VegasTriker

There's a lot to take into account in determining the number of gears and the range you want or need on a trike. Do you live in flatland like the Illinois prairie, a place with steep hills like San Francisco, or somewhere in between? Are you going to tour on the trike and carry a heavy load of equipment along with the trike weight and your own weight? What is your age, weight, and fitness level? Do you want to go fast at times or just lope along and enjoy the scenery?

My first trike had 27 speeds and a range of 19 to 90 gear inches. It was OK until I got my "trike legs" and then the top end limitation was a major annoyance. I had no problem climbing any hill I could find with this gear range even in the beginning. The next trike had 48 speeds and a gear range of approximately 14 to 140. It was originally purchased by a San Francisco rider who wanted a gear range suitable for climbing the steepest hills and going fast down the other side. Achieving that range cost $$$ for components, added weight to the trike and took somewhat of a toll in efficiency. My third trike has a standard 3X10 drive. With the 700C drive wheel it has a gear range of 21.9 to 124 gear inches. I'm old but reasonably fit and it suits me perfectly. I like the simplicity of standard gearing (no internal hub and no Schlumpf drive) and the lower weight and higher efficiency it affords. I don't use all of the gears available but want them to be there if I need them.