Originally Posted by
adlai
I think that 9-10 speeds are unnecessary, as many of the intermediate gears I think end up being passed over pretty quickly.
What matters more is range of ratios, not the number of gears.
Adding gears just reduces the step between gears and if you are not using those intermediate gears you either live in a very flat place or you are doing it wrong.
The gearing range available to road and mountain cyclists has not changed for decades.