crank size vs. 1:1 gear on a b*ke

So, in my new obsession with hill climbing, I was reading about bikers
and their gear choices on the mountain climb races, such as Mt.
Washington, where there's 8 or so miles at an average 12% grade.

Bikers choose a gear said be to *less* than 1:1. That is, their front
chain ring is smaller than their rear chain ring, and for each pedal,
they travel less than one wheel's revolution.

Unicyclists always have 1:1 ratios (except for those crazy geared jobs),
and we vary crank length to make it easier to pedal, right? Has anyone
quatified crank length vs. bicyclists' gear? That is, how much easier
is it to pedal with longer cranks, like 125mm vs. 150mm vs. 175 mm.?

TIA


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steveyo - touring wobbler

steveyo

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Don't forget to consider the bicyclists crank size. It has the same
effect.


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TheObieOne3226

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Oh. Yeah, I guess it does.


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steveyo - touring wobbler

steveyo

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- eskimo proverb
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Just compare torque at the ground. The two factors for unis are wheel
diameter and crank length. For bikes it is both of these and gear.
-c


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gauss - memory fault (coredump)




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