Best amount of Gears for Road bike..

[Boon 51]

a lot delends on your route as a flat ride has kess need for as many gears as a hilly route

Not too nmuch flat more undulations and hills..

 

[Dave7]

I changed bikes and went from tripple 9 to double 10 (against my gut feeling). I have got used to it and am happy BUT......if I was choosing again I would go back to a tripple. It might be in my mind but with the tripple I stayed in the middle for 95% (I am based in cheshire so it's quite flat) but with the double I am still not 'certain' which front cog to be in.
Hope that makes sense (it does to me)

 

[Red Light]

N + 1 where N is the lowest gear you currently have and + 1 is one lower than it

 

[sabian92]

I have 16 (8sp Cassette with a compact at the front). I would like lower gearing but I'm just really unfit

I had a bike before this with 27 which was nice but it was geared so low even I could be flat out and not able to go any faster at about 23mph.

 

[guitarpete247]

My road bike is 12 and MTB 18. Both steel and both old. Road bike still has 27" wheels that are over 30 years old on a 30 yr old frame. MTB is an '88 Saracen Tufftrax. I went out with a local clu for the first time yesterday. I suffered from carrying too much weight. It might be my one and only run out with them until I can afford something that could put me on a level playing field with the others.

When out on my own I'm happy with my gearing.

 

[marzjennings]

It's flat where I am (biggest climb < 100ft) and so just the one gear seems to work fine for me.

 

[david k]

I did do a searching but didn't find what I want to know so..
What amount of gears do you find best for your road bike.. would it be 10, 16, 20, 21, 24, 27. etc.
The reason I asked is I have seen many sports road bikes with all these amount of gears on.. and my last bike which was ages ago when big ben was a wrist watch only had 10.. but I know things have moved on from than..

you can never have enough!

 

[Nebulous]

N + 1 where N is the lowest gear you currently have and + 1 is one lower than it

Surely that should be N-1?

 

[Peter Armstrong]

My road bike is 12 and MTB 18. Both steel and both old. Road bike still has 27" wheels that are over 30 years old on a 30 yr old frame. MTB is an '88 Saracen Tufftrax. I went out with a local clu for the first time yesterday. I suffered from carrying too much weight. It might be my one and only run out with them until I can afford something that could put me on a level playing field with the others.

When out on my own I'm happy with my gearing.

Do you not find you fly on the decents tho?

 

[Rob3rt]

As few as possible whilst still being able to ride the terrain you frequent at the speed you desire!

 

[Boon 51]

As few as possible whilst still being able to ride the terrain you frequent at the speed you desire!

Thats what I'm after but is it a dream...

 

[Lee_M]

you always need one gear lower than you have

 

[BrumJim]

Surely the answer is that its not the number of gears that matters, its the quality of the groupset.
So, for Shimano Road gears:
7 = crap - down-tube levers, poor quality parts, will require constant adjustment and maintenance to keep it working properly
8 = cheap, not as robust, and with slightly awkward shifters
9 = more robust, better equipment. Buy this if you can.
10 = as above, but lighter, verging to
11 = very light, superb action, but not as robust. Chain won't last as long either.

 

[guitarpete247]

Do you not find you fly on the decents tho?

Yeah I was keeping up downhill. I even had to keep braking to stop running into the back of those in front .

 

[DRHysted]

my cheap "re-introduction to road bike" Viking has 14 gears, my "better bike now I'm enjoying it" Spesh has 24. I find both just as easy on hills. The Viking has an 11-32 and the Spesh 11-26.
I think it's not the number of gears, but the range. So for the next bike if I can't get a triple I'll aim for an 11-28 because I'm a wus on hills.