Originally Posted by
i2oss
My bike came stock with a 46-15 and it was a bit hard for me to get started, i got a dura ace 17 and noticed an instant ease in my stroke. i kinda muscle up hills so i cant accurately recall the change, skidding went from impossible to easy even though i still suck.
46x16=67.4 gear inches
46x18=71.4 gear inches
Someone will correct me if i'm wrong but the consensus is right around 70 is nominal?
as far as skid patches:
http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html#skid
Again someone right me if I'm wrong, this is my first try at being a contributing member.
The numbers are incorrect...how did you get these numbers?
46/16 should be 75.6 GI with 23c tires
46/17 should be 71.1 GI with 23c tires
46/18 should be 67.2 GI with 23c tires
Tire width will slightly affect your gear inches.
Gear ratio is totally up to the rider and the route, if you are struggling to push a gear, you might want to go down a tooth on your cog. Try 46/17 first, it is a pretty moderate ratio for hills and you should be fine on flat.
This handy
calculator can calculate gear inches, gear ratio, gain ratio, speed, skid patches etc etc.
You can also find out your gear inches with a simple calculator but have to remember number for the tire width you have.
Chainring number
divided by cog number then
times tire width in inches = Gear inches (round of to nearest tenth)
Common tire widths in inches:
26.275 (700x23c)
26.375 (700x25c)
26.775 (700x28c)
26.995 (700x32c)