Originally Posted by
seamuis
that’s the problem with your opinion here, though. 99% of riders couldn’t tell the difference between a cruiser tire and a TT tubular, 99% don’t even bother to keep their chain from rusting. We’re not talking about this 99% though, we’re talking about the OP, who specifically want to go faster and increase efficiency. For someone who specifically wants the smoothest, strongest, most effiecent drivetrain, especially with a fixed drivetrain and they want to be able to put down more torque, it makes a difference. If for nothing else than the basic principle of spreading torque load. That is increased efficiency. This has been understood for over a century. You’re welcome to your opinion, but for the 1% for whom this matters, it both mathematically and practically holds true. Cheers.
I don't even consider the guy with a rusty chain on his 30 year old Schwinn beach cruiser to be a serious cyclist. Of course anyone posting regularly on BF is already in the top few percent of everyone who owns a bicycle.
But you think this ryan_rides dude* cruising around Florida on his Aventon is such an elite, finely tuned athlete that he'll realize an advantage by going with larger gears? Might as well also recommend he get a carbon fiber stem top cap and titanium bolt, because these are verifiably, objectively lighter weight than aluminum and steel pieces, and lighter bikes = better performance.
This is not opinion: The performance difference between small vs. large gears of the same overall ratio is infinitesimal. You can achieve greater results by changing your tire air pressure by 2 PSI. Get bigger gears because they look cool, or you found some for a good price, or they may wear longer. Heck, get some because a Voodoo witch doctor put a curse on your current gears, so if you ride west on them when Jupiter is aligned with Sagittarius, a baby panda will die. Imagining it will make you faster is just that, imaginary. Cheers to you too!
* No disrespect to the OP intended here.