the difference between 48/16 and 46/16 is very minimal . i rode 48/16 in newyork city for abotu a year ad its a good gear for flat surfaces. may not be the best brakeless gear if your just starting. i just moved to boulder co for a little while and im riding 43/16 and theres a pretty decent difference there. its hilly here and the gear is great for most of the terrian. plus its a really good brake lessgear . but i think the biggest diffrence between 48 and 46 would be skid patches and i dont really know to much about that.