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Selecting Singlespeed gearing for a race (SS)

3216 Views 14 Replies 9 Participants Last post by DeoreDX, Jan 21, 2022

FJSnoozer

Discussion Starter · Jan 19, 2022

Not putting this in SS forum because I want nerdy race analysis. I’m looking for a little advice. My top fuel is down again for a crank, so I’ll be on my hardtail for a while and may as well join the pain if I can find my tensioner in storage.

How do you gear for a specific race? Do you gear specifically for the climbs and to make it up while still being able to pedal at race pace? Does it depend upon the amount of climbing?

Do you gear for known average speed of the course?

Do you just wing it?

I’m curious what your strategy is. I’m a low cadence rider and really can’t spin well. I’m very comfortable turning 50-60 rpm for a very long time and can handle 40 for much longer than I can handle 120 rpm, so I know my exact ratio will be different from someone who can turn 160.

For now I have a 38, 34, 30t chainring and a 20 and 18 cog. Ive only ever run the 38x20 and I PRd every hill I rode on it (because I had to ride at 11 mph or higher

)

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darth tracer

· #2 · Jan 19, 2022

I think it depends on a few things fitness, where you live(terrain), and how long the climbs are. I run 34:18 where I live in and would gear to 34:20 for bigger days with sustained climbing like a 30mi 4k day with the grade of climbs around me. For endurance racing like 8 hours I have typically run 32:20/21 depending on climbing and for short track stuff i used to run 35:16. I have a friend and he is typically 2 teeth higher so 36:16 typically all the time and he is a masher top age group nationally type guy for mtb for reference. I tend to gear to ride as much as possible and for as long as possible and the 2:1 plus a tooth or two gets me there for daily driving.

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FJSnoozer

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 19, 2022 (Edited)

Thanks! To be specific, I am speaking about XCO 80-120min. All of these XC races will have between 50-100 feet per mile of elevation gain. Steep climbs that are between 1-5 minutes and nothing sustained. Course that is over 100’/mile, just has 10-12 climbs that gain 100 feet in a tenth of a mile. So mashing up on a SS is probably fastest.

I would definitely back things off a bit for marathon Distance, although even in those distances, I do better when standing on climbs. I’m like a fat Tempier. Not a national level masher, but pretty alright in state series.

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NordieBoy

· #4 · Jan 19, 2022

I ride at 32/22 and race the same trails at 32/21. I'll still be walking some sections.
For an upcoming 4hr XC where I've never ridden before I'm going to be looking at gradients and average speeds/power from Strava segments

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JoePAz

· #5 · Jan 19, 2022 (Edited)

I race the same gear as I would ride the course on. I use 34 chainring 18,19 mostly, but I have a 20t also. Which I pick depends on how much the way of flats vs up/down and if the trails are smoother or rougher. Smoother steep climbs I can run 34x18, but chunkier trails need the 19 to not get hung up on technical ups. My last race I was planning 34x18, but the course changed from some up/down sections and long flat section to really a series of steep ups and downs at little in the way of flat ground. The 19 was the right call. If you have time you should pre-ride the course and swap gears to see how it works out.

Now as for climbs specifically. I tend climb at a cadence. So shorter(harder) gearing means I climb it faster. If you have to walk then the gear you ride does not mater. If there is one steep section you cannot climb on a middle gear, but can on easy and the course has flats where you spin out the middle gear then go harder and just walk the climb. Races are never won an cleaning every part of the course. They are won by lowest overall time. I have won singlespeed races where I might have to walk a few features, but was faster everywhere else due to a slightly bigger (harder) gear. That said riding the entire course is faster in theory and there might be some climbs where the easier gear allows you to sit and spin vs stand and go slower. This why it is not always simple.

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NordieBoy

· #6 · Jan 19, 2022

NordieBoy said:
I ride at 32/22 and race the same trails at 32/21. I'll still be walking some sections.
For an upcoming 4hr XC where I've never ridden before I'm going to be looking at gradients and average speeds/power from Strava segments

Just found a vlog of last years race

pinkpowa

· #7 · Jan 20, 2022

I wing it. If it's flatish I go 32x16, in NWA apparently I can get away with 32x18 for a few hours. Those are the only two gears I've raced, I'd probably pickup a 19 or 20 if I was doing ORAMM or anything long sustained/climbing.

