How much of a difference would shifting from a (24/34/44, 14x28) to a (28/38/48, 11x34) configuration make...












3















I currently have a Proton MTB with a 24/34/44 crankset and a 14-28 cassette. I have found the configuration to be lacking when going downhill: The front chain ring doesn't feel stiff enough on the highest gear resulting in me pedaling too hard.



How much of a difference would it make if I shift to a 28/38/48 crankset and a 11-34 cassette? This configuration is found on the Giant Roam 3 (2018) which I am considering buying. I've done some math:



On the MTB, running the highest gear, I am at an effective gear ratio of 44/14 = 3.14 while the Roam 3's config would give me 48/11 = 4.36. On paper, this is a 38% increase, but I am not experienced enough to know if this translates to a significant difference when pedaling.





The other configuration I've mentioned is actually on another bike that I am considering buying (Giant Roam 3 2018). I am not looking to modify the current bike.










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Aamir Khan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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  • Can you do a test ride? And what kind of downhills? How long? How steep?

    – Andrew Henle
    12 hours ago











  • Unfortunately, no. The area where the shop is located is pretty flat so I can't test it out on the slopes I would usually encounter on my daily route.

    – Aamir Khan
    9 hours ago











  • Not a direct answer but 48/11 on 700c wheels is a good fast downhill gear for a hybrid - that's what mine has. It will reach 50km/h at a comfortable cadence (handy for keeping up with cars to make a turn at the bottom of a hill on my old commute). On another note that's a very narrow range on your MTB cassette.

    – Chris H
    8 hours ago











  • 14-28 sounds like it might be a freewheel not a cassette - can you confirm which it is? A freewheel might not go smaller than 14T

    – Criggie
    6 hours ago
















3















I currently have a Proton MTB with a 24/34/44 crankset and a 14-28 cassette. I have found the configuration to be lacking when going downhill: The front chain ring doesn't feel stiff enough on the highest gear resulting in me pedaling too hard.



How much of a difference would it make if I shift to a 28/38/48 crankset and a 11-34 cassette? This configuration is found on the Giant Roam 3 (2018) which I am considering buying. I've done some math:



On the MTB, running the highest gear, I am at an effective gear ratio of 44/14 = 3.14 while the Roam 3's config would give me 48/11 = 4.36. On paper, this is a 38% increase, but I am not experienced enough to know if this translates to a significant difference when pedaling.





The other configuration I've mentioned is actually on another bike that I am considering buying (Giant Roam 3 2018). I am not looking to modify the current bike.










share|improve this question









New contributor




Aamir Khan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.





















  • Can you do a test ride? And what kind of downhills? How long? How steep?

    – Andrew Henle
    12 hours ago











  • Unfortunately, no. The area where the shop is located is pretty flat so I can't test it out on the slopes I would usually encounter on my daily route.

    – Aamir Khan
    9 hours ago











  • Not a direct answer but 48/11 on 700c wheels is a good fast downhill gear for a hybrid - that's what mine has. It will reach 50km/h at a comfortable cadence (handy for keeping up with cars to make a turn at the bottom of a hill on my old commute). On another note that's a very narrow range on your MTB cassette.

    – Chris H
    8 hours ago











  • 14-28 sounds like it might be a freewheel not a cassette - can you confirm which it is? A freewheel might not go smaller than 14T

    – Criggie
    6 hours ago














3












3








3








I currently have a Proton MTB with a 24/34/44 crankset and a 14-28 cassette. I have found the configuration to be lacking when going downhill: The front chain ring doesn't feel stiff enough on the highest gear resulting in me pedaling too hard.



How much of a difference would it make if I shift to a 28/38/48 crankset and a 11-34 cassette? This configuration is found on the Giant Roam 3 (2018) which I am considering buying. I've done some math:



On the MTB, running the highest gear, I am at an effective gear ratio of 44/14 = 3.14 while the Roam 3's config would give me 48/11 = 4.36. On paper, this is a 38% increase, but I am not experienced enough to know if this translates to a significant difference when pedaling.





