Is 8 enough or do we need more?
- Thread starter noadapter
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beanzontoast
Guru
- Location
- South of The Peaks
Depends on your commute. Mine is half flat, half moderately hilly and I still rarely bother changing gear - maybe half a dozen times a year. The only exceptions have been when feeling weak (i.e. recovering after illness) or when faced with a gale blowing at me while on the uphill leg, and then I probably use 3 gears in total. So of the 21 available, most of the time I could get by with single-speed.
I had only used about 6-8 of my 24 gears in London and couldn't really see the point of the lowest chainring (right term?) for the first 6 months of having my bike...
...then I went on a cycling holiday to Dorset and oh my days! The hills! Even my lowest gear isn't low enough for Cranbourne Chase so I would say all 24 have been needed on my bike this year (if you "need" to go fast!)
Maybe I could make do with 1 in London but don't like the idea of the slow acceleration and the thought that one day I might have to cycle up Hampstead Hill.
...then I went on a cycling holiday to Dorset and oh my days! The hills! Even my lowest gear isn't low enough for Cranbourne Chase so I would say all 24 have been needed on my bike this year (if you "need" to go fast!)
Maybe I could make do with 1 in London but don't like the idea of the slow acceleration and the thought that one day I might have to cycle up Hampstead Hill.
Hills apart aren't they there to let you keep the effort going at constant?
I love the closer ratio roadie gears I have now as I can flick up and down for change in gradient, wind, road surface even to keep him humming along at the effort I feel happy with at any given time
Of course you can do it with one gear but you're going to find yourself doing some serious grinding at some point I had thought, that or not being to bothered about progress
that said I got twenty gears and I rarely touch the smaller chain ring, I do use most for the cassette though, some serious down hill death riding is called for to use the smallest cogs though
I love the closer ratio roadie gears I have now as I can flick up and down for change in gradient, wind, road surface even to keep him humming along at the effort I feel happy with at any given time
Of course you can do it with one gear but you're going to find yourself doing some serious grinding at some point I had thought, that or not being to bothered about progress
that said I got twenty gears and I rarely touch the smaller chain ring, I do use most for the cassette though, some serious down hill death riding is called for to use the smallest cogs though
hackbike 666
Guest
I've got 30 gears and I don't need them.Looking to get it changed in the future.
I would love to ride fixed or freewheel purely from a maintenance point of view but the gears save me from grinding down my kneecaps any further than they have been. So from that perspective I like as many as possible. As Tynan says the close ratio of a road bike's gears in particular means you can maintain the most efficient cadence for your needs.
MartinC
Über Member
- Location
- Cheltenham
I only ever use 1 gear at a time!
You need as many as you want. I've got (or had) bikes with 0,1,3,7,8,10,12,14,18,24,27 gears at one time or another. 0 didn't work too well but all the others had a context in which they were useful. We all enjoy different kinds of riding in different ways so you can't generalise. There is a certain attraction and efficiency in not carrying around stuff you don't 'need' though.
You need as many as you want. I've got (or had) bikes with 0,1,3,7,8,10,12,14,18,24,27 gears at one time or another. 0 didn't work too well but all the others had a context in which they were useful. We all enjoy different kinds of riding in different ways so you can't generalise. There is a certain attraction and efficiency in not carrying around stuff you don't 'need' though.
MartinC
Über Member
- Location
- Cheltenham
Sorry, forgot, my Brompton's got 6.
I just see mine as having 9 gears but I can switch into low or high range or a set of "crawler" gears for the off road bit, would manage with less but I like it how it is, for any given section I just go between 3 or 4 ratios when at a constant is pace and just adjust for gradient, energy and wind speed/direction. Singlespeeds look funky I suppose and I reckon they are good for purists and those in towns but I think I would struggle on my rural commute.
There is another thread somewhere where I quote a calculation for the highest gear that should be your lowest.
It goes something like this:-
Gear length inches = ( 1 / ( you [lb] + bike [lb] + luggage [lb] )) x 1000
If you have a lower gear, all well and good.
The higher gears will be whatever your cluster dictates.
The highest gear you should have depends upon your personal ability.
It goes something like this:-
Gear length inches = ( 1 / ( you [lb] + bike [lb] + luggage [lb] )) x 1000
If you have a lower gear, all well and good.
The higher gears will be whatever your cluster dictates.
The highest gear you should have depends upon your personal ability.
BentMikey
Rider of Seolferwulf
- Location
- South London
ChrisKH said:
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.
When I was kid I managed just fine with one gear. Then I managed even better with 5 - that enabled me to cycle just about anywhere I wished.
Since then I've had 10, 12, 21, 24, 27 and recently 30. Like Tynan said, it's great to find the 'perfect' gear for any given conditions, but if I was given the option of one gear or no bike, I'd take the singlespeed in a heartbeat.
Since then I've had 10, 12, 21, 24, 27 and recently 30. Like Tynan said, it's great to find the 'perfect' gear for any given conditions, but if I was given the option of one gear or no bike, I'd take the singlespeed in a heartbeat.
PrettyboyTim
New Member
- Location
- Brighton
jimboalee said:
4.8 inches?
I think there's something wrong with that formula...
Twenty Inch
Guru
- Location
- Behind a desk
ausalex said:
462 gears!!!!
Who's with me? Any takers?!
byegad
Legendary Member
- Location
- NE England
My Azub recumbent had 81 gears, front triple on 27 speed Dual Drive giving from just under 15" to 150" and I used them all. One of my hilly rides saw me use all of them in less than 20 miles. Up hill at 3mph and down hill at 48mph in one ride. Great fun!
