast rides this is about 1.5mph faster. No real hills around here. One thing is sure. The really big gears do limit the hills you can climb. Physics takes over!
4:45 Zach explains why I have a 56x14 gear setup. I hate spinning, I love to keep an good cadence when I'm riding. As far as "Is it faster?" The answer is, it can be. But for me I've got to have some distanced to get up to speed. When I'm at my comfortable pace, I'll pass Looks and Bianchis with 46x18 setups.
Sick bro. I just upgraded from a 48×16 to a 54×16 gear setup. Feels much more efficient to me. I still get up hills and maintain the same average speed with less spin.
@Bebo Most people should be able to do a Tour de France cadence for a least three hours, else you're a fatty. Seems legit.
@@ghost-facedhindu4275 Care to explain what a "Tour de France" cadence is?
the amount of trendy fixie/tarck kids (particularly younger ones) I see arguing over big gear ratios is honestly concerning, unless you plan on being a knee surgeon in, say, 15 years.... kids out here are tryna climb mountains with a 3.0+ gear ratio like it's somehow a good idea, then descend it brakeless on shredded tires... There should be a point where health and logic takes precedence over bragging rights...
‘Health and logic’ to the younger fixed gear crowd? That’s akin to standing at a skatepark telling kids the advantages of helmets, waste of breath. I was an idiot on a bike when I was younger and proudly so. With injury comes experience lol... you just hope it’s survivable.
I've ridden Fixed since high school daily as my main means of transportation for many years now [im 26 now] and have always gone with my 52/13 ratio. keep in mind im only 5'9 and weigh 140 pounds on a wet day. I love this ratio especially on flat land and down hill. Up hills are always a tough one but after some weeks you get used to it.
Joe?
I've been riding 49/17 for almost 4 years and I just now switched over to an 18t cog in the rear because my town is very hilly and I like to off-road a bit and on my old gear ratio I felt like unless I went to the beach or somewhere else flat I never got to a comfortable cadence. But on my very first ride with the 49/18 ratio it was bliss. Hills aren't so bad anymore I can stop easier and even on flats I can still get up to speed well. The best part is I'm always at a comfortable cadence no matter what
I actually just passed thru Sacramento on my way to Oroville where my family lives and brought my bike with me and it's so different, almost nothing but flats or offroad and the new gear ratio still rocks great!
Zachary the little fixed gear engine that could 🚂
I ride 16/53...I started with 16/48 but spun out easily. I rode gravel and road with the same bike. (I switch to SS over fixed, for safety)
I heard all the *anecdotal stuff about big gears.
The only thing that held true was (at first) it was an extreme workout. Once you get used to it though...you can hold your own or surpass most geared bikes.
I'm a hill climber. I had to learn to mash out of saddle and carry momentum.
I built my fixie 3 years ago and have had the same exact setup you just showed in the video for those 3 years. I had no idea what I was doing when I built the bike I have gotten so used to it I know how to control every little aspect of the bike. It's very easy to ride slow around town because you exert almost no effort at all to ride slow, and riding "slow" with such a large ratio is actually going "normal" speed with smaller gearing.
Just speaking outta personal experience(pls read all the way to the end before commenting)
I live in a country where most of the terrain is flat,save some OK-ish and really steep slopes(when I mean steep,I'm talking about the kinda steep where it's a struggle to ride up said slopes on 48/17,depending on your climbing capabilities).
The first ratio that I rode fixed on was 48:17(on a Liberty belonging to a friend o' mine).It's a ratio that to me,is kind of a 'fun ride ratio',given the little effort that's needed to bring it up to speed.
Fast forward to my first fixed gear,and the ratio that came with it was 50:14.Back then,I found it spinny(given my past of grinding 50:12 on my roadie).In the end,I didn't have much of a choice but to switch up to a 58:14,because I wasn't able to maximise my speed and endurance on the 50:14.That said tho,I wouldn't mind switching back to 50:14 if even more hills popped up in my country. While climbing those scant slopes on 58:14 wasn't a problem,it simply wasn't as fun as flying up those same slopes on a lower ratio.
As of today,I'm running 58:13 and I plan to drop my ratio a tad to something similar to 58:14 when the time comes(I'm contemplating to use 63:15,to make full use of the chainstay void that had been granted to me and to maximise the 'smoothness' of my gear).
