Originally Posted by
carleton
I really have experienced smaller chainring/cog combos feeling like smaller gears.
People say it's a myth. But, perception is reality in many respects.
Just like some people can't tell if their cleats are twisted or if their saddle is 1 inch lower, other people can.
I'm actually with you. People, underestimate just how sensitive the human body is. Apparently we can detect texture differences in the nanometer range.
And, I still hold that a small-small combo is going to be more responsive and more lossy due to the smaller diameter of the chain path (less inertia-more responsive, shorter bend radius-more lossy) and the higher tension on the chain (less backlash-more responsive, higher link friction-more lossy).
I would like to see someone come out to a world class sprint meet sporting a 58/15 combo sometime...
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the tiniest sprinter