How many gears do you really need & use?

[john peck]

My experience is that a 6 or 7 spd freewheel will last twice as long as a 8,9,10 speed cassette,
requires less frequent adjustment, & are generally cheaper & readily available. I have yet to
break a freewheel, but cannot say the same for cassettes.

 

[mschwett]

i ride up 15% grades, trying to keep my speed above 5mph or so with minimal motor, and i love long and super fast descents, 40+. my 11 speeds are not enough! spin out all the time going fast, have to use more boost than i want on long steep climbs. i’d love to change my rear cassette for a 10-50.

 

[TForan]

I need four at the most. A nice 4 speed would work for me. With a Hurst shifter !

 

[john peck]

i ride up 15% grades, trying to keep my speed above 5mph or so with minimal motor, and i love long and super fast descents, 40+. my 11 speeds are not enough! spin out all the time going fast, have to use more boost than i want on long steep climbs. i’d love to change my rear cassette for a 10-50.

My bike climbs anything on a 7spd 14/28 freewheel. Of course I have 500w & a 48/38/28 triple chainring.
Until yesterday I´d never tried the 28 ring in 3800 miles. For a lark I put it on the 28 up the longest,
steepest hill around here. It went right on up like I was on flat ground using rotary foot rests, virtually
effortless.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I concur with mschwett:

• I use all 10 gears on the 10 spd cassette.
• All 11 gears on the 11 speed one.
• And I used all 12 gears on the e-MTB.

If you ride e-bikes in the mountains, you soon start appreciating wide gearing range. Also, the more gears are there the easier it is to maintain constant cadence.

Use the throttle John so you don't need to worry about the drivetrain

 

[Nomad]

My bike climbs anything on a 7spd 14/28 freewheel. Of course I have 500w & a 48/38/28 triple chainring.

Until yesterday I´d never tried the 28 ring in 3800 miles. For a lark I put it on the 28 up the longest,
steepest hill around here. It went right on up like I was on flat ground using rotary foot rests, virtually
effortless.

So you actually have 21 speeds I only have 12

 

[john peck]

• I use all 10 gears on the 10 spd cassette.
• All 11 gears on the 11 speed one.
• And I used all 12 gears on the e-MTB.

If you ride e-bikes in mountains, you soon start appreciating wide gearing range. Also, the more gears are there the easier to maintain constant cadence.

I have 21 spd range, wide enuff range for you? & my bike costs $1059 USD. I´m serious, it can climb anything
like I´m riding on flat ground.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I have 21 spd range, wide enuff range for you? & my bike costs $1059 USD. I´m serious, it can climb anything
like I´m riding on flat ground.

My hub drive e-bike has 24 speeds yet I wouldn't dare climb the 27% grade incline I climbed on the Vado today, and wouldn't even have tried that (also of today):

Bear in mind John 21 speed doesn't necessarily mean the same what you get from an 11 or 12-speed 1x drivetrain, as many of the 21 or 24 gearings are redundant or impractical due to the necessity to keep the chain line possibly straight. (Here, I stopped at the roadsign, then downshifted to the granny gear and continued the climb, upshifting as necessary).

 

[Nomad]

I concur with mschwett:

• I use all 10 gears on the 10 spd cassette.
• All 11 gears on the 11 speed one.
• And I used all 12 gears on the e-MTB.

If you ride e-bikes in the mountains, you soon start appreciating wide gearing range. Also, the more gears are there the easier it is to maintain constant cadence.

Use the throttle John so you don't need to worry about the drivetrain

I know Europe been doing it longer but in the US they started putting more gears in automatic transmissions a while back wide gear range

 

[mschwett]

I have 21 spd range, wide enuff range for you? & my bike costs $1059 USD. I´m serious, it can climb anything
like I´m riding on flat ground.

i’d actually like a 2x drivetrain on a mid-motor road eBike. for better or worse, they’re all 1x! but if i wanted the bike to do all the work, at 500w, i’d get a motorcycle

your 48 up front and 14 in the back is a shorter gear than my 42 and 11; but your 28:28 is also much shorter than my shortest gear. a better climbing setup, of course at the cost of a whole additional set of derailleur and gears.

i’d clarify my response that i actually don’t mind fairly big gaps between gears, i just want a really big range, like 500%. less than 1:1 to almost 5:1 would be awesome.

 

[Nomad]

My experience is that a 6 or 7 spd freewheel will last twice as long as a 8,9,10 speed cassette,
requires less frequent adjustment, & are generally cheaper & readily available. I have yet to
break a freewheel, but cannot say the same for cassettes.

