1. What is Gear Inches?

Gear inches is a system that expresses bicycle gear ratios in terms of the diameter of an equivalent directly driven wheel. It helps cyclists compare different gear combinations across bikes.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the gear inches formula:

Where:

• Wheel Diameter — The diameter of the bicycle wheel in inches
• Chainring — Number of teeth on the front chainring
• Cog — Number of teeth on the rear cog

Explanation: The formula calculates the equivalent diameter of a wheel that would be directly driven by the pedals without gearing.

3. Importance of Gear Inches

Details: Gear inches help cyclists understand how "hard" or "easy" a gear combination will feel. Higher gear inches mean more distance covered per pedal revolution but require more effort.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter wheel diameter in inches, chainring and cog tooth counts. All values must be positive numbers. Typical wheel diameters range from 20" (BMX) to 29" (mountain bikes).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's a good range for gear inches?
A: For road bikes, 60-120 gear inches is common. Mountain bikes might range 20-100. Lower gears (20-40) are good for climbing.

Q2: How do I measure wheel diameter?
A: Measure from ground to wheel center and double it, or check manufacturer specs for your tire size.

Q3: Does tire size affect gear inches?
A: Yes, larger tires increase effective wheel diameter. Use actual measured diameter for most accuracy.

Q4: What's the advantage over simple gear ratios?
A: Gear inches account for wheel size, making comparisons between different bikes more meaningful.

Q5: How does this relate to cadence?
A: At a given cadence (pedal RPM), higher gear inches mean higher speed but more effort required.