Originally Posted by
CaptainCool
Of course there's a limitation - you might be able to spin 120rpm fine, but 150? 180? more? Even if a rider can do it well, might he prefer something lower?
Your steady power output, with your preferred/most efficient cadence, gives a cruising speed. Your cruising speed, with your preferred/most efficient cadence, gives a gear ratio.
Exactly. Sure I can spin up to 150 for a sprint, but prefer to cruise for longer distances 90-110. I don't consider that range to be mashing anyway. That is why I like around 80GI. 48x15 at 90 is about 23mph and gives overhead for when the pace picks up. I put in 7k miles in 2008 at an average speed of 19.7mph. That is ~80rpm average, which accounts for fast descents and some mashing up hills. I used to run a lower ratio, but just could not keep up at the faster paces for any longer stretches.