is this enough gears?

[julesdavis1965]

ok i got my eye on a "classic" ladies bike in "cyclesuk" only has 6 or so gears on right hand side (its the smaller frame model as i'm only 5'2") will this be enough, i'm a 46 year old lady who wants to lose a bit of weight and get fitter and enjoy riding a bike again after a 2 year break (then i only used the bike to get to work) i eventually want to go for all day trips , for me that would be 50 miles or so what do you think ?

 

[Beardie]

The number of gears isn't the most important thing. Find out what the range of gears is. A bottom gear of about 26 inches should get you up most of the hills round your way, and you probably won't need a top gear above 90 inches. If I've lost you, shout and I'll give further guidance.

 

[Arch]

Six should be fine. Bear in mind that for many years, most cyclists had three at most!

I have various bikes, the most gears I have is 21, but on a daily basis, I use three of them. Admittedly, York is a flat city, but even so, you should be well covered with 6. I use one (normally 3rd gear) to start off, move up one once I've got going, and up another if I feel energetic or the wind is behind me.

Whatever you end up with, try and use gears that are on the lower side, so that you are spinning the pedals easily, rather than a higher gear where you have to push really hard. It's kinder to the knees, and generally feels better, making cycling more enjoyable, and hence you want to do more.