1. What is Gear Ratio?

The gear ratio of a bicycle is the ratio of the number of teeth on the chainring to the number of teeth on the cog. It determines how many times the rear wheel turns for each pedal stroke.

2. How Does Gear Ratio Work?

The calculator uses the gear ratio formula:

Where:

• Chainring Teeth — Number of teeth on the front chainring (typically 30-55 for road bikes)
• Cog Teeth — Number of teeth on the rear cog (typically 11-32 for road bikes)

Explanation: A higher gear ratio means more distance covered per pedal stroke but requires more effort. Lower ratios make pedaling easier but cover less distance per stroke.

3. Importance of Gear Ratio

Details: Gear ratio helps cyclists understand their bike's mechanical advantage, choose appropriate gears for terrain, and compare different gear setups.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the number of teeth on your chainring and cog. Typical road bike chainrings range from 30-55 teeth, while cogs range from 11-32 teeth.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's a good gear ratio for climbing hills?
A: Lower ratios (1.0-2.0) are better for climbing, as they make pedaling easier. A common climbing gear might be 34 chainring / 32 cog = 1.06 ratio.

Q2: What's a good gear ratio for flat terrain?
A: Higher ratios (3.0-5.0) are better for flat terrain. A common flat gear might be 50 chainring / 14 cog = 3.57 ratio.

Q3: How does gear ratio relate to speed?
A: Higher gear ratios allow higher speeds at the same cadence, but require more power to maintain.

Q4: What's the difference between gear ratio and gear inches?
A: Gear inches incorporates wheel size, while gear ratio is independent of wheel size. Gear inches gives a better comparison across different bike types.

Q5: How many gear ratios does my bike have?
A: Your total gear options equal the number of chainrings multiplied by the number of cogs. For example, 2 chainrings × 11 cogs = 22 possible gear ratios.