What's the point of having lots of gears? (21, 24, 27, etc)
- Thread starter Thursday guy
- Start date
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T.M.H.N.E.T
Rainbows aren't just for world champions
- Location
- Northern Ireland
You must be some sort of pro. What kind of riding are you doing?
Nigelnaturist
Guru
- Location
- Pontefract
as @Tigerbiten says the more gears (primarily on the rear) it gives you better options, take this example I had a 13/15/17/19/21/23/26 7sp when I started, I am looking at either a 12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-23-25 or a 12-23, if you have ever ridden into a headwind where one gear is too high and the other too low, this is where the closer grouping comes in really handy, the triple on the front gives a really useful range, as for there being redundancy it cobblers as the duplicate gears would be used when in the right range without the need to change front and rear, when I shift from front inner to middle I have to change down (up the cassette) about 3 gears to be in the same range, the shifters will do 2 in one sweep of the lever, (you get adapt at it) its a little close on the middle to outer (less ratio difference between them) usually 2.
I generally ride on the 38th and 21-13 on the rear, with options for conditions and terrain, I know which rear gears will wear first.
- Location
- Somewhere wet & hilly in NW England.
Which is what I was getting at in my original post that you quoted.
You can move the same distance by either spinning or grinding (and all points in between).
OP
OP
Thursday guy
Active Member
ok fair enough, but what about the problem I mentioned in the first post where if you shift up a chainring (front deraileur), is it correct that you would have to move the sprockets shifter (back deraileur) all the way back to 1?
But not by keeping the engine running at it's most efficient revs.
- Location
- Somewhere wet & hilly in NW England.
No - that is not correct.
Better to think of having a number of ranges with multiple chainrings rather than expecting them to be linear.
- Location
- Somewhere wet & hilly in NW England.
For sure - although some people like to spin and others like to grind away irrespective of whether they are optimally efficient.
Nigelnaturist
Guru
- Location
- Pontefract
Only if to keep the same speed and cad if its the same gear ratio/inch, it is feasible to change the front and be in the right gear on the rear, though it practise this doesn't happen often, if the front rings are closer say 30/38 instead of 26/38 it would be more likely.
Chances are you would only change the front with a change in terrain.
But few of those like to do both.
Nigelnaturist
Guru
- Location
- Pontefract
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
If you read people's replies, then you would know that this was answered a fair number of posts back.
T.M.H.N.E.T
Rainbows aren't just for world champions
- Location
- Northern Ireland
He's taken a position and is sticking to itIf you read people's replies, then you would know that this was answered a fair number of posts back.
OP
OP
Thursday guy
Active Member
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.