Personally I like big gear ratios. I also feel safer to come to a stop than from a high cadence. To increase gear ratio: I increased slowly, sprocket by sprocket from 18 to 13, than changing the chainring and starting again (2-3 weeks apart). I'm now using a 58/13 for city commuting/training. I like going at about 46km/h (29mph) without overspinning. My body likes 83rpm :)
Indeed there is a problem with stopping. I use skip&stop, prevents the knee problems. I'm using the ratio for almost 3 years now with no problem.
Starting from red lights and small hills are just a matter of training, your body will get used.
I'm glad I saw this from you, didn't know about the hour record ratio, that's great info. I do feel better on 58/14, but I thought I didn't train so hard.
People might want to know that Criterium riders (like for red hook) use 50/14 or 48/14. That's twists, corners, accelerations, breaks and they still get to 60km/h (37.5mph) in the straights.
Over how long did you build up to that ratio? And what kind of training did you do? Just curious.
@@dxllee7 about 2 years, started at 48/17. I do about 30km a day with a fixed gear, with some intervals between traffic lights :).
Also got a roller for winter so my training doesn't go down. Same: 30km a day, one day intense, one day easy.
Went like this: 48/17 -> 14 ->13, to 52/13, 56/13 and finally to 58/13. Those are the gear ratios that needed most time to adjust to.
And I ride it for fun, I like speed and the feeling of a fixed gear, feels more fluent in traffic, not actually training for a race :)
@@bucharestcycling324 Wow! That’s some awesome advice. Appreciate you replying to my question. I’ve been trying to keep in mind to actually enjoy the ride and push myself each time I ride. Thank you again!
My singlespeed gear is 48/13 with 26" Spinergy wheels. Riding a fixie is bullshit.
I'm a former masher, now a spinner convert. I just found it more practical for my urban environment with hills and traffic. Recently built myself a much lighter wheelset, so I may increase my ratio slightly, but I'm also getting old, so these knees aren't as fresh as they once were. I definitely feel like I am spinning out on times when I get on trails that allow me to open up with longer uninterrupted stretches, but those aren't the rides I often find myself using a fixed gear for.
This is why I use two track bikes. One with a 54/15 plus drop bars for long flat rides and another with a 50/16 plus risers for city riding and daily errands.
I live in a city with steep hills and I have 50/16. How does it work for you when climbing hills?
48-17 seems to be the sweet spot for me. It uses a nice mix of cardio and strength, it has just enough spin for an enjoyable cadence (for me), I usually average around 17mph+/-, and it's easier to skid. I used to ride big ratios but not so much anymore.
Currently recovering from bike related knee injury. Thumbnail is hella relevant lol 😅
I use my fixed gear bike to ride long distances every day, with a few traffic lights, so bigger gear ratios work for me, even knowing that I have some very high hills in that long travel make me feel less exhausted having not to spin alot.
Aaaannd I just ordered a 15 tooth cog. I've been wanting to make the move from a 47 to 49 chainring, but waiting for new AARN stock was just making me sad. Can't wait for new ratio day!
I'm riding 49:15 and it's nice, But I think 50:16 or 52:17 would be nicer.
Omg ur almost at 100k 🥳🥳 great video good luck on 1 million
Increased ratio is only useful after also finding a corresponding margin gain that can make use of it.
For example: lighter rotating mass, increased leveraged or stronger rider.
Also: freewheel > fixie
awesome vid Zach! I ride a total beach cruiser ratio on my fixed gear, cause I do tricks, carry heavy loads of groceries, and want to be able to evade cars by accelerating quickly if i have to.
BMXer here. Just found this channel. I would LOVE a reaction video of fixed gear guys riding a BMX with a freecoaster rear hub. Literally the bike can coast forwards and backgrounds with no pedal movement.
biking around tokyo definitely notice the big ratios up the hills but it makes the flats and downhills so worth it B)
I wasn't prepared to see Wallace as a drop-bar bike. I went back to look at some of your earlier videos. It seems that Wallace switched from a straight bar to a drop bar sometime in May.
Started cycling in February, 2021. Started on a geared bike and hated riding using the other gears except for 48/14. Then got hooked on single speed riding 46/16. Then switched and got addicted to fixed gear riding on 46/16. Kept going with it after watching Zach’s videos and cycling with my buddy. Switched out to 49/16. Then 49/14. 49/13. 53/13. 56/13. Currently on 56/12. Plan on going to 64/12. I ride anywhere from 4 to 7 times a week with at least 15 miles each ride and focus on legs and core in the gym. Given this is over months and daily riding. My buddy says it’s pretty gonzo. I’m aware of the health of my knees and hips and keep those in mind when riding. Thoughts?
