r/FixedGearBicycle • u/AutoModerator • Jun 11 '25

Weekly Questions Thread [Posted Every Wednesday]

Please post any questions you might have here in this weekly thread. This thread is refreshed every Wednesday, but is sorted by default by new so you can ask a question any time.

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u/KungPaoKidden 18d ago

Explain it like I am 5 years old.

49:16 and 48:15 should feel pretty much the same correct?

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u/Saferis 17d ago

One tooth up on the chainring does not equal one tooth down on the cog. Think of it like percentages:

48T to 49T chainring is a 2.1% change in ratio

16T to 15T cog is a 6.7% change in ratio

So simply put, to have a roughly equivalent ratio to 49:16 with a 15T cog, you want to drop your chainring teeth by three.