What's the point of having lots of gears? (21, 24, 27, etc)

[screenman]

I can do both, I can spin and maintain 90 on this 1 1/2 mile 150ft climb, though only on a good day, or get out of the saddle and use a higher gear, all depends on mood ect......

http://www.strava.com/activities/170019185#4448009243

So can I but the grinding bit is not so good for knees with arthritis.

 

[Thursday guy]

No - that is not correct.

Better to think of having a number of ranges with multiple chainrings rather than expecting them to be linear.

I don't understand why wouldn't be linear if you increase/decrease your speed?

I was under the impression that if you increase your speed while at chainwheel 1 sprockets 7, the next higher gear would be chainwheel 2 sprockets 1

If you read people's replies, then you would know that this was answered a fair number of posts back.

Someone did try to explain it near the beginning, but I didn't understand it, hence why I'm asking again.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

I was doing some test rides the other day. It was just along some quiet residential roads, mostly flat, with a fairly steep hill on one end (abut 7 degrees). Maybe I wasn't setting the gears up properly on either of the bikes, but I did try to make sure that I selected the one which allowed me to pedal at a 'comfortable' rate, and I was able to do so on the 21 gear bikes and the 8 gear bike, on the flats and uphill as well.

I do get what some people have said here, about the difference between each gear being smaller with a 21+ gear bike, so there should be fewer 'goldilocks' moments where you find yourself unable to sustain a comfortable pedal rate on any of the available gears. But I didn't have this problem when I was test riding the bikes, at least I didn't notice it.

Your test ride area isn't really the best for testing gear ranges is it? I'm sure I could maintain the same speed on the same bit of road on any of my bikes, but inevitably in NI at some point there will be climbing so what's the best option?

More gear ranges available

 

[screenman]

If you look at a gear chart like I tried to explain earlier, you will be able to work out how the combinations work. Or you could just experiment by pedalling and trying different combinations.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@Thursday guy think of it this way if you want, each front chain ring is liner to itself with the rear cassette, but with different ranges for different terrains,

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

I was under the impression that if you increase your speed while at chainwheel 1 sprockets 7, the next higher gear would be chainwheel 2 sprockets 1

Why would you shift through the entire cassette? There's absolutely no reason to do so.

Someone did try to explain it near the beginning, but I didn't understand it, hence why I'm asking again.

Try. You're too busy with numbers and not looking at numbers of gears and not how they would be utilised.

 

[Thursday guy]

Your test ride area isn't really the best for testing gear ranges is it? I'm sure I could maintain the same speed on the same bit of road on any of my bikes, but inevitably in NI at some point there will be climbing so what's the best option?

More gear ranges available

Probably not, but it was pretty much the typical commuter terrain - mostly flats, with some steepish hills. I'm not looking for a bike to compete in the tour de france.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Probably not, but it was pretty much the typical commuter terrain - mostly flats, with some steepish hills. I'm not looking for a bike to compete in the tour de france.

That was a silly reply.

You've had a lot of advice on the thread so maybe now is the time to accept/reject it and go and make your purchasing decision.

 

[bpsmith]

I don't understand why wouldn't be linear if you increase/decrease your speed?

I was under the impression that if you increase your speed while at chainwheel 1 sprockets 7, the next higher gear would be chainwheel 2 sprockets 1




Someone did try to explain it near the beginning, but I didn't understand it, hence why I'm asking again.

That would have been me, but you never said that you didn't understand.

Its all about the gear ratios. My Winter bike setup has 34-50 chainring (front) and 11-12-13-14-15-17-19-21-24-28 cassette (back). The ratios for my specific bike are therefore as follows:

34:11 - 3.09
34:12 - 2.83
34:13 - 2.62
34:14 - 2.43
34:15 - 2.27
34:17 - 2.00
34:19 - 1.79
34:21 - 1.62
34:24 - 1.42
34:28 - 1.21

50:11 - 4.55
50:12 - 4.17
50:13 - 3.85
50:14 - 3.57
50:15 - 3.33
50:17 - 2.94
50:19 - 2.63
50:21 - 2.38
50:24 - 2.08
50:28 - 1.79

So if I went from smallest gear 34:28, I would only need to go up 3 more gears to get to a ratio of 1.79, which is the same ratio as if I changed up on the front chainring and dropped to the smallest gear on the cassette. Do you follow?

Edit: hope so, as took ages to type on my iPhone!

 

[Thursday guy]

That was a silly reply.

You've had a lot of advice on the thread so maybe now is the time to accept/reject it and go and make your purchasing decision.

It was a light hearted comment, jeez.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@bpsmith or you could do this, in inches, assuning 700x25c

mine

%is the change between rear gears, the lower the number the closer the gears.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

or maybe this will help

 

[Thursday guy]

That would have been me, but you never said that you didn't understand.

Its all about the gear ratios. My Winter bike setup has 34-50 chainring (front) and 11-12-13-14-15-17-19-21-24-28 cassette (back). The ratios for my specific bike are therefore as follows:

34:11 - 3.09
34:12 - 2.83
34:13 - 2.62
34:14 - 2.43
34:15 - 2.27
34:17 - 2.00
34:19 - 1.79
34:21 - 1.62
34:24 - 1.42
34:28 - 1.21

50:11 - 4.55
50:12 - 4.17
50:13 - 3.85
50:14 - 3.57
50:15 - 3.33
50:17 - 2.94
50:19 - 2.63
50:21 - 2.38
50:24 - 2.08
50:28 - 1.79

So if I went from smallest gear 34:28, I would only need to go up 3 more gears to get to a ratio of 1.79, which is the same ratio as if I changed up on the front chainring and dropped to the smallest gear on the cassette. Do you follow?

Edit: hope so, as took ages to type on my iPhone!

That's brilliant, thanks. I understand now.

by the way, the numbers for the chainring and the cassette are the number of teeths?

 

[bpsmith]

Indeed @Nigelnaturist. I kind of prefer using ratios tbh. Don't know why? Gear inches is probably better, but doesn't come as natural as ratio to me. Cheers for doing it though.

 

[bpsmith]

That's brilliant, thanks. I understand now.

No worries. That's all we are trying to do.