64 / 12 is insane
Bro the way you use the tree as your bike stand is fresh
What's interesting to me is that in the 'car world' some people call bigger ratios small gears( I don't by the way). I think some people think this way because the engine spins slower with a larger ring and pinion size...hence bigger gears = slower crank turns. So I guess that is why they call em that. I myself sometimes even catch myself saying down shifting, which is definitely wrong...I guess?🤔
Great video and topic! I've recently increased my gear ratio too and I think there are other factors that are just as important apart from just the gear ratio.
As a fixed rider, I'm also optimizing my bike around
1. My terrain, and average angle of elevation.
2. Use of brakes, with or without. With brakes, you are safer increasing gear ratio.
3. Position on bike. With a properly tuned aggressive position, you can generate enough power to start and stop on high ratios while keeping your knees spinning safely and injury free.
I generally advice against emphasis on just 1 parameter, the entire bike AND the rider has to be properly tuned up. Its part of the zen fixie thing.. Just my 2cents!
Agree with you on all three points. Especially number 3. Have to find the right position and modifying, changing, upgrading more than just the chainring and cog.
Every winter I end up with a 50x20. As summer comes along I, tooth by tooth, go to a 16. Every time I change by 1 tooth on the cog it’s like a bad day where you just don’t feel strong or fast but the numbers say otherwise.
Gears are interesting. Always fun researching numbers.
This is exactly the video I needed to see.
My former manual bike was should I say, frustrating me because I was topping out max gear and wanted more to allow myself to push myself more.
Well, recently got an ebike 250W and once again a little disappointed at how quick it cuts out on assist.
So, I have already changed the seat for comfort, the handle bars to sit up more, and even changed the chain set all from my old bike to have a baseline.
The wheels are bigger, so +2 on the chain set, but I am running a rear 16t on the rear and before my smallest was 14t so would assume the same.
I have just ordered a complete crank with 58t and plan to place a 10-12t on the rear cog once I can find one suitable.
With the motor, should assist me on hills, and allow me to be like you enjoying riding at a fair pace, comfortable cadence and have the best of all three of my worlds, the old, up cycled and the new and modified.
Ebike 42/16
Manual 48/14
Current 48/16
Next will be 58/10 or 12 ideally 10
I recall the differences in hearing from being a biker and changing the sprockets, but in the opposite manner. 3 teeth more on rear, and a drop of a tooth at front. Acceleration was made, wanting to lift 1-3 gears on throttle.
So it’s interesting to be playing around now on single gearing front and rear on push bike.
Thanks for sharing.
At 7:00 Zach complains about knee pain and shows his pedal stroke. His left knee (the one he complained about) is pointed INWARDS while his right knee is outwards, and both are going in a circle. This means Zach's fit is messed up and he would get this knee damage eventually.
Could be a change in posture in an (ill-fated) attempt to relieve some of the pain. It's stupid, but it's a natural response.
Should've gone for clipless, cages and straps allow for way to much lateral joint movement.
@@psychoaiko666
From what I read, it could be his shoes (lack of support from too-soft shoes), how toed in/out his feet are, or if his hips are too narrow or wide for the q-factor he's using. These are all related but subtly different.
He's already decided he doesn't like cleats as much as toe clips (and to be fair I don't personally like them either) but they are the fastest way to bandaid the first two problems if adjusted properly.
I like the green bike lanes.. wish we had that in my city..
i rode a 46/16 in college. Decent ratio for moderate top speed, with enough torque to climb hills with some effort. however, going on rides with gear bike dudes, its really difficult to keep up because id pedal 3 times for every one time they would pedal.
As someone who jumped from 39x16 on a cross bike to 48x15 on a track, i feel this one 🦿
I ride fixed and have for a decade plus. I have always had a 56/16 with back brakes. I ride from Folsom to downtown and mob it. I pass and drag race guys with gears on the bike trail allot more often than you would expect.
I am however getting old now and will be switching to a 52
I ride 52/14 and tried going down to 46/14, made me only more tired and I was def slower at times, I used it for a month and went back after that.
48/14 is fine for me but sometime kill my legs
I ride hard on flat with 51x13, pure speed no traffic light, on a closed loop, with a peloton. Commuting is either 48x17 or even 46x18 on the Winter beater. 48x13 is totally not suitable for urban riding. 48x17 is definitely the gold standard for busy city riding such as Paris.