The other configuration I've mentioned is actually on another bike that I am considering buying (Giant Roam 3 2018). I am not looking to modify the current bike.










share|improve this question









New contributor




Aamir Khan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.












I currently have a Proton MTB with a 24/34/44 crankset and a 14-28 cassette. I have found the configuration to be lacking when going downhill: The front chain ring doesn't feel stiff enough on the highest gear resulting in me pedaling too hard.



How much of a difference would it make if I shift to a 28/38/48 crankset and a 11-34 cassette? This configuration is found on the Giant Roam 3 (2018) which I am considering buying. I've done some math:



On the MTB, running the highest gear, I am at an effective gear ratio of 44/14 = 3.14 while the Roam 3's config would give me 48/11 = 4.36. On paper, this is a 38% increase, but I am not experienced enough to know if this translates to a significant difference when pedaling.





The other configuration I've mentioned is actually on another bike that I am considering buying (Giant Roam 3 2018). I am not looking to modify the current bike.







gears crankset cassette






share|improve this question









New contributor




Aamir Khan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











share|improve this question









New contributor




Aamir Khan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 6 hours ago









Criggie

43.6k573149




43.6k573149






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asked 12 hours ago









Aamir KhanAamir Khan

1184




1184




New contributor




Aamir Khan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.





New contributor





Aamir Khan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.






Aamir Khan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.













  • Can you do a test ride? And what kind of downhills? How long? How steep?

    – Andrew Henle
    12 hours ago











  • Unfortunately, no. The area where the shop is located is pretty flat so I can't test it out on the slopes I would usually encounter on my daily route.

    – Aamir Khan
    9 hours ago











  • Not a direct answer but 48/11 on 700c wheels is a good fast downhill gear for a hybrid - that's what mine has. It will reach 50km/h at a comfortable cadence (handy for keeping up with cars to make a turn at the bottom of a hill on my old commute). On another note that's a very narrow range on your MTB cassette.

    – Chris H
    8 hours ago











  • 14-28 sounds like it might be a freewheel not a cassette - can you confirm which it is? A freewheel might not go smaller than 14T

    – Criggie
    6 hours ago



















  • Can you do a test ride? And what kind of downhills? How long? How steep?

    – Andrew Henle
    12 hours ago











  • Unfortunately, no. The area where the shop is located is pretty flat so I can't test it out on the slopes I would usually encounter on my daily route.

    – Aamir Khan
    9 hours ago











  • Not a direct answer but 48/11 on 700c wheels is a good fast downhill gear for a hybrid - that's what mine has. It will reach 50km/h at a comfortable cadence (handy for keeping up with cars to make a turn at the bottom of a hill on my old commute). On another note that's a very narrow range on your MTB cassette.

    – Chris H
    8 hours ago











  • 14-28 sounds like it might be a freewheel not a cassette - can you confirm which it is? A freewheel might not go smaller than 14T

    – Criggie
    6 hours ago

















Can you do a test ride? And what kind of downhills? How long? How steep?

– Andrew Henle
12 hours ago





Can you do a test ride? And what kind of downhills? How long? How steep?

– Andrew Henle
12 hours ago













Unfortunately, no. The area where the shop is located is pretty flat so I can't test it out on the slopes I would usually encounter on my daily route.

– Aamir Khan
9 hours ago





Unfortunately, no. The area where the shop is located is pretty flat so I can't test it out on the slopes I would usually encounter on my daily route.

– Aamir Khan
9 hours ago













Not a direct answer but 48/11 on 700c wheels is a good fast downhill gear for a hybrid - that's what mine has. It will reach 50km/h at a comfortable cadence (handy for keeping up with cars to make a turn at the bottom of a hill on my old commute). On another note that's a very narrow range on your MTB cassette.

