Originally Posted by
VishG
Both the ratios seem unrealistic; I am saddened to find intolerance for the less fit by the accomplished riders. Comrade thehammerdog would be well advised to try out 38 to 18 with GI around 57 or thereabout. Happy miles friends,
Woosh.
Gear ratios are like saddles, everyone's got a preference and what's bang-on for one person is not enough (or too much) for another person. For flat riding, a good starting point is 65-75gi (depending on how fast you want to go and your fitness). I use
this calculator because it lets you put in a cadence and gives you approximate speed given your chosen ratio. Lower gi is better if there are some rises/hills, higher is better for pancake areas.