The durability of 6 or 7 is there but the range isn't there

 

[Gionnirocket]

I concur with mschwett:

• I use all 10 gears on the 10 spd cassette.
• All 11 gears on the 11 speed one.
• And I used all 12 gears on the e-MTB.

If you ride e-bikes in the mountains, you soon start appreciating wide gearing range. Also, the more gears are there the easier it is to maintain constant cadence.

Use the throttle John so you don't need to worry about the drivetrain

With only 1 mule power allowed... Large rear gears are a necessity

 

[john peck]

i’d actually like a 2x drivetrain on a mid-motor road eBike. for better or worse, they’re all 1x! but if i wanted the bike to do all the work, at 500w, i’d get a motorcycle

Hey, I´m pedaling 99% of the time when not coasting. If it makes you feel better to struggle uphill, go for it.
My bike is in essence an 80s mtn bike with a motor, cheap, rugged, & reliable. Itś not for downhill shredding,
but it climbs super.

 

[john peck]

The durability of 6 or 7 is there but the range isn't there

Remember you said that the next time you walk yur bike home. I have way more range than I ever use.

 

[Nomad]

Along with how many gear what is the biggest and the smallest gear you find useful? I have a ten tooth and I use it downhill mostly. I currently have 45 for climbing off road haven't found a need for more almost think the 50 would spin out.

 

[john peck]

My hub drive e-bike has 24 speeds yet I wouldn't dare climb the 27% grade incline I climbed on the Vado today, and wouldn't even have tried that (also of today):
View attachment 97314
Bear in mind John 21 speed doesn't necessarily mean the same what you get from an 11 or 12-speed 1x drivetrain, as many of the 21 or 24 gearings are redundant or impractical due to the necessity to keep the chain line possibly straight. (Here, I stopped at the roadsign, then downshifted to the granny gear and continued the climb, upshifting as necessary).

Not a problem for me, I´ve not been saddled by EU power & speed limits. Anything more than 18 spd
is redundant until you need them. It´s a trade off; How is putting a small chain ring on a 10 spd cassette
any different.

 

[john peck]

Along with how many gear what is the biggest and the smallest gear you find useful? I have a ten tooth and I use it downhill mostly. I currently have 45 for climbing off road haven't found a need for more almost think the 50 would spin out.

I ride 80% of the time on 38/16T. That covers most shorter hills or rolling flat out at a slightly higher cadence.
I very seldom need to use the rear or front 28T. The front 48T isn´t as efficient as the 38T with a higher
cadence. If I´m in hurry & higher mode then 48T. I´m seldom in a hurry: I get the best mileage around 14 mph.

 

[Akrotiri]

My experience is that a 6 or 7 spd freewheel will last twice as long as a 8,9,10 speed cassette,
requires less frequent adjustment, & are generally cheaper & readily available. I have yet to
break a freewheel, but cannot say the same for cassettes.

I use all 10 gears on my trek allant8s.

On my two analog bikes both with 44-32-24 (30gears but 27 usable) 610% range, 11-36 cassette and I use all 27.

I think how many gears people need very much depends on where they live and/or the geography they ride in. I live in Greece so I need a very wide range of gears and a very low 18’ climbing gear.

 

[Nomad]

Remember you said that the next time you walk yur bike home. I have way more range than I ever use.

I don't think I be anymore likely to walk home then you my 12 speed does wear quicker then a 6 or 7 of the same quality but it doesn't just break. I can see where a cheap quality one would break.

 

[PedalUma]

I mostly ride a three-speed mid-drive with a Nexus coaster brake around town. Three is all I need because I have adequate power. It has WTB gravel tires for dirt and broken pavement.

That is a fun bike with a chromoly lugged frame. It has 85Nm with a torque sensor and no throttle. It has a plumbers tool bag on the rack that can fold flat when larger objects are on top of it. It is a 42 with a 16T cog on the Nexus. It climbs and does 24 Mph on the flats. Like the red bike, seven-speed freewheels are super practical, strong and can have a nice range at 10-34. Just use a long cage derailleur. When I go on long rides in the Coastal hills of Northern California I ride a 9-speed. I took that one down from 11 so I could have a more robust setup with a wider and stronger chain yet still have the same MTB range. The Specialized goes over 30 (or 42Kph) on the flats and climbs the steepest mountain roads and trails around here.