Cycling Speed Part 3
Part 3 Gear Ratio Once again gear ratio is the ratio of the number of teeth of the chain ring ( the gear in front ) and the number of teeth of the cog ( the gear behind ). Gear ratio is a very important factor in a cyclist pursuance of speed. Selecting the right gear ratio could mean that a cyclist reaches maximum speed or that he could be under performing against himself. Alas, many cyclist in Singapore at least are strapped to a fixed ratio and will never understand this feature. At first perusal it would imply that the higher the gear ratio, which are commonly interpreted to big chain ring in front, the faster the speed. This is actually not true or at best true only to a certain extent. Yes theoretically, higher gear ratio imply more mechanical advantage but that is only true if the power to roll the wheels are matching the requirements. For cyclist unfortunately, the power comes from your own body - the rider is the engine - and that has limited power. Push your bod...