Mountain Bike Gear Numbers
10 and 15 speeds are obsolete and you don t see them on new bikes anymore lower numbers are the low gears and higher numbers are the high gears.
Mountain bike gear numbers. First gear is a low gear. Mountain biking trips become memorable when they take an unexpected turn. You can think of gears as the same thing as speeds a bike with 18 gears is an 18 speed bike. They are usually referred to by the smallest and largest cogs to provide an indication of the total range e g.
So if both the gear indicators show 1 then you are in the easiest gear the bike offers. Ever wondered how bike gears and gear ratios work. Now you need to stock up and get the gear you need for your adventures. If the left shifter is at 3 and the right is at 8 then you are in the hardest gear on the bike.
When we talk about how many speeds a bike has there can be some confusion. So in the example above with a 2 1 gear ratio one full rotation of the pedals will result in 2 full revolutions of the wheels. You ve bought the bike and mastered the skills. Gear systems and ranges have evolved over the years to.
See more mountain bike tips or find mountain bike rides near you. A comfortable pedal power on a 26 wheeled bike will feel considerably easier than the same gear ratio on a 29er. Studying the numbers and even testing. What s the difference between a standard semi compact and compact chainset.
The biggest leap forward in mountain bike drivetrain technology since shimano. With the right preparation the surprises become the highlight of a great. On the left shifter you will see numbers to indicate which gear you are in 1 2 or 3. A bike with 30 or more gears is not an indication of a machine designed to break the land speed record any more than a bike with only a single gear assuming similar ratios.
Bikes generally have 1 3 18 21 24 or 27 speeds. The larger the cog the lower the gear and the easier it will be to pedal but the slower you will go. That is avoid those gear combinations that put your chain at a severe angle smallest inside front chain ring smallest outside back freewheel cog and largest outside front chain ring largest inside back freewheel cog. Even the wheel size of your bike will affect your gear set up.
The marketing department likes to multiply the number of cogs by the number of chainrings because big numbers are impressive.