Let me describe my situation. I'm kind of new to fixed gear riding and my friends recommended that for a pretty flat area, a gear ratio of 48/17 would be optimal for speed, but not too much for climbing for the amount of power I can push. However, after riding a 48/17 gear ratio for several days, I found it too fatiguing to ride longer distances and especially up slight inclines. The bike is even more difficult to engage skid stops. My question is, would switching to a 48/19 be a significant difference? I realize that the difference between a 17 and 19 is around 10 gear inches of a difference but I don't know what that would mean for my legs. Would it be too light or a bit more appropriate for me? I know its difficult to make suggestions but im open to more input.