Favorite video. Getting back into my fixie riding w my old 2012 Leader 725. Enjoyed this video very much. In 48x15 but was amazing to see you do the 13. Question, Did you need a different wheel with smaller hub diameter to use the 13t, just wondering.
It has taken riding bikes 5-6 hours a day every weekend or more for 8-14 years when younger for me to never have knee pain. Which is interesting cause i NEVER knew till a few years ago that biking could give you knee pain lol.
I recommend starting (for 700x28c) front 46 and rear 16, or thereabouts, and with hills you're gonna be at about the same since you have to go back down them, but if you have flat land, and good strength, and you start averaging 85 or higher rpm (90h100 rpm under load) then you can go down 1 tooth at a time on the wheel cog, and up 2 gears at a time with the chain ring. Worst case you can have a backup gear and change again. This change is also unlikely to need a new chain.
Keep in mind torque for braking speed.
In my opinion length of ride matters a lot. For 5-10 minute rides you can go all the way up to 58x11, and ball out at 38mph the whole way. But for 1h or more, definitely should be closer to 46x16 or so.
But ball out with aero and weight reduction, especially at the same time.
I ride a 46/16 around a 25-30 mile loop with about a 1000ft of elevation and average 17-19mph depending on weather and wind. I don’t think your ratio is doing you any favors if you are going 15-16 mph on such high ratios. Should be going 20+ with a good cadence of 80-105 rpm
I ride 46\19. 65y.o. nice to knees
Cadence is keyyyyy. Once your legs figure out your comfort cadence the gear ratio matters less. I'm a masher though so low gear ratios make me slow. I tracklocross on a 51x17 ratio ( to be fair Florida hella flat and I'm afraid of advanced trails with big drops) in the windy bits I'm more than happy to churn butter through corners and love a good short intense climb. Riding style always varies as well as fitness so challenge yourself but recognize your gear and how it makes you feel.
I started riding fixed almost 40 years ago and generally ~75 GI with a 165mm crank has been the best compromise year round in all weather conditions allowing me to avg 18 mph on a 50 mile ride, even as an old fart. spinning=winning
Makes a lot of sense that on a flat route around Sac, the big gear would be a lot faster. But yeah, for all the reasons you talk about, a 49x13 might be more fear than needed for every-day riding.
Thing is, if you ride that big gear regularly, you might find that those climbs and starts and stops get easier as you get stronger.
46x16 on my SS is perfect for me. But my geared bike goes up to a 50x12 that only gets used down big hills.
I like riding my single speed with a large 42T up front and a 22T in the back, in personal use it’s a more sustainable bmx sprint when just cruising
same here
I like to run a 42/14 and that has got me to an average speed of 17mph. I run that ratio because it's very well balanced in terms of top speed and acceleration.
This is what I ride. Feels comfortable enough to to cruise and I can get it moving when needed.
The knee issues are a real concern, I ride a 26' mtb and 42-11, and delivering food for 3-4 hours straight at good speed, sprinting very often when available, and while the first months my knee hurts, I did rest for days every now and then, and take some rides to focus on form (this smoking thc, ita good for my kinesthesic focus and awareness) and now i feel my knees stronger than ever, no more pain and I have discover a few techniques of pwdaling in order to allow different muscles to do the job while others rest, rotating the effort... I feel great, probably should do some medical test to reach a better and more truhful conclusion but it seems doable, at least for now, Ive been riding my bike for 2 years now.
Sorry for my english, its bot my native tongue
And im 34 years old, so no at my peak recovery/adaptation.
Not encouraging anybody to do this but sharing my brief experience, I had knee tracking issues before getting on the bike and they have gone now.
Who knows...
"Spin to win" is only true in two cases:
-Fast acceleration is needed and speeds below 30mph/50kph are needed to win
-Resistance to overcome is high: heavy load/rider, headwind, steep climbing
For all other cases, gear ratios above 80 are more efficient and faster, the power output falling dramatically above 120rpm. Above this cadence, one is essentially moving their legs more than pushing the bike forward.
Hence why track cyclist only ever reach cadences of 200+ on rollers where resistance is minimal (low power generation needed) and why they only ever use ratios lower than 90 in points or elimination races (air resistance decreased by group riding, fast acceleration needed for short bursts).
