Bicycle Gear Speed Chart
Cycling enthusiasts and professional bikers alike understand the importance of gear ratios in optimizing their ride. Whether you’re tackling a challenging mountain trail or cruising through city streets, selecting the right gear combination can make all the difference in your cycling experience. To help you make informed decisions about your bike’s gear setup, we’ve developed the Bicycle Gear Speed Calculator—a handy tool that calculates the speed you can achieve with different gear combinations at a given cadence.
Lets explore how the Bicycle Gear Speed Calculator works, how to use it, and how to interpret the results.
How the Bicycle Gear Speed Calculator Works
The Bicycle Gear Speed Calculator uses a simple formula to determine the speed you can achieve with different gear combinations.
The formula is as follows:
Speed (mph or kph) = (Chainring / Cog) * Wheel Circumference (meters) * Cadence (RPM) * Minutes per Hour / Conversion Factor
- Chainring: The number of teeth on the front chainring (the larger gear connected to the pedals).
- Cog: The number of teeth on the rear cog (the smaller gear on the rear wheel).
- Wheel Circumference: The distance covered by one full rotation of the wheel, calculated using the rim and tire diameters.
- Cadence: The number of pedal revolutions per minute (RPM).
- Conversion Factor: A constant used to convert the result to the desired speed unit (1609.34 for mph, 1000 for kph).
The calculator allows you to input various parameters, including the rim and tire diameters, chainring and cog sizes, cadence, and preferred speed unit (mph or kph). It then generates a table showing the speeds you can achieve with different gear combinations.
How to Use the Bicycle Gear Speed Calculator
Using the Bicycle Gear Speed Calculator is simple and straightforward. Follow these steps:
- Select the Wheel Rim Size (mm) and Tire Size (mm) from the dropdown menus. These values determine the wheel circumference used in the calculation.
- Choose the Min Chainring and Max Chainring values. These represent the smallest and largest chainrings you want to consider.
- Choose the Min Cog and Max Cog values. These represent the smallest and largest cogs you want to consider.
- Enter your preferred Cadence (RPM) in the input field. This is the number of pedal revolutions you aim to achieve per minute.
- Select your preferred Speed Unit (mph or kph) using the radio buttons.
- Click the “Calculate” button to generate the results table.
Understanding the Results
The results are presented in a table, with chainring sizes listed horizontally and cog sizes listed vertically. Each cell in the table shows the speed (in your chosen unit) you can achieve with the corresponding gear combination at the specified cadence.
The table cells are color-coded to help you quickly identify optimal gear combinations:
- Green: Speeds of 20 or higher (ideal for fast, flat terrain).
- Blue: Speeds between 10 and 20 (suitable for moderate terrain).
- Red: Speeds below 10 (best for steep climbs or challenging conditions).
The color-coded table provides a visual representation of how different gear combinations affect your speed, allowing you to optimize your gear selection based on the terrain and your cycling goals.
Conclusion
The Bicycle Gear Speed Calculator is a valuable tool for cyclists looking to optimize their gear selection and improve their performance. By understanding how gear ratios affect speed and using the calculator to explore different combinations, you can make informed decisions and enhance your cycling experience.
Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a cycling enthusiast, we hope you find this calculator helpful
and easy to use. Remember that the right gear combination can make your ride smoother, more efficient, and more enjoyable. So go ahead, give the Bicycle Gear Speed Calculator a try, and take your cycling to the next level!
Happy cycling!
