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Gear Ratio Recommendation

2371 Views 20 Replies 11 Participants Last post by BansheeRune, Feb 5, 2022

ironcheftsai78

Discussion Starter · Feb 1, 2022

Hi! Was hoping for recommendations on gear ratios. I currently have a ratio of 32/22, was thinking about dropping down from 22 to 20 or to 18 though unsure how big of a jump I should make. I ride exclusively in the mountains and typically would gauge my ride based upon the elevation gain. Would do a ride with about 5,000 feet of gain if I have not been biking and in season form, will get up to about 10,000 feet.

I ride in Southern California, current gear ratio at 32/22, able to make up the climbs without walking or stopping though it's not a breeze by any means. Below is a recent ride for reference. Will most likely have my local bike shop make the adjustment so be a bit more of hassle to adjust the gears back and forth.

Would assume a lower gear ratio will also push me that much harder and eventually make me faster?

Thanks in advance for the feedback.

Map Font Parallel Screenshot Terrestrial plant

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mack_turtle

· #2 · Feb 1, 2022 (Edited)

relevant https://meatengines.com/f/let-go-your-ego---1fgearing

there's nothing stopping you from dropping just one tooth at a time, so try a 21t cog, then a 20t. cogs are pretty cheap, so buy a few and just experiment. push a higher gear until your willpower collides head-on with your ego and stop there. I ride with a lot of people who push big gears. some of them are stronger than me, and I've sometimes felt the need to imitate them with bad results. I push the hardest gear that I can enjoy. walking is not enjoyable, so the gear that is fun is the one that allows me to cruise a steady pace on the flat bits and gives me the most chance of not having to walk a climb.

yes, pushing a harder gear might make you faster. it will probably make you stronger, and you'll go faster on the flats. but if it's painful and causes you to enjoy riding less, doesn't that defeat the purpose of riding in the first place? there's a reason why even the fast, strong, experienced riders don't push a very tall gear when the ride involves climbing. 32-20 is probably the most common combo for a 29er, and you don't see many people varying from that by a large degree.

changing gears is super basic child-level bike mechanics, so learn to swap them yourself and save yourself a trip to the bike shop. paying someone to swap a cog for you is like paying someone to tie your shoes.

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ironcheftsai78

Discussion Starter · #3 · Feb 1, 2022

mack_turtle said:
relevant https://meatengines.com/f/let-go-your-ego---1fgearing

there's nothing stopping you from dropping just one tooth at a time, so try a 21t cog, then a 20t. cogs are pretty cheap, so buy a few and just experiment. push a higher gear until your willpower collides head-on with your ego and stop there. I ride with a lot of people who push big gears. some of them are stronger than me, and I've sometimes felt the need to imitate them with bad results. I push the hardest gear that I can enjoy. walking is not enjoyable, so the gear that is fun is the one that allows me to cruise a steady pace on the flat bits and gives me the most chance of not having to walk a climb.

yes, pushing a harder gear might make you faster. it will probably make you stronger, and you'll go faster on the flats. but if it's painful and causes you to enjoy riding less, doesn't that defeat the purpose of riding in the first place? there's a reason why even the fast, strong, experienced riders don't push a very tall gear when the ride involves climbing. 32-20 is probably the most common combo for a 29er, and you don't see many people varying from that by a large degree.

changing gears is super basic child-level bike mechanics, so learn to swap them yourself and save yourself a trip to the bike shop. paying someone to swap a cog for you is like paying someone to tie your shoes.

Much appreciated for the advice... Mechanically I am an infant. Do you mind if you link the proper tools I might need and the COGs via Amazon in order for me to make the adjustment myself?

mack_turtle

· #4 · Feb 1, 2022 (Edited)

What hub do you have? I can't recommend tools without knowing that.

The most common setup is a HG freehub and matching splined cog with spacers. The process is the same as below, but swap the cassette for the spacers and cog.

www.parktool.com

Cassette Removal and Installation

How to remove and install cassette cogs on derailleur-type and freehub single-speed bicycles.

www.parktool.com

Loll

· #5 · Feb 2, 2022

Pushing 22 then going to 18 is very different. Though 6k??? Feet in 40 miles if I am reading correctly is pretty mild uphill on paper, so may be 18 will be fine. How many percent are the grades at the extreme spots?

I used to push 32x22 up a very steep 1.5 miles climb and it was so painful that my knee cap hurts. But if that mountain was span out in 15 miles, I would not hesitate to go to a smaller cog.

Honestly, try it and you will find out after one ride if you went too far.

is ok to have a shop do the cog change once, but watch the mechanic do it, and duplicate the steps yourself. I am sure he will be glad to sell you the tools in stock. They are pretty common if you go to a larger bike shop.

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oab1

· #6 · Feb 2, 2022 (Edited)

Nothing mild about vision quest. Looks like he racked up a good chunk of those miles on the road, and the way back down. It's basically all uphill, with some rolling bits, on the way to Santiago peak. Vision quest is about 12k ft elevation race over some 60ish miles I think (I've only done the shorter version).