– Chris H
8 hours ago





Not a direct answer but 48/11 on 700c wheels is a good fast downhill gear for a hybrid - that's what mine has. It will reach 50km/h at a comfortable cadence (handy for keeping up with cars to make a turn at the bottom of a hill on my old commute). On another note that's a very narrow range on your MTB cassette.

– Chris H
8 hours ago













14-28 sounds like it might be a freewheel not a cassette - can you confirm which it is? A freewheel might not go smaller than 14T

– Criggie
6 hours ago





14-28 sounds like it might be a freewheel not a cassette - can you confirm which it is? A freewheel might not go smaller than 14T

– Criggie
6 hours ago










3 Answers
3






active

oldest

votes


















3














38% is a huge difference, and very noticeable on road. Since the bike you are considering has 622mm rims, it adds even more to the effective gear ratio.






share|improve this answer
























  • With 38mm tyres too- how close would this be to 50x11 on a thinner tyre a la road bike, for comparison? Also how about the lower gear combo? OP hasn’t asked but might not have thought/interesting context for a rounded answer :)

    – Swifty
    12 hours ago






  • 1





    sheldonbrown.com/gear-calc.html

    – ojs
    12 hours ago






  • 2





    The difference between 50 and 48 is only 4%, so I wouldn't worry about it. You are getting most of the improvement from the change 14 to 11 at the rear. If you are upgrading the current bike, you could change the cassette first, keep your current chain rings, and see if it suits your needs. That would defer some of the investmentj.

    – Ross Millikan
    11 hours ago











  • @DavidRicherby If you carefully read the question, you'll find out that the OP replacing his BSO MTB (very likely 559mm rims) with a hybrid with 622mm rims.

    – ojs
    4 hours ago



















3














Going from 44/14 = 3.14 48/11 = 4.36 is a big difference. On a given downhill your pedaling speed would 70% of that required with the lower gearing. You would not lose out on low ratios either: 24/28 = 0.86, 28/34 = 0.82.



The trouble is, your rear derailleur probably cannot accommodate a 11-34 cassette. (Derailleurs have total capacity and max sprocket size specifications. Capacity is the difference between chainring sizes plus the difference between sprocket sizes - the wider range cassette requires 7 more teeth of capacity). Your chainstay may not have a may not have the clearance for the larger chainrings either. You don't say how many rear speeds you have but I'm guessing it's 6 or less if you have a 14-28 sprockets, and you probably actually have a freewheel rather than a freehub and cassette which limits your options. You may be able to squeeze a 12-28 freewheel in which would bring your highest ratio up a bit.



Honestly, if you want better gear ratio options, you may just need to buy the better bike with a more modern drivetrain.






share|improve this answer
























  • Thanks for the answer. Yes, the other configuration I've mentioned is actually on another bike that I am considering buying (Giant Roam 3 2018). I am not looking to modify the current bike.

    – Aamir Khan
    9 hours ago



















0














It will make a significant difference and increase the top end speed for a given cadence noticeably. Gravity is your friend though going downhill, it’s not like the higher gearing of 48x11 will make you way faster downhill, but you would be able to sustain a comfortable cadence on longer, gentle descents before freewheeling



Meanwhile, at the bottom end, you wouldn’t be sacrificing your lowest gear by much and if you’re riding on the road you would have a gear for most hills (28x34 is lower than or comparable to most roadbikes).



The main comparison I would suggest is that 48x11 on 38mm tyres is exactly the same gear ratio as you would have on a road bike with 50x11 top gear and 23mm tyres. You’d just have a slight aerodynamic penalty on the flat bars, which actually benefits in the context of this question when you’re maxing out your cadence on the MTB. Weirdly.



