What's your favourite gear ratio?

In summary the question is 49/18 or 45/16 given that the cost of either option is likely to be similar. Any mechanical advantage/disadvantage for either ratio? I don't do wicked skidz. I don't much care for the aesthetics of the 49T ring if that makes a difference. For what it's worth I used to ride 53/16 when doing "big gear rides" when training for TTs, but I did have to avoid the steepest hills completely on that bike. Reckon either of the 2 gear options will be ideal for my all round riding I'm planning. Thanks!

In effect most average riders will experience no or very little difference between the said gear ratios in terms of speed and ability to climb; 45/16 obviously being slightly higher than 49/18. However, mechanically speaking the difference is rather significant; at least in principle. In short, while both ratios may feel virtually the same at top speed or climbing a hill, unless you have a very fine-tuned cadence and style of riding, a low/low ratio enables greater response in terms of acceleration/deceleration, whereas a high/high ratio provides greater momentum while cruising over a longer distance.

In other words, in addition to comparing the overall gear ratio you also need to consider chain speed. With a modest cadence of 100 r.p.m. a 45t chainring will engage 75 chain links per second in comparison to 82 with a 49t chain ring. It may not sound like much, but in reality it's two completely different setups.

To complicate things even further, you may also want to consider the length of your crank. There are many and conflicting theories on the subject, but as a rule of thumb choose a shorter crank for higher cadence (which is what most fixed gear riders prefer/strive for) and a longer crank for greater leverage. It's a complex science really, which eventually boils down to technique and personal preference.

Personally I can't spin to save my life, but spinning is definitely the way forward. For everyday road use, or even racing your fixed gear bike in an urban environment, you want a relatively low gear ratio, in fact as low as you can go without seriously compromising your top speed.

Learn to spin.

It's a lot like pedaling, but faster.

Hope this helps.