Good on you for going for it on a single speed, though, Just wanted to say good luck.

Edit: Personally, I'd probably set up to accommodate a couple of steepest grades to manage the fatigue a bit, if you are planning on keeping the same ratios for the actual event.

So Cal RX

· #7 · Feb 2, 2022

I agree with Mack Turtle. Buy a 21 and a 20 and try them out. Even if you have the bike shop swap one for you the first time, have them explain it to you so you can do it in the future. It really is quite easy. Go see Tani at The Path.

I live in Texas (DFW) now, but am originally from So Cal and did the Vision Quest a number of times geared and SS. On the SS I ran 32/21. I run 32/18 comfortably here in DFW, but can’t imagine running that gear for VQ. That Main Divide is a killer. I miss that pain! My typical rides here gain about 1k . Lol. Good luck!

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BansheeRune

· #8 · Feb 2, 2022

ironcheftsai78 said:
Much appreciated for the advice... Mechanically I am an infant. Do you mind if you link the proper tools I might need and the COGs via Amazon in order for me to make the adjustment myself?

Gonna go out on a limb here... I suggest you find a maintenance class to learn the basics. If nothing else, a friend that does have the skills and is willing to share some of their knowledge can help you learn the basics of caring and loving your bike.

What you need to do is actually very straight forward however, a little guidance can save you much grief. The bonus, you get to toil with making some changes or doing some maintenance with no waiting on aisle 3!

Now for a little insight on your gearing. Making a change from 32:22 to 32:18 is actually a large change. This would be referred to as a taller gear, in that it gains higher top speed within your average cadence range. Frankly, I would start with a smaller change and test ride it. Using a familiar route in your first gear choice of 32:20, give it a ride. Do it again with the second choice of 32:18. Small increment changes with test rides. Keep in mind, a taller gear is something you can work your way into over miles since it will make you stronger over time.

Another suggestion for any singlespeeder... Having multiple gears with chains tailored on the bench is a time saver that makes doing a changeup take minutes to get ready for a particular ride.
Dauntless!

Personally, I run 30:14 for much of my high altitude riding. I also have an 18 with a chain tailored for use with the 30 for some of the major climb destinations not to mention, horseplay! (Trialsin)

Pedal on! 😁

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834905

· #9 · Feb 2, 2022

32/22 and 32/18 are not going to be a slight difference. Dropping one tooth on your rear is very noticeable. I actually won’t ride anything lower than 32/20, after that it gets way too spinny for me, and I normally ride 32/19.

Drop 1 tooth like everyone else says and see how you like that before you do something as drastic as 4 teeth.

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redwarrior

· #10 · Feb 2, 2022

It's partially dependent on terrain & fitness. I reckon if you're running 22 now, drop to 20 & give it a go. I'd wager it's going to be noticeably tougher climbing steeper hills & a shade faster on the flat. As recommended above, learn how to swap the cogs yourself & experiment with different ratios. I'll run anything from 32:18 - 32:22 in New England depending on fitness. FWIW I'm finding in my late 40's I'm less angry & so less inclined to run harder ratios.

Kevin Matherne

· #11 · Feb 2, 2022

Move one tooth at a time until it becomes unfun then move back to the last fun one. Ride that for a while and if you top out your speeds/times on all your trails move back to the unfun one as you are ready for it now to be fun. That is what my mech told me to do when finding what gearing to use when he set me up for SS and it worked out well for me. 2 chains and 4 cogs in one tooth increments is my set up for the different terrains I ride now.

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Hurricane Jeff

· #12 · Feb 2, 2022

I'm currently using a 36/21 combo on 27.5 wheels. I first started with a 24t cog and went down from there. I just got my SS going again, I used to ride SS almost exclusively from 2008-2011, then I pretty much stopped riding it until last year.
Back then I used a 32/18 combo on 26" wheels.
I really have nothing to add because on my current bike, it seems the 21t cog is too high and the 22t is too low. Maybe I need to get off the 36t chain ring and start over..

BansheeRune

· #13 · Feb 3, 2022

Hurricane Jeff said:
I'm currently using a 36/21 combo on 27.5 wheels. I first started with a 24t cog and went down from there. I just got my SS going again, I used to ride SS almost exclusively from 2008-2011, then I pretty much stopped riding it until last year.
Back then I used a 32/18 combo on 26" wheels.
I really have nothing to add because on my current bike, it seems the 21t cog is too high and the 22t is too low. Maybe I need to get off the 36t chain ring and start over..

Where do you like your cadence to reside?

As for tweaking your ratios, look at what ratio your gear choices above render. The resultant ratios that fall between your high/low might bring some selections to solve the difficulty in choice.
Ratio Calculator
Use the above link to calcualte ratio and the chart that comes up will have some insights that should help.