Besides this saying pretty much only goes for roadies when climbing, you don't see them spinning out on descents
What people don't get is that it's not a matter of your legs not being strong enough, it's a matter of the wind being too heavy, past 40 km/h what is keeping your wheels from spinning faster is just the air
depends on how much you like your knees and walking in later life
I think the sexy aero shoes made all the difference ❤❤❤
Zach does it so we don't have to. 15% gear increase and brakeless! I'm not sure that that was the smartest idea.
Ok, I just did a little math. Your 49x15 at 15.5mph average gives an average cadence of right around 60rpm, hardly spinning as it is. 16.9 with the big gear gives around 55. How about next week try a larger rear sprocket and see what spinning gets you?
The problem is he isn’t going all out or measuring the power that he’s putting out, so he’d just go easy with the smaller ratio and say that it’s slower.
Great info I've been riding 52 tooth by 12 tooth for more than 30 years and man I love it 700 25 c tires had front brake only never used it I'm from Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean
Started with 48 *14 and use to run out of gear . It was a 3 chainring cross bike. Switched to 1X 53 - 15 for speed runs.
I'm using 48x14 gear for a year and still struggling to stop 😂 but i found out jump skidding method really help big gear ratio fixie to stop 😜✨✨
I've used either 48 or 56/13 for years the biggest problem I've had is it's easy to slide the rear wheel out on slippery ground and when it does lose grip it really does.
depends on your cadence
love your videos bro, keep it up
I've been working as a delivery since the pandemic started and the perfect ratio for me is 48/13. I also installed a rear brake because riding for 5 hours with just straps is dumb.
lol i ride brakeless just so i can say I can and i gotta say i love it. i ride a 48/17 tho and it feels pretty slow, im probably gonna try your ratio
When he called me a above average cycler I laughed because I don’t even have a bike I’m just doing some research on what kind of bike I want to get
That's kinda above average...
Im amateur at a fixed gear and slightly beginner my ratio is 48 - 14 in first my legs sores fast but i keep on practicing now my legs do not get sore now hehe
ride more.
@@urielresendiz1672 you too bro and ride safe
my fixed gear i had a 52/15 gear ratio, then 49/16 for a couple years now i’m running 49/18 on my track bike and 42/18 on my tracklocross. i’m from sac too and ride in sf some times and love it for both. on both bikes.
how i cycle a fixed with a heavy ratio 48:13 uphill is go up an angle and get on your drops then lean foward and sprint up
If you’re sprinting up, that’s not a real hill.
Now, after i saw the video
Your ride was pretty flat without stops, no surprise that in those conditions a high gear ratio is faster
In city conditions with hills, even small hills, high gear ratio is useless and no fan to ride
Second, who is in hurry? We are talking about having fan with our bikes, who cares about Strava times?
We are not roadies, we are fixed riders
Going fast is fun tho
@@bruhmaxxer it is fun if you can go for all the ride, not only for a 300m decent and for all the ride you struggle with 20rpm cadence, and when you finish you are dead tired and you want to throw your bike in the trash
With high cadence you are more effective for higher average speed and you keep your legs relax for bigger rides
Off course if your ride is the king of flats, higher gear is better, if your are not going to stop and start all the time
@Bebo yeah hahaha, gearinchemeter counts 😂
51/16 here and I live in the mountains. You get used to it, but you can’t really climb steep hills unless you zig zag.
Only depends on RPM, there are “roll out” charts online that tell you how far you travel with one revolution of the crank. Someone with 106 rpm and 54x13 is going farther and faster than 106rpm and 54x23, period. It really is moot point, 99% of bike buyers cannot turn 54x11@90rpm, hence compact chainrings. If you want to go faster lose 50 lbs!
I never thought I'd see the day that Zach rides a bigger gear than me 😭
I'll go hang my head in shame... or maybe I'll have to get the 64t back out of retirement
@@NetomaMusic 😁
My 60 tooth crankset is coming in tomorrow, I'm leaning towards a 13 tooth for the rear... but running it freewheel with a brake until I get used to it. Currently running a 49/16 brakeless. Just wanna give the big gear a try as an experiment. 60/13 seem workable? I'm open to other suggestions for the rear cog. These will be going on my aventon Mataro frame set BTW
I went from 46-16 to 48-13 and i gotta say that the difference was insane, had some issues in the beginning but after a couple rides i noticed a significant difference in average speed, i want from 15.9 to 21 on my daily commute (14miles with some hills)
Als now i have the legs to even climb a 6% average with this gear ratio
Ull be better off with 50 by 15. 13 cog is creating a lot of friction and destroying your chain and even more potential
@@colecoleman1499 yup, I've switched to 56t-15t as of now
@@sebastiankockelkorn9674 56 jump straight from 48. Did you experiment with 52 or 54? Do you ride for time trials only? I transitioned to a complete sprint style cycling. I don't max out for more than 2 Kms. 56 chainring wouldnt suit my style of cycling as need lot of acceleration to beat best time for short distance. I currently have 53 thinking' between 52 or 54. What would be your recommendation? And how long it took you to get use to 56 chainring please?
