What's your favourite gear ratio?

I have a video of me doing just over 30mph on 42-16

A freewheel makes it pretty easy.

Ah of course, you use girl bikes for polo...

Indeed.

Would like to try it one day though.

I confess thread>>>>>>

They play in Canterbury. Check here

Not on FB I'm afraid.

These guys are Canterbury based, send them an email and they'll point you in the right direction.

Cheers.

You up in Nagano dude?

Nah I'm down on the East coast of Kyushuu in a little town called Tsukumi, to get anywhere you have to climb... lots, it's great!

50p is cheap but gear inchy is free and seems pretty similar, although the equivalents pic looks interesting. Maybe pictures of cats riding said gear inch choices would be a USP.

In case you're interested my app is also free now (if you can't beat them...)

I'll check it out later.

^^Have you considered including drivetrain mechanics i.e. a high/high vs. low/low chainring/cog ratio?

For instance a 40/13 gear ratio is virtually identical to a 52/17 ratio, but provides an entirely different riding experience; thus low/low enabling much quicker acceleration/deceleration, while 52/17 will give you greater momentum at top speed.

*The difference might seem insignificant to your average commuter, but then again so does a gear inch calculator. However, to the experienced and/or competitive rider drivetrain mechanics i.e chain ring/cog ratio/chain link engagement really does matter.

I remember you writing this before, it made little sense to me then. The only difference I can think of would be to the rate the chain wears as the engagement would be spread over a different amount of chain. Surely 20/10 is the same as 40/20 is the same as 80/40. Maybe if you scale up massively you have rotating weight issues involved, but with smaller differences in chainring size and the fact that you can get lighter bigger chainrings, is it an actual thing?

Possibly more applicable on the track... In my track days, many many many moons ago, I certainly noticed a significant difference.

In those days I would ride 4000m pursuit and Madison using virtually the same gear ratio for both events; high/high for pursuit and low/low for Madison.

My coach was religious about it. We had it hammered into us at every session - gear school we used to call at the time. Possibly there was a hint of placebo effect involved, I don't know, but it did make a difference.

The only difference I can think of would be the rotating mass of the components and the minuscule increase in the efficiency of the chain drive on larger sprockets. I don't think either of these would be noticeable, to be honest.

I probably wouldn't go "drivetrain shopping" for the sake of it, but do try it for yourself sometime, if for the sake of argument you have the chainrings and cogs available.

52:17, I keep loosing my front cleat on skids though... had to put a brake on after cruising through a red light and across a busy road going up and down!

In those days I would ride 4000m pursuit and Madison using virtually the same gear ratio for both events; high/high for pursuit and low/low for Madison.

My coach was religious about it. We had it hammered into us at every session - gear school we used to call at the time. Possibly there was a hint of placebo effect involved, I don't know, but it did make a difference.

I agree - small chainring definitely accelerates more quickly. Don't know why. There's no real evidence for it, but it is scientific fact.

Ha.

i would say lose speed on the flats only if you can't spin that bit faster when the gearing is lighter. if you're legs are loose (in a good way) then it shouldn't be more effort to go at the old speed.

Again it's that whole "depends how fast you're going" thing. On the local Tuesday/Thursday night club ride it would always be the 25mph+ tailwind/steady downhill sections that would fuck me up rather than any of the uphills. Not so much not being able to spin faster, but the fact that it will knack you out if you keep it up for more than 30 seconds or so.

Also seconding all the 'I love this thread' comments :D

^^Have you considered including drivetrain mechanics i.e. a high/high vs. low/low chainring/cog ratio?

For instance a 40/13 gear ratio is virtually identical to a 52/17 ratio, but provides an entirely different riding experience; thus low/low enabling much quicker acceleration/deceleration, while 52/17 will give you greater momentum at top speed.

*The difference might seem insignificant to your average commuter, but then again so does a gear inch calculator. However, to the experienced and/or competitive rider drivetrain mechanics i.e chain ring/cog ratio/chain link engagement really does matter.

Puts on a helmet and sunglasses, and crouches behind low wall at a safe distance waiting for tester to appear in a ball of righteous light and fury

Can't wait... At least he can explain why virtually everybody riding track back in the 80's got it wrong.