| Mountain bike gears are continually becoming more | | | | at a consistent pace, no matter what terrain you are |
| and more complicated and intricate. Today’s | | | | on or what your speed is. |
| bikes can come with up to 27 gear ratios. It is | | | | A typical mountain bike that has 27 gears will have |
| common for a mountain bike today to use nine gears | | | | six gears so incrementally close to the other that you |
| in the back and three sprockets of different sizes in | | | | will not be able to determine that there is any |
| the front for gear ration production. | | | | difference between the gears when you change |
| Why so many gears? The most common reason is | | | | them. |
| that a large number of gears allow a rider to pedal at | | | | Most mountain bike riders decide to choose a gear |
| the same pace no matter what terrain that he/she is | | | | system with a front socket that is suitable for the |
| on. This can be understood better if you think about | | | | slope or terrain that they usually ride on and they |
| a bike that just has one gear. Every time you turn | | | | stay with this choice, even though it may be more |
| the pedals one full turn, then the rear wheel also | | | | difficult under a heavy load to shift the gears. This is |
| turns one full turn, too (1:1 gear ratio). | | | | purely a personal decision, but it is simpler to shift |
| For example, your back wheel is measured at 26 | | | | between gears when the rear socket, rather than |
| inches. If you pedal one full turn, then this would | | | | the front one. |
| mean that your wheel moved 81.6 inches. If you are | | | | When you are pedaling uphill, then you will find that it |
| riding at 50 RPM, then you will be able to go 340 | | | | is much better to choose a sprocket that is smaller |
| feet per minute. This means that you were going | | | | on the front and then shift gears with the nine gears |
| 3.8MPH, which is equivalent to walking speed. This | | | | that are available on the rear. If you are more |
| speed is great for going up a hill that is steep, but it | | | | speeds on the rear sprocket, then you will find that it |
| is not a good speed for flat ground or racing downhill. | | | | is much more efficient to ride. |
| If you want your bike to go quicker, then you will | | | | Mountain biking needs gears so that you can keep an |
| need a different ratio. If you want to reach a speed | | | | overall speed going. If you didn’t have gears, |
| of 25 MPH downhill using a 50-RPM cadence, then | | | | then you would find it difficult to build up any speed |
| you will need to have a 5.6:1 gear ration. If you have | | | | and you would find it nearly impossible to pound your |
| lots of gears on your bike, then you will be able to | | | | pedals for extra control. Gears help to move the |
| get that ratio so that you can continue your pedaling | | | | pedals and enable you to gain that speed. |