See this table from bikecalc.com when pedalling at 100 rpm in 48x11 you would be travelling at 35 mph which is a good pace on any bike, especially if you can keep it up!



bikecalc.com gear calculation






share|improve this answer

























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    3 Answers
    3






    active

    oldest

    votes








    3 Answers
    3






    active

    oldest

    votes









    active

    oldest

    votes






    active

    oldest

    votes









    3














    38% is a huge difference, and very noticeable on road. Since the bike you are considering has 622mm rims, it adds even more to the effective gear ratio.






    share|improve this answer
























    • With 38mm tyres too- how close would this be to 50x11 on a thinner tyre a la road bike, for comparison? Also how about the lower gear combo? OP hasn’t asked but might not have thought/interesting context for a rounded answer :)

      – Swifty
      12 hours ago






    • 1





      sheldonbrown.com/gear-calc.html

      – ojs
      12 hours ago






    • 2





      The difference between 50 and 48 is only 4%, so I wouldn't worry about it. You are getting most of the improvement from the change 14 to 11 at the rear. If you are upgrading the current bike, you could change the cassette first, keep your current chain rings, and see if it suits your needs. That would defer some of the investmentj.

      – Ross Millikan
      11 hours ago











    • @DavidRicherby If you carefully read the question, you'll find out that the OP replacing his BSO MTB (very likely 559mm rims) with a hybrid with 622mm rims.

      – ojs
      4 hours ago
















    3














    38% is a huge difference, and very noticeable on road. Since the bike you are considering has 622mm rims, it adds even more to the effective gear ratio.






    share|improve this answer
























    • With 38mm tyres too- how close would this be to 50x11 on a thinner tyre a la road bike, for comparison? Also how about the lower gear combo? OP hasn’t asked but might not have thought/interesting context for a rounded answer :)

      – Swifty
      12 hours ago






    • 1





      sheldonbrown.com/gear-calc.html

      – ojs
      12 hours ago






    • 2





      The difference between 50 and 48 is only 4%, so I wouldn't worry about it. You are getting most of the improvement from the change 14 to 11 at the rear. If you are upgrading the current bike, you could change the cassette first, keep your current chain rings, and see if it suits your needs. That would defer some of the investmentj.

      – Ross Millikan
      11 hours ago











    • @DavidRicherby If you carefully read the question, you'll find out that the OP replacing his BSO MTB (very likely 559mm rims) with a hybrid with 622mm rims.

      – ojs
      4 hours ago














    3












    3








    3







    38% is a huge difference, and very noticeable on road. Since the bike you are considering has 622mm rims, it adds even more to the effective gear ratio.






    share|improve this answer













    38% is a huge difference, and very noticeable on road. Since the bike you are considering has 622mm rims, it adds even more to the effective gear ratio.







    share|improve this answer












    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer










    answered 12 hours ago









    ojsojs

    11.6k22142




    11.6k22142













    • With 38mm tyres too- how close would this be to 50x11 on a thinner tyre a la road bike, for comparison? Also how about the lower gear combo? OP hasn’t asked but might not have thought/interesting context for a rounded answer :)

      – Swifty
      12 hours ago






    • 1





      sheldonbrown.com/gear-calc.html

      – ojs
      12 hours ago






    • 2





      The difference between 50 and 48 is only 4%, so I wouldn't worry about it. You are getting most of the improvement from the change 14 to 11 at the rear. If you are upgrading the current bike, you could change the cassette first, keep your current chain rings, and see if it suits your needs. That would defer some of the investmentj.

      – Ross Millikan
      11 hours ago











    • @DavidRicherby If you carefully read the question, you'll find out that the OP replacing his BSO MTB (very likely 559mm rims) with a hybrid with 622mm rims.

      – ojs
      4 hours ago



















    • With 38mm tyres too- how close would this be to 50x11 on a thinner tyre a la road bike, for comparison? Also how about the lower gear combo? OP hasn’t asked but might not have thought/interesting context for a rounded answer :)

      – Swifty
      12 hours ago






    • 1





      sheldonbrown.com/gear-calc.html

      – ojs
      12 hours ago






    • 2





      The difference between 50 and 48 is only 4%, so I wouldn't worry about it. You are getting most of the improvement from the change 14 to 11 at the rear. If you are upgrading the current bike, you could change the cassette first, keep your current chain rings, and see if it suits your needs. That would defer some of the investmentj.

