You are reading a single comment by @Velocio and its replies.
Click here to read the full conversation.
London Fixed Gear and Single-Speed is a community of predominantly fixed gear and single-speed cyclists in and around London, UK.
This site is supported almost exclusively by donations. Please consider donating a small amount regularly.
@Velocio
Gotta be a joke.
The diameter of the sprocket would remain the same if you removed a tooth. So the gearing would remain the same except you would've introduced the ability for the chain to leave the sprocket and potentially kill you when it locks up the wheel.
To increase the gear you need a smaller diameter sprocket. Smaller diameter sprockets accommodate fewer teeth, hence why a 15t and a 16t would produce different gear ratios.
Removing a tooth does not change the diameter of the sprocket. And if you think you can cut out a whole cross-section and somehow heat it up and join it back together... well, it's nuts and it still wouldn't work as you'd have changed the diameter of the inside of the sprocket and it would no longer fit your hub.
So what you need to do is to purchase a new sprocket, or small diameter... which means purchasing one that already has fewer teeth (with no gaps).