i run a genesis io with an alfine and 26″ slicks and cable tied on mudguards to work everyday and its ok, if heavy.

i fancy a crack at single speed commuting, which should shed some weight off the bike and also make me work a bit harder. i have another freehub rear wheel and some surly cogs etc. what gearing do you think would work? theres only one hill, and its not too savage.

i have a 44t, 40t, 34t and 32r front chainrings, and 16t and 17t and maybe 18t rear available. on a mtb ss i like 32/16 or 32/17

Well on 700c wheels at the moment I’m running 48:18 which is too spiny, so will be running 48:16 as of tomorrow.

I’d say 44:16 would be a good gear, although if you look at gear inches you can work it out well. Just on the phone so can’t link but a quick google will help.

my cross bike runs 39:19 fixed

It seems perfect – rarely spin out but can wind it up to 35kph and get up the climbs around here without murdering my self.

on my mtb i run 32:16 – my ride to work is only 2-3minutes slower over 25km

32-16 on the mountain bike and currently run 51-17 (79 GI) on the track bike on the road. It’s useable but a bit too big in reality, in the process of dropping to 49-17 (76 GI) which should make life a little easier on the (up)hills.

32:16 on my mtb

what gearing do you think would work? theres only one hill, and its not too savage.

Without knowing how steep the hill, how far along the flat you’d be spinning etc., it’s hard for us to tell. You’d be better off experimenting using your exisiting gears to see which one would work best as a single gear.

My 700c commuter singlespeed is currently running 42 – 16, (69 gear inches) which is a little too spinny on the flats, but I ride it around Edinburgh so I need something I can haul uphill.

On the genesis, try a 40 – 17 to start, then change it up or down on the rear sprocket at required.

For 700c on my commuter fixed wheel:

42:16 – 16 mph
48:16 – 18 mph
48:15 – 20 mph

That’s for 80 rpm cadence. Whether you can sustain 80 rpm in 48:15 is a moot point 😉 . Start with 69″ – the generic single speed gearing.

I run 48:16 over here in the flat lands. Only time I want a lower gear is when it’s windy.

I run 39:18 on mine, seems too spinny at the moment but I’m going to use it with child trailer, should be ok then.

I run 48:17 on my 700c SS road bike.
Spins out about 30mph but still allows me to get away from traffic lights without blowing my knees up.

For a 26″ slick tyred MTB I’d go for 44:16 or 44:17.

42:16 on my commuter 700c, used to run 44:16 with 26″ and 1.5 slicks

48×19

52:17 on my London commuter, but not many serious hills to contend with

44:17 here.

44:16 here on 700×24 halo twin rail couriers, durable tyres if a little heavy,

You need to try a few settings to find one that’s right for you. On my 700c commuter I wanted a gear that I could sit comfortably at around 17 / 18 mph and still climb a reasonable hill. I used 36 / 14.

Apart from the gearing, about the biggest improvement you can make is to stick on a set of Schwalbe Super Motos. Not all slicks are equal.

Marathon Plus for the fit and forget commuter tyre. Reflective shoulder gives added safety.

44-16 on my 700c fixie which is ~75″

14 miles on a mostly flat commute normally into the wind going to work wind to my back on the way home. Can average about 18mph like that, I think the the distance and whay the weather might do is worth considering. If its a 5miler you can probably stamp it out with 90″ or so, if its longer think 75-80″ perhaps?

You need to be able to live with the gear on a daily basis so maybe put the bravado to one side and think about what you can keep going for the whole journey with a stronger headwind…