And you were surprised I run 18:18 To be fair, I think it depends on how you want to ride. If you're going big, 18:16 or 18:15 would be perfect. On the other hand, a very light gear ratio near 1:1 is mint for natural and static stuff but no good when it comes to gaps, hooks and high taps. I love my ratio, it's made me move my body much more and improved my riding considerably. Recently realized I can't tap higher than 48" because I've got no speed - I get the right amount of air but just fall backwards. If you ride for fun and couldn't care less about how big you go, I advise you ride something near 18:18, otherwise get 18:16