How Many Gears?
To figure out how many total gears are on a bike, simply multiply the number of chainrings by the number of cassette cogs. For example on a model with a triple crankset and a 10-cog cassette, you have 30 gears — quite an upgrade from the 10-speeds so popular years ago. How many gears to get depends on how and where you ride. If you’re reasonably fit and bike in flat to rolling terrain, you’ll probably be fine with a double chainring and 8 to 10 rear cogs. If it’s hilly and you’re getting into shape, consider a triple chainring and its easier gears. When considering how many rear cogs to get, keep in mind that you’ll have plenty of gears even if you get an 8-cog cassette. If you go to more cogs, you can either get a wider range of gears or more-closely spaced gears. The latter is excellent for racing and training because it makes it easier to fine-tune pedaling effort. Wider gearing offers easier low gears so it’s ideal for mountainous riding and for when you’re not in tip-top shape. H
