Whats the consensus then, i'm running a 42 front ring, what size should be on the back?

Cheers

something that gives you 68-75 gear inches. your terrain will dictate how easy/hard you want it to be. consult a gear inch chart or calculator to find the right cog.

16t ?

42-16 will be fine to start. It is quite 'spinny'.

What sort of terrain do you ride in? Fixed gear bikes and big climbs (or descents) can be quite challenging.

I tend to start the winter on a 43/16 and gear up according how strong my legs feel.

Enjoy!

I live by Cannock Chase so a good mix of terrain, go west and its flat for miles, go east and its hilly.

Im very lucky for riding where i live 😛 Think i'll go for 16 and see what happens.

What MrSmith said.

48:17 here. It used to be 48:16 (81") but after breaking 2 of the cheapo Shimano freewheels I bought a White Industries one and they only had 17T in stock.
Fine for me, even on fairly lumpy terrain. I live on the edge of the Peak District and while I wouldn't try going up Winnats Pass on it I've been over Chinley Head and Rushup Edge with no problems.

MTB SS you want about 2:1, road SS, about 2.8:1 and for fixed you can go a bit higher still (3:1 ish).

road + singlespeed = whats the point!! lets max out at 22mph……. yeha!!

Dunno what the point is, just thought i would, i got an old retro 531 road bike off ebay with shimano 600 groupset on and im singlespeeding it, it looks mighty fine i'll post pics when its finished.

It even had Simplex down tube shifters

Try a 16 to start. You might change depending on how far and hilly your commute is. I went down to a 14 after about 6 months as I was finding 16 too spinny on the flat.

Go fixed! you will love it. I run 46-18 and it's about right and would be fine around Cannock.

Fixed on the road ftw!!! I run 48:18 on my pompy it's ace 😀

What plans you got for the geared kit you're taking off the bike ? Might be interested in those simplex shifters… are they the tear drop shape friction ones ?

fixed here too commuting bike 48:16 not many hill great fun!

radoggair the point is it makes you spin and is hard work up hills

I use 45:16 btw