Originally Posted by
rydabent
Up until approx 1980 we had 10 speed bikes. After that the bike industry started their march to ever more gears by increasing the number of sprockets on the freewheel. Right now as far as I know we are up to 12 speeds in the rear. My question is isnt that overkill? I feel this is true especially when you throw into the mix that a good percentage of us have triples in front. So do we really need 36 speeds? Or is the march to ever more speeds just a marketing ploy to dip into the pockets of cyclist that need "the latest thing"?
This is a common complaint. The idea that business, and more specifically marketing, force products on consumers. Yet it is well known that consumers force the choices on businesses, at least up until those business can control a market completely. Sorry for your disappointment but life is short and uncertain, remaining healthy and open to change are probably your best bets for avoiding disappointment.
Regarding the number of gears. Use the ones you want/need and ignore the others. I have combinations I want using all three of my front rings but there are some combinations I don't use. YMMV.