Fixed gear ratios

[jrenaut]

My bike, I believe, is 46/18. I’m thinking I might need something a little different. I’m getting used to a higher cadence, but I’m still very slow at a cadence that is borderline uncomfortable. I don’t want to make a huge change because I do still have to get up a hill to go home from pretty much anywhere (shockingly, Columbia Heights is on a hill).

What ratios do you all use?

Topic

[Raymo853]

@Subby 106265 wrote:

We better get back out there and do our li’l old route again before everything is paved.

Do you got a link to your route or even a past Strava’ed ride out there? The route I came up with is total guesswork based on the Global Heatmap and Louden Co gravel road database.

[hozn]

@DaveK 106252 wrote:

A lot of them don’t want the improvement – http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/loudoun-wants-to-keep-its-historic-potholed-gravel-roads-unpaved/2014/02/14/ccdda5e0-94c8-11e3-84e1-27626c5ef5fb_story.html

That article is really unclear about who exactly is lobbying for/against paving the gravel. But I guess it is not surprising that the rural residents that don’t need to drive on the roads (i.e. aren’t commuters) might like to keep the roads unpaved to discourage others from using them. The argument about keeping gravel roads to preserve the historic nature of Loudon county is pretty laughable given the wasteland of suburban sprawl that characterizes much of the county.

The only people I know that have to commute on unpaved roads are grateful when they have turned from gravel to chip seal. Granted, the commuters are by definition those new city folk that aren’t “part of the rural community”.

In any event, I think gravel is recreationally fun for riding — or driving, so I too would be a little sad if all the gravel disappeared. Luckily MTB trails don’t face the chip seal threats.

[Subby]

@Raymo853 106266 wrote:

Do you got a link to your route or even a past Strava’ed ride out there? The route I came up with is total guesswork based on the Global Heatmap and Louden Co gravel road database.

Rod might have a better course, but here is the ride: https://app.strava.com/activities/188143563

[americancyclo]

@Raymo853 106266 wrote:

Do you got a link to your route or even a past Strava’ed ride out there? The route I came up with is total guesswork based on the Global Heatmap and Louden Co gravel road database.

Here’s a link to one of Dirt’s gravel rides, but with the note that some roads may now be paved.

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1858457

and my strava track from his “Intro to Gravel” ride
https://www.strava.com/activities/73968812

[Author]

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