fifthcircle

So do you really need gears on a mountain bike. I mean, I see BMX guys racing real fast on tracks. They even ride around town on the same bikes. Are gears really that important?

ghettocruiser

Benefits of gears include increased traction and stabler handling over rough terrain.

pinkrobe

Actually, those are the benefits of proper tires and to a lesser extent suspension.

Gears allow for more efficient translation of your effort into forward motion. If the "right" gear happpens to be the one on your SS, then you're golden.

mcoine

Not where you live.

ghettocruiser

Word. I didn't think it would work but it was worth a shot.


https://bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=329877

streetlightpoet

depends a lot on what you're riding. I recently rode my 1x1 on a ride that was several miles of uphill followed by an equal distance of descending down the other side. I have it set up around 34-22 and it meant that I could climb well, but really couldn't pedal at all on the way back down. On flats I was spinning out at a pretty low speed, in a situation like that at least a 9 speed drive train would really be ideal, if not more.

ghettocruiser

Okay, I gotta ask, why is everyone starting these threads comparing MTBs to BMXs?

Why are these different bicycle types even being compared?

I mean, I see fixed-gear guys racing real fast on tracks. They even ride around town on the same bikes. Are freewheels really that important?

Nickds7

Have you ever seen a really big hill covered with rocks?

Cyclist30907654

again, it really depends on where you ride. Some who live in relatively flat terrain can ride a fixed gear in the trails. For a trail with steep hills, gears are essential.

mtnbiker66

Gears are waaaaaayyyyy overrated. It's a marketing ploy started by Sramanopolo.

bfloyd

This is a dejavu. Another thread maybe . . .

Maelstrom 

Omg....:d

Okieslims

hahahhahahahblowme

Nickds7

Where do you come in? How about trying to say something that is at least a sentence, or makes a point.

bfloyd

This is a very contraversal question. Many riders are into the single speed thing, as I am, and others don't like to ride in just one gear. BMX is ridden on a closed track designed for a bmx bike with only one gear, pretty much a sprint around a track and only lasts for a couple of minutes at a time. MTB'ing can run on trails for miles and miles and can take hours. The terrain is usually up and down around rocks, roots, and drop offs where the added gears can help. Still some of us like to do this still in one gear on our single speed rigs. Sometimes we suffer on long climbs and sometimes we even get off the bike a hike-a-bike certain areas. If you're not sure of single speed riding mtb'ing, you can always try a 1 x 8 or 1 x 9 drivetrain where you have one ring up front and a cogset in the rear. This is kind of the inbetween of ss and geared riding.

Okieslims

It wasnt a comparison of those two bikes. I brought up suspension. People on little gt's and bmx's put their bikes through a lot without the help of suspension. I asked to basically find out if the rear suspension was just a luxary or a necessity. After the thread, I came away with the feeling that it's just a luxary.

Okieslims

Click the link. The dudes taking a shot at me with the post.

Nickds7

oh.....ha.

fifthcircle

I'm glad someone here get's the joke

fifthcircle

I meant no offense. The mood just struck to be an ass today.


You might be surprised!

Okieslims

I dont take anything on a forum offensively. I just had to respond to the guy that responded to my jab to make sure people didnt think I was just some kind of random troll.

at least I labeled my post with a nub warning

Nickds7

mlh122

well you don't "need" gears as many people go singlespeed, and the singlespeeders don't "need" freewheels as many people go fixed gear, and fixed gear riders don't "need" brakes as the fixed gear brakes itself, for that matter they don't "need" the bike because many people hike on the same trails totally bikeless. those hikers don't "need" shoes because a lot of people feel closer to nature by going barefoot, those barefoot hikers don't "need" to hike at all because a lot of people are happy staying home and watching discovery channel, those people don't "need" cable because a lot of people get by with just some tomato soup and each other's company.

So no you don't "need" gears, all you really "need" is food, water, and sleep.

C Law

^ + shelter and a good tug job every now and then

JonathanGennick 

Having multiple gears makes riding more enjoyable for many riders. Higher gears make it possible to keep accelerating even when going downhill. Lower gears make it possible for people like me to get up those hills in the first place. Being able to choose a gear that lets me peddle at a comfortable rate, not too fast, not too slow, seems to make for a more efficient and enjoyable ride overall.

As others have pointed out, it isn't necessary to have multiple gears. However, I do believe that a multi-geared bike is a good default choice for someone who is brand new to mountain-biking.

Speaking just for myself now, I would not be able to ride many of the places I ride without the ability to gear up and down as I go. I am, therefore, happy to have the gears.

There is a certain, elegant simplicity to single-speed bikes though.