What's your favourite gear ratio?

Some sport a massive gear grinding their knees down and can't handle it.
That said, I'm joining the club with 46:15.

I think 46:16 is spinny, after a while. :-)

It's pretty hilly where I live but I had always been under the assumption that anything under 70 gi was gearing down. It's all about personal preference I guess, ride what your comfortable with.

You are right it's personal preference (or even just what you feel like, I've ridden 60gi and 80 and enjoyed both), but my point was more about scale, one or 2 inches difference (ie 68 compared to 70) is not much different at all.

Currently 48x18. I spin that at around 95rpm on the flat and will max at 150rpm downhill... but I can still get it up hills when needed....just! In training for a long endurance ride at the moment and I'm thinking that as my legs get stronger I'll drop it to a 48x17 or possible even 16 becasue ideally I want my cadence to be around 85. Will see how the training goes - I've got about 12weeks 'til the ride :-)

49/17

I used to piss about with my GR all the time (my bike was second hand and came with 4 chainrings and a bunch of sprockets) but I seem to have settled on 49/17. It's either the best or I'm just bored of playing with the cool-looking chainwhip.

50x15,

Expect to retire from pedaling around 30 due to lack of knees!

That's track gearing.

Nope that communting gearing.

RIP your knees.

Rest in pieces?

Switched back from a 14 now then Ho? ;)

LOL, not yeat, but this is 'favouriate' thread right? so i 50x15 is still my fav at the moment...

This the problem. You want the speedy starts, and around responsiveness of of a low inch but what about those straights?

Gears

I've been riding 48-17 for the past few weeks on recommendation from this thread, and it is the best ratio i've used so far. Its fine for up hills, and windy days, and just about quick enough on the flats. with 23c that comes to 74 gi

^This.

I fitted 47x18 whilst injured, find it too spinny on the flat and downhill, but suffering it for a while to improve my spinning further... Not a bad all round gear for hilly Yorkshire mind.

44x17 is not incredibly spinny, doing 20 mph you'll be doing around 95 RPM.

100 rpm

I made this to help visualise the gear ratios with good skid patch counts: http://spsm.comyr.com/

https://www.lfgss.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=55323&stc=1&d=1340609443

Why 49t wins and 48t sucks!

1 Attachment

49/18 represent!

That is pretty cool, I understand things much better with simple brightly coloured pictures to explain them.

wheres the best place to buy a 15T freewheel near Wembley?

48x16 is too much for me and my spindly legs just now, what shud i swap my rear out for?

17 everytime.

I've got 42/16 on my current bike, spinny.

Current build will be 46/16.

Went from 50/15 to 50/17 recently. Thinking about a 49 or 48 on the front now.