      – Ross Millikan
      11 hours ago











    • @DavidRicherby If you carefully read the question, you'll find out that the OP replacing his BSO MTB (very likely 559mm rims) with a hybrid with 622mm rims.

      – ojs
      4 hours ago

















    With 38mm tyres too- how close would this be to 50x11 on a thinner tyre a la road bike, for comparison? Also how about the lower gear combo? OP hasn’t asked but might not have thought/interesting context for a rounded answer :)

    – Swifty
    12 hours ago





    With 38mm tyres too- how close would this be to 50x11 on a thinner tyre a la road bike, for comparison? Also how about the lower gear combo? OP hasn’t asked but might not have thought/interesting context for a rounded answer :)

    – Swifty
    12 hours ago




    1




    1





    sheldonbrown.com/gear-calc.html

    – ojs
    12 hours ago





    sheldonbrown.com/gear-calc.html

    – ojs
    12 hours ago




    2




    2





    The difference between 50 and 48 is only 4%, so I wouldn't worry about it. You are getting most of the improvement from the change 14 to 11 at the rear. If you are upgrading the current bike, you could change the cassette first, keep your current chain rings, and see if it suits your needs. That would defer some of the investmentj.

    – Ross Millikan
    11 hours ago





    The difference between 50 and 48 is only 4%, so I wouldn't worry about it. You are getting most of the improvement from the change 14 to 11 at the rear. If you are upgrading the current bike, you could change the cassette first, keep your current chain rings, and see if it suits your needs. That would defer some of the investmentj.

    – Ross Millikan
    11 hours ago













    @DavidRicherby If you carefully read the question, you'll find out that the OP replacing his BSO MTB (very likely 559mm rims) with a hybrid with 622mm rims.

    – ojs
    4 hours ago





    @DavidRicherby If you carefully read the question, you'll find out that the OP replacing his BSO MTB (very likely 559mm rims) with a hybrid with 622mm rims.

    – ojs
    4 hours ago











    3














    Going from 44/14 = 3.14 48/11 = 4.36 is a big difference. On a given downhill your pedaling speed would 70% of that required with the lower gearing. You would not lose out on low ratios either: 24/28 = 0.86, 28/34 = 0.82.



    The trouble is, your rear derailleur probably cannot accommodate a 11-34 cassette. (Derailleurs have total capacity and max sprocket size specifications. Capacity is the difference between chainring sizes plus the difference between sprocket sizes - the wider range cassette requires 7 more teeth of capacity). Your chainstay may not have a may not have the clearance for the larger chainrings either. You don't say how many rear speeds you have but I'm guessing it's 6 or less if you have a 14-28 sprockets, and you probably actually have a freewheel rather than a freehub and cassette which limits your options. You may be able to squeeze a 12-28 freewheel in which would bring your highest ratio up a bit.



    Honestly, if you want better gear ratio options, you may just need to buy the better bike with a more modern drivetrain.






    share|improve this answer
























    • Thanks for the answer. Yes, the other configuration I've mentioned is actually on another bike that I am considering buying (Giant Roam 3 2018). I am not looking to modify the current bike.

      – Aamir Khan
      9 hours ago
















    3














    Going from 44/14 = 3.14 48/11 = 4.36 is a big difference. On a given downhill your pedaling speed would 70% of that required with the lower gearing. You would not lose out on low ratios either: 24/28 = 0.86, 28/34 = 0.82.



