hey is anyone riding this gear combo....im switching from 44x16 what am i in store for?

i'm riding 43x15 and i love it.

Hmmm, I think you're in for a gear that is 6.25% harder :-P

It'll feel a bit thicker when you go to move, but nothing terrible. You should get used pretty quickly. And it'll be 6.66666...% harder. The 16t gear is 6.25% easier.

You'll blow your knees out and never walk again. Better place an order for one of those motorized cart-things right now.

like this... these are hot

THIS IS YOUR FUTURE!!!

LOL...I want the one that can drive you to the edge of the grand canyon. I'ld just make sure I knew where all the controls are so it wouldn't go all Evel Knievel on my a**. Maybe it comes with a parachute retrofit kit.

likely a slightly longer wheelbase.

How much longer of a wheelbase? Won't that affect cornering?

A longer wheelbase? good one!

hmmm. I ride 49x15. Is there something wrong with me? I just spec'd the gear that I liked best of my roadie. hmmm. Maybe I should go to a 49x19 or something.

Nothing wrong with it though it might be a bit steep. You're not really spinning the right cadence till you get up around 20mph.

well... my cruising speed on the streets is 17-23mph, I seem to max out at about 26-27 on the flat and I feel unfcomfortable going faster than about 32 on the downhills, so I guess I'm ok, although I really wonder how people can maintain 33mph+ on the track... I am nowhere near that level of fitness, I guess.

I rarely hit any hills that really set me back, althought there were a couple in queens on the TA century route that we troublesome.

Looks brakeless! Hot!

i ride 42x14, which is basically the same gearing. It works for me, i am able to fly on the flats and climbing is not a problem, especially when you blow by the roadies at twice their speed uphill!

Can't be much different from 48x17. I'm a slug up hills and a tidal wave down hills.

isn't 42X14 more equal to 48X16? 49X15 is pretty steep for the street in my book, especially if your riding brakeless. I say just get a 16 cog and see how that works out for you. It probably wont let you top out as much but the starts and stops wont kill you.

my bad you are right, 42x14 is equal to 48x16, both are 81 gear inches, 44x16 is 74.3, 44x15 is 79.2

I ride a 46x14, but it's starting to be drag in the city. maybe i'm just not in shape enough, but i'm gonna go get a 16 cog and see how big a difference that'll make.

I'm riding 44 x 15 and love it. It was the best middle ground for me. Just enough to skid when needed, so I can ride brakeless.

i saw a cop on one of these in the chicago airport a few months ago. ... definitely did not convey a look of authority. looks top heavy, wonder what would happen if he hit a pothole?

I suppose it also depends on the specific rider. The ideal cadence of 70 rpm is pretty generic. Some people are spinners and some are mashers. Me, I'm surprised to find that I'm a spinner. 100 rpm is a cakewalk and I'm pretty comfortable up until 130 or so (not bragging, I know there are those who spin much faster here, just saying that's not really mashing country).

And just on a technical note, 48/16 is only 81 inches if you're rolling 27" wheels. On 700x23c it's much closer to 79. The other gearings are probably also slightly lower for most folks than what's quoted.

well i rode all night with the 44/15 and i like it a lot more than the 44/16....anyway good riding....

i'm riding 44x16 right now. i tried 44x15. it was easy to go too fast and i found it a bit much for some hills and skidding. i'm really happy with 44x16, but i would still like a tick more speed, so i'm going to try 45x16.