Originally Posted by
tFUnK
gear ratio is sort of meaningless because it doesn't take into account wheel/tire size, but gear inches is gear inches.
@ JerseyBri: if two bikes had similar gear inches, they'd have similar pedaling characteristics. however, you can have a bmx bike with 20" wheels and a mtb with 26" wheels and if they have the same gear ratio, they won't pedal the same because they have different gear inches.
Got it. That's why I asked about "2 identical bikes."
I'm good now. I now know...
...to require more effort when pedaling I need to either get more teeth on the front or less on the rear.
...Two bikes, one with 42-16 gears and the other with 34-13, with all else being equal, will pedal identically.
Now, of course, I'm curious why a manufacturer would choose the 42-16 combination over the 34-13.
