Flipping Hills

[makbike]

RakeKay:

Here is the formula from The Complete Bicycle Fitness Book :

Gear Inches= rear wheel diameter x # of front chain teeth/# of rear cog teeth

example: you have a 27 inch rear wheel, a 40 tooth chainwheel and a 20 tooth rear cog (27 x 40/20 = 27 x 2 = 54 inches)

I simply calculated and then charted it.

Here is what the range of gear inches is best used for, according to The Complete Bicycle Fitness Book, by James C. McCullagh:

20 inches = steep uphills with bike bags
30 inches = steep uphills
40 inches = somewhat steep uphills
50 inches = moderate hills
60 inches = easy riding on level ground or slight uphills
70 inches = brisk riding on level ground
80 inches = hard riding on level ground or slight downhills
90 inches = sprinting on level ground or moderate downhills
100 inches = somewhat steep downhills
110 inches = unsafe speeds on steep downhills

Hope this helps, if you need any additional information let me know.

[Rakekay]

This is interesting. Guess I need to figure out what size rear wheel I have. So then depending on what kind of riding you're doing, you just pick the "inches" that are right for it and shift into that gear?