Tyrone Shoelaces

· #8 · Jan 20, 2022

I gear for the average speed that I want. I start by looking at past results and the lap times or total overall time of those in the category that I'm racing in (which isn't necessarily always a single speed specific class), then use a gear that puts me in that average speed ballpark (based on whatever my current fitness is) knowing that it certainly won't be perfect on every single part of the course.

EDIT: Go back and watch the Syd and Macky YouTube videos from this past summer where Macky was choosing his gear for SS Nationals (which he won).

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economatic

· #9 · Jan 20, 2022

I mostly race 100+ mile events and I first look at the elevation profile and total gain, and compare that to what I normally ride. I first focus on sections that look steep that I'll have to walk. Those I ignore and just plan to walk it because there isn't much to gain to grind it out when you'll be standing on the pedals at the same speed as walking. After that I pretty much choose the highest ratio I think I can hold for the rest of the course if the total elevation gain is less than 10k feet (in my good fitness years). More elevation than around 10k then I start reducing the ratio, 3 or 4 teeth for the really tough courses or 24 hour races.

If you have pro-level fitness then...

In recent years I've done well by gearing down more than others. I had to rethink my strategy after I got my ass handed to me last July in a 24 hour solo. It made me realize that no matter what the fitness level is, there is no way to catch up to someone running a higher ratio on the flats.

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FJSnoozer

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jan 20, 2022

Tyrone Shoelaces said:
I gear for the average speed that I want. I start by looking at past results and the lap times or total overall time of those in the category that I'm racing in (which isn't necessarily always a single speed specific class), then use a gear that puts me in that average speed ballpark (based on whatever my current fitness is) knowing that it certainly won't be perfect on every single part of the course.

EDIT: Go back and watch the Syd and Macky YouTube videos from this past summer where Macky was choosing his gear for SS Nationals (which he won).

Thanks! This was one of the approaches I was considering.

I’ll check out the video. Gearing for SS nationals would be pretty extremely easy. It’s a 10-12 minute threshold interval followed by one other short rolling uphill. Everything else is a bunch of coasting. I’d gear that to cruise 85 rpm up the jeep road.

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FJSnoozer

Discussion Starter · #11 · Jan 20, 2022

economatic said:
If you have pro-level fitness then... In recent years I've done well by gearing down more than others. I had to rethink my strategy after I got my ass handed to me last July in a 24 hour solo. It made me realize that no matter what the fitness level is, there is no way to catch up to someone running a higher ratio on the flats.

Pro level fitness I definitely don’t have. That is my biggest concern is the flats. We have plenty of those in Texas. I’m tempted to overhear and just deal with the consequences and make up a ton of speed on the flats. Given my propensity to grind really low Rpm’s and have my Hr drop while doing this I think that’s what I will go for.

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OneSpeed

· #12 · Jan 20, 2022

FJSnoozer said:
Not putting this in SS forum because I want nerdy race analysis.

Whoa whoa, hey now. Are you suggesting SSers are not capable of sophisticated race strategies?

We've been following the same race day plan for years. Show up hung over, stand and mash, celebrate in parking lot with head cheerleader. What's not to like?

Reactions: 1

OneSpeed

· #13 · Jan 20, 2022

I look at how much elevation gain per mile there is compared to my local trails. For climbing I usually do 100-140ft per mile, or roughly 1000ft per hour. Those are kind of my standard metrics personally, I base my decisions off that.

Generally I don't change my gearing too often. My local trails have short punchy climbs and I need to keep a pretty low gear on the bike (34:20). Seems to work out pretty well on local race courses.

You also just highlighted another significant personal preference, cadence.

FJSnoozer

Discussion Starter · #14 · Jan 21, 2022

*OneSpeed* said:
Whoa whoa, hey now. Are you suggesting SSers are not capable of sophisticated race strategies?

We've been following the same race day plan for years. Show up hung over, stand and mash, celebrate in parking lot with head cheerleader. What's not to like?

That’s my ultra marathon strategy, so maybe I belong on a single speed.

I just didn’t want recommendations from what people daily drive on.

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DeoreDX

· #15 · Jan 21, 2022

I don't race anyone but myself and my strava times but for me it depends on the course/trail/segment and probably more specifically would depend on the ratio of climbing to flat/descending. I don't want prolonged sections of pushing but I also don't wan prolonged sections of spinning out. But I would rather spin out than push as it's much easier to defend a position on a fast downhill on narrow single track that's hard to pass on than on an uphill segment you are having to push your bike up.

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