Is 8 enough or do we need more?

[Mr Pig]

My last MTB had an 8spd cassette. My new one has a 9. Where I live is 'very' hilly. Do I benefit from the extra gears? No. Not at all.

I block change quite often and if anything it's more annoying having more gears to click through.

I would say though that 8 is the ideal number as I did notice the improvement going to 8 from 7. If I could swap my bike to 8 without it costing me money I would.

 

[colly]

I manage with an 8 speed cassette and a double at the front. 16 seems adequate for me no matter where I go.
Recently fitted a new cassette with a 25 to make those really steep hills seem less of a grind.
I suppose if I were to be using panniers and so on an extra small ring at the front would be necessary.

 

[Mr Pig]

I suppose if I were to be using panniers and so on an extra small ring would be necessary.

Or if you cycled up fields! ;0)

 

[colly]

Or if you cycled up fields! ;0)

Quite so.

And I do have a MTB which has, (?) 24 gears I think.
I use than only now and again when my mrs fancies a ride.
(ok ok no smutty comments from the back please)

When we go out together it's usually cycle tracks and towpaths. One speed would be ok for them in reality.

 

[ChrisKH]

You do realise that it's a bit of an urban myth that fixed/singlespeed kills your knees? Anecdotally, fixed is either neutral or slightly better for your knees than geared.

Mmmm. Possibly. My surgeon said avoid getting out of the saddle and using low cadences. Can I avoid doing so riding fixed?

 

[ComedyPilot]

I use than only now and again when my mrs fancies a ride.
(ok ok no smutty comments from the back please)

'Hey up, does she ride tandem?'

 

[simoncc]

n

 

[colly]

n

Yes quite !

 

[colly]

'Hey up, does she ride tandem?

Only if I am at the back

 

[ed_o_brain]

I have been looking at new road bikes and find that most of them have far too high upper gear ratios. It's not changed since I started back in the early Seventies. A 50 x 12 ratio is a racing gear. I've never understood why manufacturers lumber us with these useless specifications.
42 x 14 (or 81 inch) is as high a gear as any leisure/commuter/touring cyclist would ever need.

I got regular use out of my 52 x 11 on my daily commute when I was in Telford, but I did exceed 35 mph on a hill) nearly every day.

At the end of the day, each bike isn't tailored so it's necessary to provide a wide range.

 

[ed_o_brain]

Mmmm. Possibly. My surgeon said avoid getting out of the saddle and using low cadences. Can I avoid doing so riding fixed?

Depends on your ride. I do get up out of the saddle more now on fixed, but my dodgy knee is happier. Actually standing on the pedals means having legs straighter on the down stroke decreasing bend at the knee and I would speculate causes less strain. I think it has also improved my core strength slightly.

If you find yourself grinding often at all, you need a lower gear or a better spinning technique - working through an entire revolution really helps maintain a reasonable cadence on a longer incline or working into an againsterly. Where on a geared bike I might downshift, I concentrate on what my legs are doing and ensure I'm getting the best out of them.

Fixed can actually give a lazy pedalling technique whereby the feet are pushed through the 6 and 12 o clock positions by the momentum of the back wheel being transmitted back to the cranks. Makes for a jerky pedalling technique when u go back to a freewheel.