How many gears do we really need on a bike

[rydabent]

For decades a 5 speed sprocket in the rear was enough. Then to entice us to buy new bikes, the numbers went on up to 12.

So my question is, how many is really enough. IMO 8 or 9 would seem to be plenty.

 

[FishFright]

For decades a 5 speed sprocket in the rear was enough. Then to entice us to buy new bikes, the numbers went on up to 12.

So my question is, how many is really enough. IMO 8 or 9 would seem to be plenty.

One is enough

 

[classic33]

I've 105 on one bike.

 

[Big John]

The answer is 7. And even with 7 I only use two of them on a typical ride.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

My bike when I was growing up had 10 - first bike I had ever seen with more than 5

I seldom used gears 1-5 unless I have a heavy load on the bike but they were useful to have

at the time I had never heard of cross chaining
but if we avoid cross chaining then a bike with a big and small chain-ring has - e.g 14 gears available - but people don;t want to use several to avoid cross chaining.
so having 14 gears doesn;t mean you have 14 that you want to use

but 14 would seem to be to be plenty - if I need a lower gear than that I will be faster walking and pushing the bike
and if I ever get to top gear then I am going faster than I want and probably won;t pedal anyway!


Oh - and BTW I have an ebike with 7 gears - so it doesn;t really apply at the moment.

 

[Chris S]

It depends on how hilly the area you live in is. I've only got three gears on my bike. There aren't many hills in South Birmingham that you can't do in a 48 inch gear, a 63 inch gear is ideal for start/stop city cycling and an 84 inch gear will give you a cruising speed in the mid to high teens if you ever find an empty stretch.

 

[presta]

This is my 3x9 transmission. As you can see, you could get away without any middle ring at all, but it would mean an awful lot of annoying switching in the middle of the range where you spend most time.

 

[bobzmyunkle]

It depends on how hilly the area you live in is.

And what you're carrying.
I remember putting an 11-30 cassette on when I was heading for the Pyrenees.
Yesterday I put on an 11-40 cassette.

There's no way I'd go back to 2x5 or 3x5 - half step and a granny anyone?

 

[Ian H]

I have two bikes with 10x3 (but different gearing), one with 11x2, one double-sided fixed-wheel*.
I use them all indifferently in the hills round here - and elsewhere.

So the answer is, the gears you need are the ones you're riding with.

*Plus others I don't use so much.

 

[Gillstay]

8 or 9 seem to suit me best after that you just seem to spend all your time changing gear rather than enjoying the ride.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

For decades a 5 speed sprocket in the rear was enough.

If you didn’t mind walking a few uphills.

 

[MidnightRider]

2 x 8 speed cassettes, triples on front.
2 x 8 speed cassettes, doubles on front.
2 x Older pub bikes 7 speed cassettes, triples on front
These are all technically mine and I do use them, but around half are primarily used by a family member.

I use the full range of gears as sometimes travel into hillier areas and I also carry heavy shopping etc when on the more local flatter areas. Would never want to go back to only 3 or 5 gears again, it was wonderful to move on from that, despite the excellent hubs.

Not really tried any wider cassettes as I think (rightly or wrongly) of 8 speed chains being more robust than thinner ones and a lot of my wheels (with cassettes already on) are usefully interchangeable if all the same standard.

Not keen on the industry fashion of phasing out triples as I find them so useful.

 

[chriswoody]

Really depends on the types of bikes you own and where you use them rather than any one correct answer.

I live on the Northern German plain where as the name suggests, there are precious few hills. So for commuting on flat roads I find the single sprocket on my folding bike more than enough.

For leisure use though, I have a Mountain bike and a Gravel bike to take advantage of the thousands of kilometres of forest roads and heathland that we have here. The trails are a real mix of gravel, fine sand and mud, it can be pretty heavy going but fun. Both bikes are equipped with 1x drivetrains which enables them to run the wide tires I need as well as being hassle and fuss free.

The Gravel bike has a 11 speed 10 - 42 cassette married to a 34 tooth chainring, which for the most part gives me all the range and gears I need. The problem comes when I load the bike up and go touring in mountainous regions, I just don't have low enough gears for the hills, so I end up changing the chainring for a 28 tooth one, sacrificing top end speed for low down climbing ability.

The Mountain bike though, comes with a 12 speed set up, a 11 - 52 cassette married to a 34 tooth chainring and this is brilliant. The lower cogs give me all the day to day useability that I need and then the 52 tooth cog gives me the mountain climbing ability when I need it. As last years bike packing trip to the Swiss Alps proved, this really is a good spread of gears that will take me anywhere.

So for my bikes and useage 12 speed is the ideal cassette size, so much so, that when funds allow I'll be converting the gravel bike to 12 speed.

 

[All uphill]

I've chopped and changed the gearing on my bikes and have reached a good compromise for me in Somerset and Devon on my relatively heavy steel bikes.

42/26 at the front and 9 speed 11/34 at the back.

95% of my riding is done on the 42 chainring, but I am very glad of the 26 for the other 5%.

Kind of 1x with a few extra low gears.

 

[HLaB]

How many gears do we really need on a bike​

42