Problems of the world

[StreetCowboy]

As you know, my buddy and I finish the first part of our bike rides, and after the cycling, solve the world's problems.

To cut a long story short...

What is the point of all those gears?
For normal people, who are not honed athletes, and can cycle at varying cadence, why would you want 10 or 11 or 12 gears on the rear cog?

On my two bikes, I have 2 x  11 and 2 x 8, and I really enjoy the wider range of the 2 x 8.  The best thing I can say about the 2 x 11 is that I can easily shift two gears quickly.
So why not have a 5 or 6 or 7 or  8 speed rear cog, with a narrow chain, and allow more space for a more symmetrical wheel?  Why take up more space than the disc brakes?

Remember 0 you heard it here first...  

[KIngsofisaan]

My god you must be bored silly

[proton]

Never owned a bike, rode one once in 1974 don't think I missed much then.

[Gottfrid]

5 hours ago, proton said:

Never owned a bike, rode one once in 1974 don't think I missed much then.

Yep, same here. At that time it was only 3 gears as well. No problem at all. ????

[1FinickyOne]

why indeed. 

[rwill]

If the gears on a bike are the only problems in the world we are in luck.

[Rampant Rabbit]

6 hours ago, StreetCowboy said:

why would you want 10 or 11 or 12 gears on the rear cog?

Cuz  no  one remebers  the real bike  gears, STURMEY ARCHER  fully  sealed far superior

[Enoon]

 

Why not have a CVT and do away with those pre-modern "cogs 'n sprockets" altogether?

 

 

[Old Croc]

Why would you give a click bait title to such a mundane thread about peddlys?

 

(Never had gears on my bikes when a kid. Was lucky if there were two pedals and the  brake rubbers on the rims were all there)

[Stevemercer]

You don't need all those gears in flat old Isan. But if you ride in hilly terrain you will need all your lower gears.

 

You only need the higher ones if you like pedalling downhill (e.g. racing), are fortunate to ride with frequent tailwinds or routinely slipstream trucks and other heavy vehicles.

[Lemsta69]

1 hour ago, Old Croc said:

Why would you give a click bait title to such a mundane thread about peddlys?

 

(Never had gears on my bikes when a kid. Was lucky if there were two pedals and the  brake rubbers on the rims were all there)

umm...to get clicks? ????

[Denim]

9 hours ago, StreetCowboy said:

Why take up more space than the disc brakes?

Remember 0 you heard it here first...  

So that it breaks quicker and you have to buy a new one.

[vandeventer]

2 hours ago, rwill said:

If the gears on a bike are the only problems in the world we are in luck.

I would really love to have a bike but there are just way too many dogs in my area that might want to have a piece of me.

[Tropposurfer]

Try some steeper climbs and you'll see why the last 3 gears are important. 

[Tedly]

 I have 8 on the back, but usually only use about 4 of them, the 2 on each end)  most of my flat riding I'm in high gear, but climbing hills I need lower gears. I was even thinking of going to a 9 speed on the back for my next bike, why? Beats the hell out of me, just seems like the thing to do because my riding buddy has 9.

[PETERTHEEATER]

7 hours ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

Cuz  no  one remebers  the real bike  gears, STURMEY ARCHER  fully  sealed far superior

......and the trigger change on the handlebar gave a sense of power.........????

[AgMech Cowboy]

Considering how flat it is, I'd just like to find a nice quality, affordable bike (no gear shift) like the Schwinn I grew up with in the 1960's. 

 

I read somewhere about the comfort of the bikes ridden in Holland. Does anyone know if they're offered here?

[xtrnuno41]

There is only one problem in the world, humans

[StreetCowboy]

39 minutes ago, xtrnuno41 said:

There is only one problem in the world, humans

Humans are plural.  "There are only ..."

There's pedantry, as well.  There are only two problems
- Humans

- Pedantry
- Superfluous gears
 

You can google the Spanish Inquisition on Youtube yourself

 

SC

[xtrnuno41]

38 minutes ago, StreetCowboy said:

Humans are plural.  "There are only ..."

There's pedantry, as well.  There are only two problems
- Humans

- Pedantry
- Superfluous gears
 

You can google the Spanish Inquisition on Youtube yourself

 

SC

No just ONE problem. You can not say "There are only one problem in the

world". I agree the word humans is plural, my bad. I better should have used the word "mankind".  

[StreetCowboy]

6 hours ago, xtrnuno41 said:

No just ONE problem. You can not say "There are only one problem in the

world". I agree the word humans is plural, my bad. I better should have used the word "mankind".  

Did you even do the search?

Do you even ride a bicycle?

The point of the question was not about the range or spread of gears (though I admit that I did not make that clear) but the number of gears between the maximum and minimum.

 

My shopping bike (2x8) ranges from 46-11 to 30-34, while my road bike (2x11) ranges from 50-11 to 34-28.  Despite having fewer cogs over a wider range, I have never thought while on the shopping bike “I wish I had something in between these two”.  

[StreetCowboy]

 I was out the other day, riding briskly to meet up at the start of the ride, and I changed gear by one gear on the road bike, and didn't want to change another.  But if the gears had been two teeth apart, instead of one, I don't think I would have changed back.
I've been quite enjoying going out on the shopping bike, with the flat handlebars and the basket, although the wider handlebars mean you need to concentrate weaving between the wing mirrors - and also remember the pannier on the back.
 

[KhunLA]

On 8/18/2022 at 12:30 AM, KIngsofisaan said:

My god you must be bored silly

No, this is bored ... looking for inspiration from FB 

[Chomper Higgot]

I started cycling proper on 10 gears, a double clanger on the front and a 5 speed block on the back. My rear block was perhaps some combination between 11~23.

 

When I got my first team bike it had an block combination ranging from 11-25 and 42:53 front rings but that was for riding in the alps.

 

My time trial bikes had straight through 11-17 blocks with a single 53 front ring.

 

Of course on the track (and some restricted gear time trials) it was always fixed gear.

 

These days I ride 11speed cassettes with a double front clanger.

 

Over flat(tish) terrain I use an 11~25 cassette, hilly areas I use 11~29 both with a 39:53 front combination.

For real mountains I use 11~32 with a 50:34 front combination.

 

I’m a fan of the wider gear selections, especially here in the north of Thailand where roads often take the most direct route over hills.

It’s an ambition of mine to go back and ride around Albertville where I used to race, I’d like to see if I can still get up those hills (albeit with 22 low gears to get me there).