I have a Windsor brand bike that has a Shimano Nexus 3 internal gear hub. Initially when I purchased the bike used it did not have the shifter. The chainring is 44 teeth and the cog is 22. It felt really light and seemed like a 2.0 gear ratio which is too low.
I bought the shifter parts and pin and setup the shifter. Now when I am on second gear which is supposed to be the direct drive gear from what I understand, the gear ratio seems much higher. And when I am on 1st gear, it feels similar to what it is without the ping and gear shifter installed. Why would this be given that the 2nd gear is supposed to be a "direct drive"? My expectation would be that on second gear I would have a ratio that translates to 2.0 and on 1st gear 33% less and on 3rd gear 33% more. Are my assumptions correct and why does it not feel that way.
What I really want to do is set up a gear ratio that is comfortable (say 44/16) by changing the rear cog to a 16t instead of the 22t. I would then remove the pin and gear switcher so that I can basically ride the bike as a single speed. If I ever feel like I need more or less power I can always reinstall the gearing.