Are Big Fixed Gear Ratios Actually Faster?

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Since street fixed gear riding was born from track cycling, a lot of fixed gear riders have an obsession with riding the biggest gear ratio possible. But there's two schools of thought when it comes to ideal gear ratios for street riding: spinners vs. mashers. Spinners argue that learning to spin a lower gear ratio at higher cadences allows the rider to traverse steeper terrains AND be faster on flats. Mashers argue "big ratio, big muscle, big speed." To find out whether a big gear ratio is actually faster for street riding, not just for pros on the track, I try riding my normal 25 mile loop with the biggest fixed gear ratio I've ever ridden. The results may surprise you.



Sources:
Gear Inch Calculator: https://www.bikecalc.com/gear_inches
World Hour Record Gear Ratios: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hour_re...


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