gears
- Thread starter ant77
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
vickster
Squire
Most get on with 18 or 20 but it'll depend on the terrain, your fitness, your weight, the bike, and especially the gear ratios 
My bikes all have 20. 50-34 double on the front and 11-32 cassette on the back which apparently offers plenty low enough gears for most terrain. Not been anywhere very hilly lately but no walks of shame either despite a knackered leg and back!
My bikes all have 20. 50-34 double on the front and 11-32 cassette on the back which apparently offers plenty low enough gears for most terrain. Not been anywhere very hilly lately but no walks of shame either despite a knackered leg and back!
jay clock
Massive member
- Location
- Hampshire UK
it is not about number it is about the ratios. Most road bikes have a double at the front and 8-10 at the back, making 16 to 20
Cycleops
Legendary Member
- Location
- Accra, Ghana
That's a very interesting question. It seems the quest for more gears goes on, but do we really need them? Back in the day everyone managed with a six speed cassette and if you wanted more you got a triple.
jay clock
Massive member
- Location
- Hampshire UK
The guy in my LBS was saying that 11 speed will have completely taken over from 10 soon. I want 12 though. twats
vickster
Squire
Why's it such a quest? Buy one within your budget, that you like the look of and has a decent spec considering the price
Get a testride on a few, see what floats your boat, job done(or buy a frameset and build your own)
biggs682
Itching to get back on my bike's
- Location
- Northamptonshire
@ant77 where are you based as if fairly local to me in Northamptonshire you are more than welcome to come and try a few of my machines to help give you an idea or 2
Most get on with 18 or 20 but it'll depend on the terrain, your fitness, your weight, the bike, and especially the gear ratios
My bikes all have 20. 50-34 double on the front and 11-32 cassette on the back which apparently offers plenty low enough gears for most terrain. Not been anywhere very hilly lately but no walks of shame either despite a knackered leg and back!
Sorry to hijack but I just don't get these gear ratios, is it the amount of teeth - what does it all mean?
RebornBumbler
Senior Member
- Location
- Barnstaple
(Silly numbers follow, but it's easier to understand)
If you've got 10 teeth on your crankset/chainset/pedals-end and 40 on the cassette/wheel-end, you'll need to pedal 4 full revolutions to get the back wheel to go round once.
It'll feel very easy to pedal - but you won't go fast - good for going up hills.
If you've got 40 teeth on your crankset and 10 on the wheel, you'll only need to pedal a quarter of a revolution to get one revolution of the back wheel (you'll get 4 revolutions of the wheel for every full revolution of the crank).
It'll feel hard to pedal - you'll go fast - good for going down hills.
Hopefully I got that right - my mind is now full of revolution!