    The trouble is, your rear derailleur probably cannot accommodate a 11-34 cassette. (Derailleurs have total capacity and max sprocket size specifications. Capacity is the difference between chainring sizes plus the difference between sprocket sizes - the wider range cassette requires 7 more teeth of capacity). Your chainstay may not have a may not have the clearance for the larger chainrings either. You don't say how many rear speeds you have but I'm guessing it's 6 or less if you have a 14-28 sprockets, and you probably actually have a freewheel rather than a freehub and cassette which limits your options. You may be able to squeeze a 12-28 freewheel in which would bring your highest ratio up a bit.



    Honestly, if you want better gear ratio options, you may just need to buy the better bike with a more modern drivetrain.






    share|improve this answer
























    • Thanks for the answer. Yes, the other configuration I've mentioned is actually on another bike that I am considering buying (Giant Roam 3 2018). I am not looking to modify the current bike.

      – Aamir Khan
      9 hours ago














    3












    3








    3







    Going from 44/14 = 3.14 48/11 = 4.36 is a big difference. On a given downhill your pedaling speed would 70% of that required with the lower gearing. You would not lose out on low ratios either: 24/28 = 0.86, 28/34 = 0.82.



    The trouble is, your rear derailleur probably cannot accommodate a 11-34 cassette. (Derailleurs have total capacity and max sprocket size specifications. Capacity is the difference between chainring sizes plus the difference between sprocket sizes - the wider range cassette requires 7 more teeth of capacity). Your chainstay may not have a may not have the clearance for the larger chainrings either. You don't say how many rear speeds you have but I'm guessing it's 6 or less if you have a 14-28 sprockets, and you probably actually have a freewheel rather than a freehub and cassette which limits your options. You may be able to squeeze a 12-28 freewheel in which would bring your highest ratio up a bit.



    Honestly, if you want better gear ratio options, you may just need to buy the better bike with a more modern drivetrain.






    share|improve this answer













    Going from 44/14 = 3.14 48/11 = 4.36 is a big difference. On a given downhill your pedaling speed would 70% of that required with the lower gearing. You would not lose out on low ratios either: 24/28 = 0.86, 28/34 = 0.82.



    The trouble is, your rear derailleur probably cannot accommodate a 11-34 cassette. (Derailleurs have total capacity and max sprocket size specifications. Capacity is the difference between chainring sizes plus the difference between sprocket sizes - the wider range cassette requires 7 more teeth of capacity). Your chainstay may not have a may not have the clearance for the larger chainrings either. You don't say how many rear speeds you have but I'm guessing it's 6 or less if you have a 14-28 sprockets, and you probably actually have a freewheel rather than a freehub and cassette which limits your options. You may be able to squeeze a 12-28 freewheel in which would bring your highest ratio up a bit.



    Honestly, if you want better gear ratio options, you may just need to buy the better bike with a more modern drivetrain.







    share|improve this answer












    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer










    answered 10 hours ago









    Argenti ApparatusArgenti Apparatus

    34.9k23687




    34.9k23687













    • Thanks for the answer. Yes, the other configuration I've mentioned is actually on another bike that I am considering buying (Giant Roam 3 2018). I am not looking to modify the current bike.

      – Aamir Khan
      9 hours ago



















    • Thanks for the answer. Yes, the other configuration I've mentioned is actually on another bike that I am considering buying (Giant Roam 3 2018). I am not looking to modify the current bike.

      – Aamir Khan
      9 hours ago

















    Thanks for the answer. Yes, the other configuration I've mentioned is actually on another bike that I am considering buying (Giant Roam 3 2018). I am not looking to modify the current bike.

    – Aamir Khan
    9 hours ago





    Thanks for the answer. Yes, the other configuration I've mentioned is actually on another bike that I am considering buying (Giant Roam 3 2018). I am not looking to modify the current bike.

    – Aamir Khan
    9 hours ago











    0














    It will make a significant difference and increase the top end speed for a given cadence noticeably. Gravity is your friend though going downhill, it’s not like the higher gearing of 48x11 will make you way faster downhill, but you would be able to sustain a comfortable cadence on longer, gentle descents before freewheeling



    Meanwhile, at the bottom end, you wouldn’t be sacrificing your lowest gear by much and if you’re riding on the road you would have a gear for most hills (28x34 is lower than or comparable to most roadbikes).



