I had been running 32:18 and decided to gear up to 32:16, but this coincided with the turn in the weather, so I’ve gone back to 32:18 for the current swamp-like conditions.

Does anybody else change ratios or do you just grind it out on the same ratio regardless?

sounds far too complicated for SS

same ratio rain or sun.

Quite. Only just gone SS, 34:16 but not expecting to change just cos it’s stopped raining.

34:16 all year round for me. I cba to change!

32:16 all year round.

Just keep pedalling. Mud is a fitness-aid.

I used a 4.4m gear in the summer, but as soon as the ground got wet I was struggling to plod through the mud, so I went back to 4.1m.
I’ve got 4.1m with the belt drive, so that’s what I’ll have to stick with now.

I change to a properbike(TM) once the SS seems to spin out too much in the spring

same ratio all year, same mud tyres all year. I made the mistake of changing the tyres one year for ‘summer’ and had to swap them back again in a couple of weeks.
Geared for the few days a year that its dry and dusty…

Same gear for everywhere?!?

I’d keel over

38:15 for home turf – S.Leics, so not challenging
38:16 for rides I don’t know – N’Hants has some pretty steep bits
28:16 last time I foolishly rode SS in Wales.

Also use Wales gear for riding in snow at home as I couldn’t move otherwise 🙂 That’s when a mud tyre on the back really helps.

Much too much faff for some, but I really hate pushing.

1 tooth more at the back in winter, if it gets churned up and crappy that is. hills that are just-about in summer are no-hope in winter otherwise, even then 1 more on the rear isn’t making that much difference, just means i’m more likely to have a go and get further up.

I ride singlespeed for simplicity – so one ratio all year

I used a 4.4m gear in the summer, but as soon as the ground got wet I was struggling to plod through the mud, so I went back to 4.1m.
I’ve got 4.1m with the belt drive, so that’s what I’ll have to stick with now.

Metric gear development? Who easures gears in metric gear development!

46.4″ (32:20 29er) at the moment, it’s just about manageable on the climbs in Guisbrough, but spins out a little too soon on the flat bit on top of the moors, I used 51.5″ (32:18 29er and 2:1 26er) last year and it was better, requires a degree of fitness arround here but was fine (or even slightly undgergeared) for Swinley/Tunnel Hill/Chilterns.

32:18 in the Winter, 36:18 in the Summer for me. It’s easier to change the chainwheel than the freewheel on my SS.

I’ve been running 32:16 for years but as I plunge headlong into my more <ahem> senior period, I’m struggling with it a bit on Dartmoor sometimes so considering dropping down a cog or two. Was just about to order a new cog from Charlie the BM.

Am I likely to need to change the chain as well as I would if I replaced a cassette?

I seem to remember switching between different 16T cogs a while back and it seemed fine, presumably because of the taller teeth on an SS cog.

32:19 all year on 29er

Who measures gears in metric gear development!

I do.
Is your 32×20 on a 29er higher or lower than 34×19 on a 26er ?
Wouldn’t it be easier if you used one number that could be immediately compared to any other number ?

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/why-does-no-one-use-gear-inches-or-metres-development