Intricacies of Bicycle Gear Range and Ratio
Designing the Optimum Drivetrain on Your Bicycle What's the lowest available gear? What's the highest available gear? How much of a difference is there between each available gear? Is the bike geared correctly for the specific rider, environment, etc? We usually don't describe bikes as "24 speed" anymore. We would typically say what kind of front and rear gearing the bike has. For example, a "24 speed" bike could be a 3x8 (fairly old technology) or a 2x12 (extremely modern technology.) The highest and lowest definitely effect how fast the bike goes. If you need lower gearing than you have available, it can be hard and slow to climb hills. Worst case, you might not even make it up the hill. The highest gear you have won't usually affect your speed on flat ground, but can limit how fast you go down hills. Though there are some cases like a 3 speed internal gear hub bike, where the top gear might be a limit even on level pavement. Gear shift ratios are ...