So many gears, pointless?

[Venod]

So how much is it going to cost you in maintenance when you find yourself needing a new 10-50 cassette and a 12-speed compatible chain? I reckon on a tenner for a 6-speed freewheel and under a tenner for a chain if on special offer.

I will spend what it costs.
I do like the the old MTBs that are your bike of choice I have had a few and being a Yorkshire man I can see the appeal of cheap running, but you have to realise not everybody wants to spend as little as possible on their bikes.
I built my first bike with a frame from the tip and some old wheels of dad's, mam and dad ran old bikes, we never had a car, times change and I have no reason to want to go back to them days.
Have you ever had a modern bike? IMO things have improved.

 

[faster]

I can think of many things to spend money on that would give me a lot more enjoyment than an 11 speed bike transmission!

Is one of them a 12 speed transmission?

 

[Rusty Nails]

Is one of them a 12 speed transmission?

With Di2 on a carbon frame.

 

[classic33]

I just did some sums to answer this. Unfortunately I did them for 50/11. Then I read that you'd said 53/11 and deleted my post.

So here are the answers: 53/11 at 120rpm would be about 46 mph. To get to 50mph you'd need about 130rpm.

But 90rpm on 53/11 would be about 35mph. Which I don't suppose is a big deal for some fit racing types. In fact with a tailwind and a bit of a downhill even I could probably manage it. Not that I have a 53T chainring, I hasten to add.

How fast for a gear of 229"?

 

[roley poley]

Could do with a drafting special on my commute down the salt flats

 

[Tigerbiten]

How fast for a gear of 229"?

Well a 100" gear spun at 100 rpm is 30 mph.
So a 229" gear spun at X rpm is 0.687X mph.
Pick your value of X.

Easy ......

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Is one of them a 12 speed transmission?

12 speed transmissions are fine - so long as they are six on the back two on the front.

With Di2 on a carbon frame.

I can safely say the answer to that is no on both counts!

 

[HMS_Dave]

Depends what you want out of cycling... My Fat bike is a generic Chinese stamped 3x Crank set and 7 on the back and i got about at 25 stone albeit, slowly... I am thinking of getting a mega range freewheel for it (tis cheap) because i plan on taking it up hillier terrain. I also recently brought an elephant bike and have been out on it a few times and that has a 3 speed SA hub. That is fine too! I can ride it perfectly fine! Will i keep up with the roadies? No. But i don't want to.

 

[Blue Hills]

In honesty I have no idea of the sizes on any of my bikes, or in fact how many gears each have, I just jump on and ride them as the fancy takes me.

Classic. After all your somewhat sneery posts not even addressing the technical topic. I know we are still in semi lockdown, but less screentime more cycling i think.

 

[screenman]

Classic. After all your somewhat sneery posts not even addressing the technical topic. I know we are still in semi lockdown, but less screentime more cycling i think.

My point being that it is not just about money and how much you can save. I have 3 mtb's and 3 road bikes here, I ride them not count teeth.

 

[GuyBoden]

5 speed cogs lasted a lot longer than 10 speed and the chains too.............

 

[JPBoothy]

My point being that it is not just about money and how much you can save. I have 3 mtb's and 3 road bikes here, I ride them not count teeth.

I don't think the OP's question was ever referring to cost saving, but merely is there a definitive advantage of having more gears. As the thread progressed there was inevitably going to be a list of pros & cons forming 'as there is in any debate/discussion' because they are required before an informed decision can be made on what suits each individual. Some of us are driven by cost, others by their love of tech, and those interested only in function. If there is a subject that doesn't interest me (or as in a lot of cases goes over my head ) then I simply don't read it!

 

[davidphilips]

What would be interesting would be to have a vote on the question of a definitive advantage of having more gears? Know i spin out on club runs and some times miss Having gears on a very step hill when using a SS, but my vote would be No, Reason is for me any bike i have with 8 gears is just as good as my 11 speeds but thats only me and perhaps i can adjust my cadence more that some others?

 

[faster]

What would be interesting would be to have a vote on the question of a definitive advantage of having more gears? Know i spin out on club runs and some times miss Having gears on a very step hill when using a SS, but my vote would be No, Reason is for me any bike i have with 8 gears is just as good as my 11 speeds but thats only me and perhaps i can adjust my cadence more that some others?

There is no question - there is a definitive advantage of having more gears.

If the extra gears are ones that you don't use, or if like one unusual person has posted, you usually change gears two at a time, you're just misusing/squandering that advantage.

It's not a big advantage, granted, but it's there.

 

[winjim]

There is no question - there is a definitive advantage of having more gears.

If the extra gears are ones that you don't use, or if like one unusual person has posted, you usually change gears two at a time, you're just misusing/squandering that advantage.

It's not a big advantage, granted, but it's there.

You haven't defined your objectives.