Originally Posted by
Speedway2
According to the Gear Inch calculator....
My 28/9 bmx is running at ~51GI which doesn't feel too bad for booting around the neighbourhood.
Both my Single Speeds are running 42/16 on 700/25's at ~69GI. I ride them mostly on flat paved roads keeping a steady cadence.
I like the look of the 44/16 combo on the Race bmx bikes but the GI is very similar to my current 28/9 so not sure if I'm gaining anything but aesthetics......or am I missing something?
28/9 is a bigger gear than 44/16, not sure where you're getting the numbers - 25/9 should be roughly the same as 44/16 (actually slightly harder) so the 28/9 is a much bigger gear. Almost equivalent to 50/16
The actual bigger-sized chainrings and sprockets are better for the big power of gate starts and slightly less friction losses in the drivetrain. The small rings and "drivers" are to create more clearance for tricks.