Gear Ratio Calculator
Category: SportsCalculate gear ratios, development, and cadence for bicycles. This calculator helps compare different gear combinations to optimize your cycling performance.
Drivetrain Setup
Performance Metrics
Gear Ratio Formula:
\[ \text{Gear Ratio} = \frac{\text{Number of Teeth on Chainring}}{\text{Number of Teeth on Rear Cog}} \]
Gear Development:
\[ \text{Gear Development} = \text{Wheel Circumference} \times \text{Gear Ratio} \]
Speed at Cadence:
\[ \text{Speed} = \text{Gear Development} \times \text{Cadence} \times 60 \div 1000 \ (km/h) \]
Gear Inches:
\[ \text{Gear Inches} = \text{Wheel Diameter (in inches)} \times \text{Gear Ratio} \]
What Is the Gear Ratio Calculator?
The Gear Ratio Calculator is a practical tool for cyclists who want to fine-tune their drivetrain setup for speed, efficiency, and comfort. Whether you're on flat roads or steep climbs, this tool provides insights into how your gear choices affect performance.
By entering basic information such as your chainring and cog sizes, wheel dimensions, and pedaling cadence, the calculator estimates key metrics like gear ratio, speed, gear development, and gear inches.
How to Use the Calculator
To get the most from the Gear Ratio Calculator, follow these simple steps:
- Step 1: Enter your chainring and rear cog sizes in teeth.
- Step 2: Choose your wheel size from the dropdown list or input a custom diameter.
- Step 3: Input tire width and crank length to refine the calculation.
- Step 4: Set your cadence (pedaling speed in revolutions per minute).
- Step 5: Select your preferred unit system (km/h or mph).
- Optional: Check the comparison option to analyze multiple gear setups side by side.
- Step 6: Click “Calculate Gear Ratio” to see your results and charts.
Why This Tool Is Useful
The calculator supports better decision-making when choosing or adjusting bike gears. Here's how it helps:
- Compare gear combinations before changing components.
- Visualize how cadence affects speed with interactive charts.
- Understand how drivetrain setup impacts real-world performance.
- Find gear setups suitable for commuting, racing, climbing, or touring.
It can be particularly valuable when paired with Other Fitness tools such as a VO2 max estimation app, heart rate zones calculator, or a target heart rate tool to help align your mechanical choices with training goals.
Key Metrics You’ll See
- Gear Ratio: Indicates how many times the rear wheel rotates per crank revolution.
- Gear Development: Shows how far the bike travels per full pedal turn (in meters).
- Speed at Cadence: Predicts your cycling speed at the given cadence.
- Gear Inches: Used to compare gear setups across different wheel sizes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good gear ratio for climbing?
Lower gear ratios, like 34/28 or 32/32, are better for climbing because they make pedaling easier.
Can I compare multiple gear setups?
Yes, enable the “Compare multiple gears” option to add and evaluate different chainring and cog combinations.
What cadence should I aim for?
Most cyclists find an efficient cadence between 80–100 rpm, though this varies by fitness and terrain.
Is this tool useful for indoor training setups?
Absolutely. It can help replicate outdoor resistance and speed for indoor smart trainer sessions.
Connect with Other Calculators
Cyclists often combine this gear calculator with tools like a 1RM estimate from a One Rep Max Calculator to track strength gains or a race time predictor to plan event pacing. For broader fitness tracking, pairing this with a VO2 max assessment or a running pace guide gives a complete picture of performance.
Sports Calculators:
- One Rep Max Calculator
- Pace Calculator
- VO2 Max Calculator
- Max Heart Rate Calculator
- Target Heart Rate Calculator
- Marathon Pace Calculator
- Dunk Calculator
- Heart Rate Zone Calculator
- ERA Calculator
- Batting Average Calculator
- DIN Calculator
- Running Calorie Calculator
- Walking Calorie Calculator
- Steps to Miles Calculator
- Steps to Calories Calculator
- Steps to Km Calculator
- Winning Percentage Calculator
- Ski Size Calculator
- Race Predictor Calculator
- Wilks Calculator
- Lifting Calculator
- Bench Press Calculator
- ACFT Calculator
- Air Force PT Test Calculator
- Net Run Rate Calculator
- Duckworth-Lewis Calculator
- Passer Rating Calculator
- Km to Steps Calculator
- Miles to Steps Calculator
- Wakeboard Size Calculator
- Skateboard Size Calculator
- Bike Size Calculator