What gear should a fixed-gear ride?

Street riding lives at 65–75 gear inches (46/16 on 700c ≈ 77 is the classic slightly-sporty choice; 44/16 ≈ 74 is friendlier). Hills are walked or grunted — that is the deal.

Is 2× or 1× better?

1× simplifies and sheds weight; 2× keeps close steps at both ends. The ratio table matters more than the count — check your range (lowest to highest gear inches) covers your terrain.

Do tires change the math?

Slightly — a 29×2.4" tire rolls larger than a 29×2.0". The calculator uses nominal diameters; real differences are ±3%.

What about single-speed MTB gearing?

Trail single-speeds live at 50–60 gear inches — low enough for climbs, tall enough for flats. 32/18 on 29" ≈ 51.6 is the classic starting point.

Gear Ratio & Inches Calculator

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How the gear ratio calculator works

The division that settles it

Ratio = chainring ÷ cog — the wheel turns that many times per pedal revolution. A 46/16 (2.88) is the fixed-gear street standard; a 34/50 mountain bailout (0.68) spins the wheel only two-thirds per pedal. Gear inches = ratio × wheel diameter — the 1890s penny-farthing comparison that survives because it is wheel-agnostic: 70 inches means the same effort on any bike.

Reference bands

20–40 inches: climbing gears — steep trails and loaded touring.
40–70: the everyday all-round band — most riding lives here.
70–90: fast road, fixed-gear street.
90–120: sprinting and downhills — momentum territory.

The cadence column

The speed figure assumes 80 rpm — the endurance sweet spot. Multiply mentally: at 100 rpm the same gear goes 25% faster; at 60 rpm it grinds 25% slower. Cadence is the free variable the development calculator solves for.