Bicycle Gear Ratio Converter

Calculate gear ratios, gear inches, development, and speed for bicycle drivetrains

Gear Analysis

50:17

Ratio: 2.94

Gear Inches

86.85"

Development

6.93 m

Gain Ratio

6.49

Wheel Circumference

2,356.19 mm

Speed at 90 RPM

Speed (km/h)

37.42

Speed (mph)

23.25

Common Setups

Wheel Sizes

Understanding the Metrics

Gear Ratio: Chainring teeth divided by cog teeth. Higher = harder gear, more speed per pedal rev.

Gear Inches: Traditional measure equivalent to wheel diameter of a penny-farthing with same gear ratio.

Development: Distance traveled per pedal revolution. Most intuitive measure for comparing gears.

Gain Ratio: Sheldon Brown's preferred measure. Accounts for crank length; tells you the mechanical advantage.

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Editorial Note

MyCalcBuddy Editorial Team

This page is maintained as an educational calculator reference.

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Formula Source: NIST Guide to SI Units

by National Institute of Standards

🔄Last reviewed: May 2026
✓Formula checks are based on standard references and internal QA review.