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

[Ian193]

I have a 50/34 chainset with an 12/25 cassette and hardly ever use the 34 ring

 

[screenman]

I have a 50/34 chainset with an 12/25 cassette and hardly ever use the 34 ring

Does that tell us you cycle in the flat lands, or you are a better rider than Froomie and the suchlike who do use the 34.

 

[Ian193]

Does that tell us you cycle in the flat lands, or you are a better rider than Froomie and the suchlike who do use the 34.

I can get up the hills round here on 50/25 just about

 

[screenman]

I can get up the hills round here on 50/25 just about

Maybe if you used the 34 you might get a few more KOMs.

 

[Mo1959]

I can get up the hills round here on 50/25 just about

...........so you're cross chaining? Your drivetrain will wear out pretty quickly if you continue to use that combination.

 

[bpsmith]

Struggling up a hill in the big ring, just for the sake of it, makes no sense.

 

[Cubist]

Yeah, a horses for courses gearing debate with the obligatory "quads of steel " willy-waving addition.

I am an old fat knacker living in the Pennines. My road bike is 50/34 with an 11-32 11 speed. My bridleway/ XC bike is 38/24 with an 11-34 10 speed, my trail bike is 1x10 with a front 32 and 11-42 cassette. I have been known to get off and push. Do I win a zimmer?

 

[Mo1959]

Yeah, a horses for courses gearing debate with the obligatory "quads of steel " willy-waving addition.

I am an old fat knacker living in the Pennines. My road bike is 50/34 with an 11-32 11 speed. My bridleway/ XC bike is 38/24 with an 11-34 10 speed, my trail bike is 1x10 with a front 32 and 11-42 cassette. Do I win a zimmer?

Sounds good to me.....I am already thinking about having to go from 28 to 30 or even 32 on the rear of my road bike.

 

[phantasmagoriana]

My road bike has a 50x39x30 triple with a 12-30 cassette (30 gears) and I use them all - if I'm using gears, I want to have a decent range available!

 

[totallyfixed]

[bear in mind this is post NYE] @Thursday guy, do not listen to the heresy and misinformation you are being inundated with because it sounds to me that all this talk of gears is complicating things for you. An easy trap fall into, I see loads of folk riding flat roads with gears, they seem to be catching on somewhat, much to my surprise. Anyway, man up and ride fixed, it will make you smile more than anything else you will ever ride on two wheels.

 

[screenman]

I have had a few fixed, not now though. One minute 12mph and over geared, the next 30mph and under geared.

I would say everyone should try a single speed and a fixed at some point, in fact try as many different bikes as you can, until you find the one that suits the type of cycling you want to do.

 

[atbman]

They're there to impress the chicks.

Absolutely Drago. I rmember, back in the day, when I went from what was then called "5 speed" to "Ten speed", my pulling power went through the roof, thereby demonstrating the technical knowledge of the average girl

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Yep, I think it will soon be time to think about a 30 or 32 tooth on the back for me

@Mo1959

Well I've recently fitted a 30 'out back' but have yet to ride the thing due to illness/weather.

I am expecting great things from the the dinner plate sized blighter but I fear I will ultimately be disappointed.

Whoever said gravity is the 'weak force' was off their trolley.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

I would say the hill I was cycling in is around 7 degrees. Not the steepest, but the thing is that I found that at the lowest gears on both 8 gear and 21 gear bikes, they 'felt' the same in terms of how difficult it was to pedal. I'm not entirely sure, but that would suggest that for inclines even higher, there would be no difference between the bikes is there?

They'll only ever feel the same if you have exactly the same gearing/tyre size/wheel size/crank size etc on both bikes. Even with the same gear inches different combinations of front/rear will feel different - you can move the same distance by spinning a small ring or grinding a big ring.

I think the moot point is that any bike first and foremost needs to have the lowest and highest gear that you will require.

After that it's your choice as to whether or not you are happy with the size of the jumps between the gears

 

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

Struggling up a hill in the big ring, just for the sake of it, makes no sense.

It's maybe a velominati thing. Ya know Rule 5 and all that bollox

Because, there are people who believe in "the rules"