best gear inch for fixed road riding?

[ceeberjeebers]

I'm a fairly experienced road racer, but want to ride my fixed gear this winter for a fun change. What gear do you folks think is the best for cold winter riding, and why?

 

[Zac]

47 or 46 x 18. I don't know, I just like it.

 

[greenrhino]

50x 16 on the bianci pista. some say it is a bit big but as long as the hills are not huge it feels pretty good.

 

[pudman616]

Originally posted by ceeberjeebers
I'm a fairly experienced road racer, but want to ride my fixed gear this winter for a fun change. What gear do you folks think is the best for cold winter riding, and why?

I ride 38/17 or 39/19. Such a small gear will give you great leg speed. You will know what 200 rpms feels like! Couple this with a solid weight program and you will be sprinting like a pro!

 

[SuperDaveK]

I run a 42x18 for much of the winter then go up to a 48x18 for some of the early season group rides.

I'm not sure what benefit the rider with the 50x16 gets by using that gear on the road. I've used that gear in the district points race championships, not to train on.

-SD

 

[ceeberjeebers]

Thanks everyone. I went with a 39x16 for now, and will probably go up to a bigger gear in Feb/Mar when the season approaches.

Being a roadie, I wanted to try and keep my position on the track bike relatively close to that on my road bike, so I had to jack the seat back a bit on my cannondale track bike, as the seat angle is steeper.

I generally run 172.5's on the road, and am using 170's on the track bike. I feel the shorter length will help with my spin, but not be too much a difference from my road bike.

After riding this thing around for a couple weeks now, I am getting a much smoother spin, and sore muscles in places I didn't know I had muscles! haha.

I wish we had a track within 6 hour drive of here, It sure seems like a whole lot of fun.

 

[SuperDaveK]

you can ride the Mellowdrome in Ashville, NC, how far away is that?

-SD