im happy doing 20-25mph.

I'm happy not measuring myself.

+1

i was just playing around. i do ride 46/16 but im hardly a dick measure-er.
sometimes i wish i could spin more without having to blast dangerously through traffic.

46/18, need to pony up for a 17T cog. 46/15(or 16 if it looks hilly) for racing.

That looks about right.

i recently switched to 47x18.....i love every aspect of it

also a great ratio if you hippies want to skid (which i dont)

thinking of switching to 48x17 currently riding 48x19...i sort of spin out on hills with the 48x19 so it seems going down to 17 would be just right

I find that with the hills I prefer a steeper gear inch set-up--- and run a 44x15. I was suffering too much on the descents running a lighter set-up. I know it seems a bit counter-intuitive.

I had tried a 42X17 on the grocery getter, but it was ridiculously easy to spin out on it. I gradually worked up to where I am today.

I'm running 49 x 16 and it's just about perfect, high enough I can really get moving but low enough I haven't been defeated by a hill yet. But then again when I had heavy wheels I couldn't run it to save my life...It's amazing what some lighter wheels can do for acceleration and climbing.

this seemed on topic enough, but should i just start a new thread?

im brakeless and want to be able to accelerate and skid more quickly and easily, but i dont want to really cut my top speed or spin like a top all day. i ride in urban philadelphia, which is almost all flat and favoring acceleration and deceleration on demand over consistent top speed. when i run, i like the a 1600m pace but not the 800m as i have great endurance over a distance with poorer endurance as the force per stride increases. i think i can handle a higher spin well as long as the gearing doesn't require as much force as it does now. im at 48x16 right now, which is a bit much for me at 145 despite strong legs, if i do say so. the current difficulty in braking and my locale dont let me really use the top end much anyway, but the lower revolutions is nice. ill be maintaining 48t with either my current chainring or a friends so the change will be in the cog.

assuming 170mm crank arms, 44x17 is about 48x18.5. i have 165mm arms, which i think increases the ratio slightly, so your 44x17@170 is about 48x19@165. ive read up and heard a lot of different arguements for 48x17, x18, and x19. 19t too low speed, high spin? 18t still hard to accelerate or skid and poor skid patch count? for me, i think its between 18t and 19t, but thats my guess. should i just man up and wrangle 80+ inches? i could buy slew of cogs and see what works, but thats not financially possible. im trying to make the most educated, and preferably one-time, cog purchase. after fording my verbiage, whats your take and why? personal experience preferred; haters can lick me bollocks, haha.

I also rock a 44x17, perfect for an up and down commute

+11teen
its hella hilly here and that is a great gear

sux2bu
:thumb:

i rock 42x17, and my cadence has shot through the roof. when i need to train for power i ride my geared bike, or do hill repeats on the fixed. i do have a bad-ish knee (loose kneecap) so mashing is out of the question for me.

Your girlfriend has never complained.

i run a 36x16. freewheel.

yes, i am the laziest person you will ever meet.

different length arms do not give you a different size gear.

i was at 44x16 but just geared up to 47x16, i like the speed and the hills are more of a challenge this way.

52/17
<==monster.

i noticed that messing around on sheldon's gear calculator, but he also says

You're hired!

I use to have 42-17, then 46, now 51.. Had some crank issues..

I like my setup as is, but I'm thinking about changing back down to about 46-48, too many hills & I love cadence! Haven't done much riding due to punctures/hairy tires, but I'll see if I still have the strength for it when she's rolling once more!

I've been rolling around with a 46/17 lately and it is a great all-around gear for me in my flat city. I rode it last week on a 51 mile ride complete with some decent hills and as long as the hill wasn't like a mile long, i was okay. Even climbed a few steep (yet shorter) hills no sweat (I did have to get in the drops and really mash it at times). 44 or 42 is not for me though. Too slow with a 17 in the back.

Here's a good source for caculating: http://software.bareknucklebrigade.c...it.applet.html
I ride 50x19 (69 GI) on my Panasonic and 46x16 (75 GI) on my Gan Well, both brakeless (in Dallas which is also pretty flat). Personally if I were running a 48, I'd probably go with a 17 cog for the skid patches and 74 GI is pretty reasonable for flatter terrain.