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29 single speed gearing

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29 single speed gearing
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flag slomoto
O+
Posted: Feb 3, 2019 at 12:52 Quote
building an Intense Hard Eddie 29 into a single speed and looking for suggestions where to start
flag hizzity
O+
Posted: Feb 4, 2019 at 11:26 Quote
slomoto wrote:
building an Intense Hard Eddie 29 into a single speed and looking for suggestions where to start

When I used to ride a single speed I like to use a 32x20. Perfectly terrible for all conditions which makes SS fun. Big Grin
flag mca896
Posted: Feb 9, 2019 at 10:57 Quote
I am running 32 x 18 now and like the above poster said, it generally sucks all around Smile

It sucks for jumping as it's too low to gain sufficient speed in a short runup without pedaling like a wild man and it's too high for a lot of the climbs in my area (short but steep and rocky).

It's basically a ratio that was seemingly designed around flat ass bike paths. Came with the bike, I didn't choose it.
flag SuperUltraKel
Posted: Feb 12, 2019 at 11:44 Quote
I'm running 30x19 and it is DEFINITELY a compromise gearing. I can ride most any trail in my area with enough grit on the climbs (short of heading up into the mountains) and yet i can maintain good chain tension on most of the flats. I do spin out relatively quickly on the descents and the high speed rolling sections between descents and climbs, but if i went any higher, I wouldn't be able to handle the climbs.
flag Losifer
Posted: Feb 12, 2019 at 20:25 Quote
32x20 now. I ran 32x18 for many years in SoCal, but I’m old now! We have long climbs with some steep pitches, so the gearing works out. It’s a drag for riding to any of the trailheads that are more than a mile or so away.

Los
flag SuperUltraKel
Posted: Feb 12, 2019 at 20:39 Quote
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/gear-calc.html
This is a great place to play around and experiment with different gearing to see what works for you. I usually set the output to MPH @ 90rpms because I can wrap my head around what the numbers mean in the real world a little better than gain ratios or gear inches
flag dubdryver
Posted: Feb 15, 2019 at 5:03 Quote
Using the Sheldon Brown gear calculator can really help out for purchasing decisions.
The way that I use the gear calculator is I observe my average trail speed at about 90 RPMs and then find the gear combination that aligns with that number. So if my average speed on a trail was about 14mph, and I could sustain that average speed the whole trail, I would look for a gear combo that allows me to obtain that speed. Of course there's going to be sections that are faster, but there's also sections that are going to be slower, but in my experience, going with the average just seems to provide good balance. For me, living in S. Florida, it's generally flat with a lot of short punchy climbs, and a lot of man-made technical features. There just isn't a lot of the mundane jeep road climbs w/ the payoff of an exciting downhill where you're forced to coast most of it so my gearing is going to be much different than yours, but this is you take what you know, and use the calculator to work out the math for you rather than trial and error.[

The good thing about the gear calculator is that you can adjust your setup on paper to see what you need to be where you need to be. If you can view the picture below, you can see that I used custom cogs and custom rings to see the different gear ratio combinations.

I would also suggest just try riding your bike in one gear the whole time. This is especially beneficial if you do this on the bike you plan on setting up single speed. The only difference being that you'll likely drop 1-2lb of weight, and power going to the rear wheel will be much more direct. So you can either choose to compensate, or keep the same gear and it will be beneficial during those tough sections.

photo
flag trails801
Posted: Apr 4, 2019 at 15:05 Quote
32/20 on a high engagement hub is nice.
flag wanderingbike
O+
Posted: May 18, 2019 at 5:09 Quote
I run an Absolute Black 34t oval with a King 20t. If you know where the hills are and plan for them it's no problem, plus your legs will feel amazing in no time!
flag sbcnyc
Posted: May 18, 2019 at 8:19 Quote
30/16 has been pretty good, fit my older honzo with the adjusters slammed with a 2.3 ikon with no need of a chain tension thingie, by no means am i doing technical climbs, just flow trail hike and bike, manuals, bunny hop shred stuff... followed by city miles
flag timbits
Posted: Jun 5, 2019 at 9:58 Quote
Running a 36T ABSOLUTEBLACK OVAL with 22 rear... Single speed, its a love/hate thing.
flag mmiloou
Posted: Jun 25, 2019 at 9:33 Quote
On a oval 32-19 (which I think seems perfect for what I do) I have an actual (wide freehub-footprint) SS cog that's a 20t that'll put on soon.
Dialing the chain tension with a oval ring was a pita on a horizontal dropout but without a chain tensioner.
flag northy185
Posted: Jul 5, 2019 at 9:00 Quote
Oval 34--16 checking in. I live in the midwest though, so most climbs are punchy and fairly short. If it is a particularly hilly course, I'll drop to an 18, sometimes a 20. I ran 30/20 at a ski hill trail once, and spun out everywhere but the climbs. I hated it. Always a good idea to have a few cogs and swap as needed. I take notes on my strava after any gearing changes to help remember what worked on a particular course. Obsessing over gearing is one of the many joys of singlespeed life!
flag rynee
Posted: Aug 26, 2019 at 12:52 Quote
I run 34T Oval (oneup narrow wide with flat pedals) x 21 Rear on my 2013 Honzo. Did a very nice 11km / 550m total elevation gain ride in about 80 mins last week, very satisfying and it thoroughly crushed my legs. Fwiw I use Maxxis High Roller 2 as a rear tire, mounted against the recommended direction - it really digs into the ground very well with the center nobs when mounted that way.
Remember, with SS you actually have three gears - sit, stand, walk Big Grin
Enjoy your new experience, it sure will change the way you view your local trails!
flag Dougdirt
Posted: Sep 7, 2019 at 19:09 Quote
32/19 seems to be a good compromise.
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