Ask The Editors: Everything You Ever Wondered About Gearing
The power of the sprockets.
Overreaching in this instance refers simply to the possibility of achieving the same power output even after shifting due to your choice in gearing. Ideally, you want the output in each gear to pick up where the last one left off.
Since we don’t have specifics of your make and model, or, for that matter, even an idea of the type of conditions you ride or output you seek, it’s tough for us to get specific. However, our advice always in this situation is to begin your trial and error centered on the gear you most often find yourself in on the track then researching the best sprocket choices for the area of the powerband you want altered.
Always remember the hard and fast rules:
Larger front sprocket = increased top speed at the cost of acceleration
Smaller front sprocket = increased acceleration at the cost of top speed
Larger rear sprocket = increased acceleration at the cost of top speed
Smaller rear sprocket = increased top speed at the cost of acceleration
1 tooth on the front sprocket = 2-3 teeth on the rear
“Gear Up” = increased top speed at the cost of acceleration
“Gear Down” = increased acceleration at the cost of top speed
“Taller” gear ratio = increased top speed at the cost of acceleration
“Shorter” gear ratio = increased acceleration at the cost of top speed
