single speed gear

[mitch]

can someone help me to choose a gear for your race i plan on racing expert and i race a ss but i never rode your coarse any advice would be great thanks mitch

[Rage]

Like most things, it depends... in this case it depends on if you like spinning or stomping. The SS standard of 2:1 for a 26 is fine for most folks - 32:16, etc. 'Course for a 29 you'd bump it a couple, say 32:18. Fast cats roll their 29er 32:16 on Sylvan, but that's too tall for me...

Rg.

[SweetSVT99]

Sylvan is flat, very flat. On my 29er SS I ride the typical 32:18 and felt like I had the wrong gear. During normal riding it's ok, but racing it sucked, especially out on the open sections. I won't be at Sylvan this year, but if I were to be there I'd be riding at least a 34:18 or 32:16. If you race a lot of SS, you are probably riding that gearing, so I think a good rule of thumb would be: Take whatever you are riding and step it up one or two.

[Huck will tell you]

If you dont want to be slow. I would ride 32-15, like I did a few years ago on a two9er. And I was still spinning out on the far side of the island. -Huck