Hurricane Jeff

· #14 · Feb 3, 2022

Where I live and ride, cadence isn't the issue. I can spin or mash with the best of them. Maybe its age but when I used the 32/18 combo on my old 26er, it seemed like the perfect gear. I was trying to replicate that.
Using the 36t chainring is a bold move(on this crank set, this is the smallest chainring. Truvativ XX, 120 BCD)
Scientifically, I believe bigger chainrings and cogs have less friction. Its just trying to find that right crossover that matches a smaller setup.

BansheeRune

· #15 · Feb 4, 2022

Hurricane Jeff said:
Where I live and ride, cadence isn't the issue. I can spin or mash with the best of them. Maybe its age but when I used the 32/18 combo on my old 26er, it seemed like the perfect gear. I was trying to replicate that.
Using the 36t chainring is a bold move(on this crank set, this is the smallest chainring. Truvativ XX, 120 BCD)
Scientifically, I believe bigger chainrings and cogs have less friction. Its just trying to find that right crossover that matches a smaller setup.

26 and ratio cannot be just slapped on a 27.5 or 29 since the wheel diameter becomes part of the end result.

Mashing is one area that cadence makes no difference, per se however, being in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, and having a keen understanding of where I make good to excellent power is front burner, always.

The various sections on bikecalc do involve wheel diameters which can help in cross referencing ratios.

Hurricane Jeff

· #16 · Feb 4, 2022

BansheeRune said:
26 and ratio cannot be just slapped on a 27.5 or 29 since the wheel diameter becomes part of the end result.

Mashing is one area that cadence makes no difference, per se however, being in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, and having a keen understanding of where I make good to excellent power is front burner, always.

The various sections on bikecalc do involve wheel diameters which can help in cross referencing ratios.

I realize that, I was just trying to duplicate my gearing, the best I can from my old bike. I don't live in the Rockies, but live in Big Bear Lake. Ca., which every ride is 3000' of loose, rutted and fairly steep climbing. Even a flat ride is over 1000' of climbing.
As all singlespeeders know, gearing is a compromise, you want low end, you give up on high end and vice versa. With the gearing I use to run, it seemed it struck the perfect balance, something I can't seem to replicate. It might be my age as compared to when I used to ride SS almost exclusively.

BansheeRune

· #17 · Feb 4, 2022

Hurricane Jeff said:
I realize that, I was just trying to duplicate my gearing, the best I can from my old bike. I don't live in the Rockies, but live in Big Bear Lake. Ca., which every ride is 3000' of loose, rutted and fairly steep climbing. Even a flat ride is over 1000' of climbing.
As all singlespeeders know, gearing is a compromise, you want low end, you give up on high end and vice versa. With the gearing I use to run, it seemed it struck the perfect balance, something I can't seem to replicate. It might be my age as compared to when I used to ride SS almost exclusively.

Jeff, we are looking at both age and other factors in this thing. The reason I suggested the calculator with wheel diameter included is to help come to a ratio. Then you can calculate that ratio into a pair of gears for another wheel size for the grand experiment.
Want one end or the other, we will never escape stealing from one to give to the other. More low end, steal from the high end. Orrrrr cheat! Learn the fine art of cadence and abuse it. Learning where our power band lives is another facet that I have keyed into. Thus, I pass geared skinny tire bikers routinely (When I am not on chemotherapy). The geared folks get into a speed that drops below my powerband and I need to pass in order to maintain my ascent or pay the price of a daunting, painful climb. Do I mash? Only if absolutely necessary since it is poor efficiency.

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Hurricane Jeff

· #18 · Feb 4, 2022

I used to have a cadence meter ( built into my Cateye computer) on my SS and it always seem that when I showed up on my SS at the weekly ride, the route that got picked was the one with 5 miles of a semi flat road to get to the trailhead. I would be spinning my brains out to stay in the "mtb peloton". I would commonly see a cadence of 180!

BansheeRune

· #19 · Feb 5, 2022

Hurricane Jeff said:
I used to have a cadence meter ( built into my Cateye computer) on my SS and it always seem that when I showed up on my SS at the weekly ride, the route that got picked was the one with 5 miles of a semi flat road to get to the trailhead. I would be spinning my brains out to stay in the "mtb peloton". I would commonly see a cadence of 180!

Jeez, Jeff! That would be taller gear time for sure. Nothing like wide open throttle...
Cadence range on my end is 120-150 with some 175's while gettin into the secondaries.
My gears are 30:14 on a 27.5+ with real plus tires on i45's. Ratio is 2.14. This works quite nicely for the ascents that are a many here. For level ground (Does it exist?) I could go taller however, the majority is good with the 30:14.

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azjonboy

· #20 · Feb 5, 2022

That 30x14 is a pretty big gear at 61 gear inches. Strong dude!

I normally run a 32x20 on 29x3.0’s for 60+ miles with around 7000’ climbing And find that challenging at times.

62 YO

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