Originally Posted by
Ken Cox
A while back I had a few months of medical treatments that took some of the steam out of me, and I geared down to 39 X 17, for 60 gear inches.
I now that sounds ridiculously low for most people, but I had to do that or not ride at all.
Anyway, my spin improved enormously, and now that my health has recovered, meaning, now that I have red blood cells again, I literally FLY at 60 gear inches.
In fact, because of my improved spin, I think I go as fast now at 60 gear inches as I formerly went at 72 gear inches.
Although it's counterintuitive, I've also found that my overall and average speed is faster with a lower gear. Even though my top-end speed on the flats is limited, I'm much quicker up hills with a good spin than with a chug-chug-chug in a taller gear. But I also run a freewheel so I can get away with coasting downhill and I don't have to maintain an outrageous spin. I'm running 42 x 18 x 165 mm cranks x 25 mm tires (62").