Old 02-23-06 | 08:56 AM
  #1  
TallRider's Avatar
TallRider
Senior Member
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 4,472
Likes: 25
From: Berkeley, CA
This poll is specifically for fixed-gear bikes that are mainly ridden on roads. Freewheeling, and off-road use, throw in other major variables that I don't want this poll to have to deal with. (Of course, there are other variables, such as the terrain in which someone rides, and the cadence that they like to spin. A bigger gear doesn't necessarily mean that someone is a stronger cyclist. But, on average, it does.)

Gear inches takes your wheel size and gear ratio (e.g., 42/15) into account. Basically, gear inches measures your gear as if it were equivalent to the size of a high-wheeled bicycle. It's your gear ratio multiplied by the diameter of your rear wheel.
To calculate yourself:
(rear wheel's diameter at outside of tire) * (# chainring teeth) / (# teeth on cog)
So for my bike, with 27x1 1/4 tires (27.075" outside diameter), and a 40/15 chainring/cog combination, the gear inches is 72.2.
You can also use Sheldon's calculator to figure out your bike's gear inches.
Make sure to set the standard to "gear inches" not "gain ratio" which takes cranklength into account.

Note that the categories of the poll are endpoints. So, 71.1 would go in the "71-74" category, not in the 68-71 category. If you have an exact number (unlikely) go to the larger category.

If you have multiple fixed-gear bikes, or a flip-flop double-fixed hub, vote for the bike or gear that you use most frequently.
__________________
"c" is not a unit that measures tire width

Last edited by TallRider; 02-23-06 at 09:04 AM.
TallRider is offline  
Reply