    The main comparison I would suggest is that 48x11 on 38mm tyres is exactly the same gear ratio as you would have on a road bike with 50x11 top gear and 23mm tyres. You’d just have a slight aerodynamic penalty on the flat bars, which actually benefits in the context of this question when you’re maxing out your cadence on the MTB. Weirdly.



    See this table from bikecalc.com when pedalling at 100 rpm in 48x11 you would be travelling at 35 mph which is a good pace on any bike, especially if you can keep it up!



    bikecalc.com gear calculation






    share|improve this answer






























      0














      It will make a significant difference and increase the top end speed for a given cadence noticeably. Gravity is your friend though going downhill, it’s not like the higher gearing of 48x11 will make you way faster downhill, but you would be able to sustain a comfortable cadence on longer, gentle descents before freewheeling



      Meanwhile, at the bottom end, you wouldn’t be sacrificing your lowest gear by much and if you’re riding on the road you would have a gear for most hills (28x34 is lower than or comparable to most roadbikes).



      The main comparison I would suggest is that 48x11 on 38mm tyres is exactly the same gear ratio as you would have on a road bike with 50x11 top gear and 23mm tyres. You’d just have a slight aerodynamic penalty on the flat bars, which actually benefits in the context of this question when you’re maxing out your cadence on the MTB. Weirdly.



      See this table from bikecalc.com when pedalling at 100 rpm in 48x11 you would be travelling at 35 mph which is a good pace on any bike, especially if you can keep it up!



      bikecalc.com gear calculation






      share|improve this answer




























        0












        0








        0







        It will make a significant difference and increase the top end speed for a given cadence noticeably. Gravity is your friend though going downhill, it’s not like the higher gearing of 48x11 will make you way faster downhill, but you would be able to sustain a comfortable cadence on longer, gentle descents before freewheeling



        Meanwhile, at the bottom end, you wouldn’t be sacrificing your lowest gear by much and if you’re riding on the road you would have a gear for most hills (28x34 is lower than or comparable to most roadbikes).



        The main comparison I would suggest is that 48x11 on 38mm tyres is exactly the same gear ratio as you would have on a road bike with 50x11 top gear and 23mm tyres. You’d just have a slight aerodynamic penalty on the flat bars, which actually benefits in the context of this question when you’re maxing out your cadence on the MTB. Weirdly.



        See this table from bikecalc.com when pedalling at 100 rpm in 48x11 you would be travelling at 35 mph which is a good pace on any bike, especially if you can keep it up!



        bikecalc.com gear calculation






        share|improve this answer















        It will make a significant difference and increase the top end speed for a given cadence noticeably. Gravity is your friend though going downhill, it’s not like the higher gearing of 48x11 will make you way faster downhill, but you would be able to sustain a comfortable cadence on longer, gentle descents before freewheeling



        Meanwhile, at the bottom end, you wouldn’t be sacrificing your lowest gear by much and if you’re riding on the road you would have a gear for most hills (28x34 is lower than or comparable to most roadbikes).



        The main comparison I would suggest is that 48x11 on 38mm tyres is exactly the same gear ratio as you would have on a road bike with 50x11 top gear and 23mm tyres. You’d just have a slight aerodynamic penalty on the flat bars, which actually benefits in the context of this question when you’re maxing out your cadence on the MTB. Weirdly.



        See this table from bikecalc.com when pedalling at 100 rpm in 48x11 you would be travelling at 35 mph which is a good pace on any bike, especially if you can keep it up!



        bikecalc.com gear calculation







        share|improve this answer














        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer








        edited 6 hours ago

























        answered 6 hours ago









        SwiftySwifty

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        2,4451424






















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