Originally Posted by
AlanK
Am I missing something?
Yes, you are.
I went for 36 miles of rides this weekend pulling my two kids (alternatively, not at the same time) on a trail-a-bike. I used my highest high gear (106") and my lowest low (< 17") and everything in between (both my bikes have more than a factor of 6 between high and low gears).
No, it's not a marketing gimmick. And for those of us who want closer spacing between gears, having a triple up front and a tighter cassette makes a lot of sense. (Some people honestly don't mind big gaps; a lot of people like myself do).
And as several people have pointed out, a 3x9 doesn't mean that you have 27 gears that you should be using.