Interesting info guys. My wife and I just came in from our ride, and the gearing of the D3 is perfect for her. 2nd gear is a good gear for just riding around the streets - 3rd gear is just a small step up, and definitely nowhere near high gear on a 6 or 7 speed derailleur. All in all, I would say that my wife doesn't need any more gears than the 3 she has. Before our ride this morning, I was envisioning my wife pumping her tush off trying to use 3rd gear, but fortunately its not the case.