Originally Posted by
Richard Cranium
I don't know if there is a word for it - but I think there is particular characteristic all bicyclists share. All cyclists love the "elegant" or ingenious mechanical simplicity and efficiency of cycling. We all face the challenge of moving ourselves through the use of wheels, bearings, levers and gearing. We simply change our "stride" or cadence to overcome the resistance at hand.
That being said - is it time to realize that a 1x11 transmission using a 48t sprocket and a 12x48t cassette (or similar) is "all you really need.?"
Why kluge-up a bicycle with anything more complicated? How much time do you spend cycling beyond the gearing span of one-to-one to four-to-one ???
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Questions of “need” and “how often” are only relevant to the individual, and otherwise pointless for assessing the value of a product.
I, for example, definitely need more than 1x11, not only because I use more than that now, I also want even more gears yet, and I’m not even talking about cyclotouring here…
As for “how often,” why isn’t “sometimes” enough reason to have what you want? I was pulling a paceline at 34mph just this morning; a 48x11 at that speed would have meant a cadence of over 105rpm, but my 53x12 made it possible at a more stable and comfy 88-90rpm.
Foolish dudes were asking do we need 7spd, do we need 8spd, do we need 9spd, do we need 10spd, etc. At this point, we should be more thoughtful about need means, at the very least because it’s obviously irrelevant.