# Single speed touring ratio.



## kikoraa (Jul 19, 2012)

Hey guys. Planning on riding from Hanover VA to ga over a course of 4 days. A buddy will be shuttling me home at the end of the last day so i make it to work on time, haha! Anyway just trying to get an idea of what ratio you guys use for loaded single speed touring

I commute a lot on my fixed gear 42-17 and it seems to be a good gear for a hilly ~23 mile wrk commute. Once I hit 30mph I tend to lose control of my spin.

You can use gear inches or ratios. Just looking for advice. 

I WILL NOT be doing this tour on a fixed by the way. I don't have a rack or panniers but I do have "bikepacking" gear bags for my mountain bike. A very large saddle bag, a handlebar sling, and a frame bag (www.jpaks.com) I also have an ergon backpack that holds a ton of gear. Just not sure if I want a backpack for this. 

Thanks!


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

No advice based on experience here. I suspect "loaded single-speed touring" is not done much.

Anyway, the gear, it seems to me, depends on your condition, the terrain, and the load. You want the highest gear that you can muscle up the steepest hill with the load, without hurting yourself or beating yourself up so much that the ride becomes torture. Without knowing those factors, it's hard to make a specific recommendation.

It will be lower than what you ride fixed, for sure. Being able to coast down the hills lets you get away with that, of course. 

I would imagine you do start losing control of the spin, since 30 mph with that gear works out to about 155 rpm.

Personally, I'd get a rack and panniers, but if you can make your setup work . . . As for the backpack, I hate backpacks when cycling, but even if I could tolerate them on short rides (well, I do on very short rides), riding for days over varied terrain with "a ton of gear" on my back sounds like a guaranteeed way to take ALL the fun out of the trip.

Anyway, so as a starting point I'd take that 65-inch gear you ride fixed and go a little lower. 42x18 with a typical mtb tire puts you around 60 inches. Maybe you want even a little lower with that load.


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## kikoraa (Jul 19, 2012)

Yea I can only hold that spin for so long a there's two hills on the way to wrk that I try and focus on keeping t smooth at that speed. I feather the brakes as needed but my commute is also my workout so I try to push through. 

Thanks for the tip, im guessing I just need to you with the gearing and see for myself. 

If any of y'all have toured with an ss, what did YOU use?


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

One thing about trying to find a gear ratio for SS that makes it easier than with a FG: you can test it if you have a multi-speed bike. With FG you can't exactly duplicate the experience, but if you're going to be freewheeling, you can just get on the geary bike, load up about how you'll be loaded for the tour, and head for similar terrain. Put it in a gear and keep it there. If that one seems wrong, try another, until you find what works. That's assuming you have a bike with multiple gears (or can borrow one?)


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

A lot depends on the route, weather and the load but.....

I've done similar with a 38/16 4 day 400 mile ride. If your hub is double sided I'd pack an easier gear too. Winds you know :yikes: :mad2:


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## palu (Aug 14, 2008)

I'd go with a double freewheel option (if you have a flip-flop hub). With 42 front, at least a 19T, if not 20 or 21 would be my choice for the climbing gear. For the other side, I'd go down a couple of teeth (17-19) for the long flats. Note, I usually carry maybe 20-30 lbs and on a 200 mile trek, in about any direction has 8-10k ft climbing.


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## kikoraa (Jul 19, 2012)

That's a good idea. I do have a flipflop but there is a freewheel on one side and a fixed cog on the other. Is it possible to install a freewheel in place of the fixed cog?


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## palu (Aug 14, 2008)

kikoraa said:


> That's a good idea. I do have a flipflop but there is a freewheel on one side and a fixed cog on the other. Is it possible to install a freewheel in place of the fixed cog?


Yes. In fact, I make sure I get a fixed/fixed hub when I buy, so I can run either FW or cog on either side.


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## kikoraa (Jul 19, 2012)

Huh... I had no idea. So the fw and fixed sides are the same?


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

kikoraa said:


> Huh... I had no idea. So the fw and fixed sides are the same?


Not exactly. The thread that the fixed cog goes on is the same as the freewheel thread, but the fixed side has an additional, smaller, reverse threaded ring beyond that, for the lockring. If you thread a freewheel onto the fixed end, the lockring thread doesn't interfere, because it's smaller. You get a little less threaded connection than on the freewheel side, but it's still plenty.


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## kikoraa (Jul 19, 2012)

Ok awesome! I had no idea. This makes life so much easier now that I can just bring 2 gears. I have a 42 up front and was thinking of bringing a 17t and 19t in back.


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