@@sebastiankockelkorn9674 you live in Belgium. I think I found you on Strava
I know I’m late to the party but this simple math is why everybody should be familiar with geared bikes. Also for a good sample you should ride it 10x for a good average and compare to your previous average. I bet as you got comfortable and stronger your times would improve.
There are massive pros and cons here , sure you may be faster on tall gearing , but what about enjoying the ride and taking your time . Also the crunch on the knees .
Think a person is sounding like a car driver if their only goal in life is to push your chest out and say “ I got here in record time “ ...and it was only to grab a pizza ..wtf
Your gear ratio should be based on your max sustainable average speed at around 80-110 RPM...IMO
17-ish mph on 49x13 is like under 60rpm cadence! That seems like a ridiculously low cadence to me. I had 49x17 on my fixed gear bike and managed to average 20.2 mph for 26 miles on the street at a comfy average cadence of around 90rpm.
49/17 would be ideal for flats and long distance riding? Looking into upgrading my ration currently riding 46/16 feel like I’m spinning but not getting higher rpm that I push
Great job! You made a new record! ☺️ Glad you enjoyed the bigger ratio ☺️ I rode a 58-18 having 80% controls of the bike under any circumstances 👍🏻🤗
At 2 minutes 30 and had to pause:
A 14t cog is the smallest you can reasonably go before the chain drive becomes way less efficient. If you're already using a 14t, your real options should be to increase your chainring tooth count. This only matters for fixed gears and single speed road/cruiser bikes.
Predicting the answer Zach gets to the video title is either "no" or "yes BUT it's more tiring/less fun" due to this. I would like to see if re-testing with a larger chainring produces a different result. Even if that means killing the bling from that purple chopsaw he has lol
MY PREDICTION WAS WRONG!
The knee thing he mentions is a fit problem though. And I would still like to see him try a bigger chainring instead of a smaller cog.
i tried fixed gear but going down hill is awful. you have to peddle like a mad man or brake yourself all the way down. went back to single speed after a couple of rides.
What app do you use to record your ride?
Where is that mtb singletrack trail @ 7:51? I know this is Elk Grove area but what street?
What about changing from 44×14 to a 48×14.. About to change my crankset in the near future and wanting to know how you guys think about it
Another question, is it more worth upgrading my wheel set or upgrading my crankset and chainring?
I would say wheelset first and then your drive train
@@1slow_gto Any budget wheelset recommendations? With sealed bearings.
@@sonymicronin what would you say is your budget ?
@@1slow_gto For wheels I would spend $200. I bought my used kilo TT in good condition for $250 and I don't know if I'd be willing to spend more on wheels than my whole bike. I know wheels are extremely important though.
@@sonymicronin used set of velocity rims,alex rims
Honestly look on offer up or ebay
For example there's a set of campologos for sale in my area for 210
That's a really good deal
Local market is honestly some of the best places to look
How’s the pup in the bike going?
Hey Zach! I just went from 49/17 to 49/15 and I feel like I had to start over with learning how to skid again. Any tips?
Those shoes though... It would also be nice if you posted a follow up about how you felt the next day or few days after that effort. Like how was the knee? Do you think you could keep doing it all the time etc?
i ran 102 and 106 gear inches for years, and definitely cruised way faster than my 70 gear inch days. i'm a bigger rider however (i'm built like a linebacker), and spinning at 120rpm wasn't gonna happen for too long.
but even with my huge gear ratios, i can get around like 98% of oakland just fine. i do mostly okay in sf as long as i'm riding alone, but the speed at which i climb hills makes group rides difficult. once i get stuck behind someone climbing with a lower ratio, i just have to get off and walk, lol.
at first, the larger ratios were much more difficult, but the extra time it takes for every revolution makes it easier to fire off my muscles more efficiently. so i'll get tired slower over a long ride with a high ratio, vs lower.
i do ride with a brake though. skidding makes my knee hurt and slowing down in an emergency takes waaaaay too long.
Zach is gonna go hulk his legs out now.