Bike gearing·40T × 15T
40T × 15T
2.667
Gear ratio
Per pedal stroke 5.613 m

40×15 ratio 2.667 — 5.613 m per stroke

A 40-tooth chainring with a 15-tooth sprocket gives a ratio of 2.667. One pedal stroke carries you 5.613 m, and at 90 rpm that is 30.3 km/h.

Speed

Speed is the ratio multiplied by cadence. Grinding a big gear slowly and spinning a small one quickly give the same speed, but legs last far longer doing the second — which is why most riders pick the gear that keeps them near 80 to 90 revolutions a minute.

  • Cadence 60 rpm20.2 km/h
  • Cadence 80 rpm26.9 km/h
  • Cadence 90 rpm30.3 km/h
  • Cadence 100 rpm33.7 km/h
Chainring
40T
Sprocket
15T
Gear ratio
2.667
Per pedal stroke
5.613 m
Gear inches
70.1

Nearby cells

Same chainring, other sprockets

Same sprocket, other chainrings

Worth knowing

  • The ratio is the chainring divided by the sprocket — bigger means harder and further.
  • Two combinations with the same ratio are the same gear, whatever the tooth counts.
  • Speed is ratio times cadence, so neither number settles it alone.
  • These figures assume 700×25C wheels with a 2,105 mm circumference.

Common questions

Q. What is the ratio of 40×15?

2.667. One pedal stroke carries you 5.613 m, which is 70.1 gear inches.

Q. How fast is this gear?

At 90 rpm it works out to 30.3 km/h. Speed scales with cadence, so 60 rpm gives two thirds of that and 100 rpm a little more.

Q. Is there another combination that feels the same?

No other combination in this table sits within 1 % of this ratio.

Q. What happens one sprocket lighter?

You land on 40×16: the pedals ease off, but each stroke carries you less far.