Originally Posted by
mirfi
Nice story. Thank you, I feel as though I've been on the same type of adventure. Every 'used' bicycle has a story.
As far as gearing in concerned, you may want to refer to the "Sheldon Brown Gear Calculator". Whether you deal with 'Gear Inches" or "Gear Ratios" is up to you.
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/gear-calc.html
Just plug in the numbers and get your numbers. I prefer gear inches and my ideal gearing is 60 gear inches. Anything too low I am spinning out, anything higher is too hard to go up hills.
And most vintage European folders I've found have had 60 gear inches. Whereas most modern Asian folders are about 45 gear inches.
Mirfi.
Indeed, they do - one has a story of a previous owner with the muscles of a gorilla and another involving mysterious scrapes on the rear frame...
When I had two bikes with identical gearing it did not seem important, but you are right - I need to start using something like gear inches as my choices have expanded so much.