I love my track bike. Had it going on two years (and never cleaned it) 😯

Anyway- was thinking….rather than buying a roadbike (for winter) and creating clutter..is it possible to change the gearing to enable my legs to climb hills? Say something similar to mid-ring rear/granny ring front on a mtb? I dont mind about big ring on the downs- although I dont want the frustration of spinning out on flats.

gearing not the issue brakes is.

you can climb on tarmac in a much bigger gear than you imagine
traction between a slick tyre and a road is so good you can stand without spinning the rear.

however the lack of a rear brake could prove tricky

Get stronger! The classic winter fixed gearing for old timers training was around 70 inches (42:16 is a good ratio), which I find lets you get up hills if you are strong enough for them and gives a nice spinning cadence on the flats. Used to be called "evens" since you are doing pedalling 100rpm at 20mph.

Im running a freewheel on the rear at the moment. My knee's cant take fixed.

big lad like you should have no problems turning a fairly hefty gear, just stand up and start pushing. 42:16 sounds like a good ratio. 40:16 if it scares you. You don't live that far outside manchester do you? it can't be that hilly.

I'm running 42:16 now and my commute is almost entirely billiard-ball flat and I spin out if I push it. I want to ride out of Manchester though towards New Mills out towards the Peaks etc then catch the train back in.

48:16 ftw with smallish hills 😀 I just get out and pedallllllllll.

Even if you get all the way to New Mills, there's nothing on the way there you can't get up in 42:16, unless you're going over Werneth Low. I reckon I could do that though 😉

If memory serves, when you first had a singlespeed mountainbike you ran it 22:16, despite being repeatedly told that that was utterly daft.

Just take the bike, with its existing gearing, and point it at hills. Climb until you can't go any more, and see how far up you get. 😀

Get a flip flop hub for days when you're exhausted from abusing Bingo.

Just take the bike, with its existing gearing, and point it at hills. Climb until you can't go any more, and see how far up you get

True.

Get a flip flop hub for days when you're exhausted from abusing Bingo.

Already have- Velocity hubs on Omega BLACK rims.

The hills around my way are of the short and steep variety, riding them fixed gives a really exciting, powerful ride. It's a great workout, epically for the upper body, I found it worked me more than rock climbing. A nice light bike really helps when fixed in the hills, and a good front brake!

I used to ride out from Ealing to the Surrey Hills and back on fixed on 66". I did find going down Combe Bottom a bit hairy though and was usually a bit buggered coming back in past Epsom with that nice fast road in towards New Malden. Climbing Ealing Hill was about all that I had left at the end and it usually required a few pints in Duffy's to sort out the aches. Admitedly riding with guys on gears probably didn't help much on a 80 mile ride with about 2000m of climbing.

I need new front brakes- the thing is loose allover and rattles (its only 18months old).

I commute on a bike with 44/16 gearing in hilly Bristol. It's hard at first but you soon get used to it!

As you don't actually tell us what gearing you already have then your question is flawed.

MisterP – I did (few posts above) 42:16

Sorry, missed that.