And by gear I mean gear ratios. Obviously, the folks who commute on singlespeeds and fixies ride in a single gear. I don't know about anyone else, but even on my 18-speed, I find myself riding mostly in four gear combinations, with one of those four being the dominant one. I spend most of my time spinning a 44/21. My other three most common gears are 44/18, 44/24 and 44/28. This is on a tourer with a 50/44/28 triple and 14-28 six-speed freewheel, mostly level ground. As I've gotten stronger I've been using the 44/18 more and more often, but I find that the slightly lower gear is hard to beat for versatility (I don't shift very often).

Inches:

44/18 - 66 inches
44/21 - 57 inches
44/24 - 50 inches
44/28 - 43 inches

I use my 28 for steep climbs of course, and occasionally my 50 for downhills, but usually I'm just cruising along between 12 and 15 mph in one of those four gears. So, singlespeed or multi - what gear do you commute in?

I commute mostly on a 52/42/30 175 mm triple crank w/11-23 cassette. I often ride in the 42/15 gear (a 5.4 Gain Ratio). Apparently that's 75 gear inches, and that's pretty much what's comfortable for me on flat ground. Hmmm... I think I'm a masher, I ride in a very high gear.

On my fixie w/170 mm cranks and 27" wheels, I ride in a 39/15, which is a 5.3 gain ratio or 70 gear inches.

Y'all should use gain ratios, because they take into account the crank length

My bike has a 52-42-30 chainring set and a 12-25 cogset.
On the flats I'm on the big ring and usually somewhere between 14 and 19 on the cogs.
On the hills I'm on the 42 chainring and 14 to 23 with the cogs.
I've only used the granny gear once and that was on a long hill and my panniers were "loaded".

Bingo thats what I'm talkin about!!! we have been slammed for years more gears,more gears,,,,jeeze who really clicks away at 27 different gears..

Do you hear us ****mano!!! bring back the 4 or 5 speed freewheel!!!
ok,,I think I need a cup of coffee LOL---JJ

I have for years fit the gear to the ride. My commute is flat as a pancake. I use gears for wind conditions. Generally I'm in the middle ring 42 on my commuter and I have no idea what in the back. I have a 15 mile commute each way and I allow an hour. So what ever works, works.

Here in Colorado, I actually use all 27 gears. I refuse to dismount my bike until I've 'gotten there.' The 30 mile commute (round trip) has it all - flats, gradual climbs, and ginormous sheer inclines. I ride a Giant Rainier with a dual wheelset (2.0" knobbies with a center bead for the road, and 1.5" grooved slick). I also added aero bars for the flats when I take the road route (I have found infinte ways to get to work). To each their own, man :-)

On my grocery-bike fixie, 40x16 = 68 inches

I second that. I have a 13 mile commute each way and I rarely hop out of the middle chainring. (I'd be surprised if I've been in the big ring 3 times in the last 1500 miles. I've used the small ring, mostly in the winter with my studs on.) On my very gently rolling commute I typically use 4 gears. The 4 gears vary up and down the rear cog as the weather (wind speed and direction), and my attitude dictate.

I could easily get away with fewer gears... but I wouldn't have the perfect one for the conditions. I spin between 99-109... I need/want a gear that keeps me at that pace.

As far as the extra weight of the extra gears... I could quickly shave those few grams by eating one less cheese burger!

<SINGLESPEEDRANT>

on super commuta, a surly corsscheck, 44x18 all the time cause thats my only gear...

after riding singlespeed for a while now i have realized two things:

1) once you go down to one gear dirvetrain maintenence becomes much less of an issue or cost.

2) you really don't need all those freakin gears.... i got a pretty decent sized hill on the way home. i ain't gonna say it's easy (it hurts) or that i do it everyday (i have an alternate route where i walk up a steep trail instead), but it rocks to do it a couple days in a row and this week i am going for all five days up the hill!

oh sorry there is a secret number 3. SINGLESPEEDS MAKE YOU STRONG!!!!

i realize this isn't for everyone (i'd hate to ride mountains with a singlespeed) but you'd be surprised where you can make it work if you just giv'er a go...

</SINGLESPEEDRANT>

I stay mostly in the middle ring (39) on my commute. In back I stay in 16 most of the time, but click up to 2? at stop signs. Pretty much I click gears until I find a happy cadence of about 90ish with a speed between 14 & 16 mph. I like my gears. I don't use them on my commute (with an extra 50 lbs of gear) but when I go on training rides or club rides on an empty bike I use the big-ring quite a bit. On the steep hills or when towing the kid trailer I use the granny ring. Its nice to have one bike that can handle all of these things.

Um, in the middle. I rarely leave the middle front chainring, and use the middle to upper gears on my 9-speed rear cassette.

42X15 on my fixie. Probably 52x17 on my road bike.

Middle chanring for headwinds, big chainring for still/tailwinds, small chainring for sheer cliffs >:-D

40 x 16 all the time. It's the only one I've got. Although I do have a 44t chainring waiting in the wings.

40 X 16 SS (most of the time).

53x17 usually.

53x15 - 13 with a tailwind.

46x17 fixed. There's only one big hill, and that's geared-down just enough to get me over it.

48x18, 175 cranks, usually in slightly sub-optimal cadence of 75 rpm.

So, I've been thinking of going to a 45 chainring with 165 cranks, and eventually drop to a 17 cog, to try to bring my spin up.

I use 48x17 on a fixed bike (170mm cranks, 700x28c tires), that's a 5.6 gain ratio, 75.6 gear inches.

My commute is totally flat except for some very short canal/freeway x-ings. Wind is by far the biggest factor. The ratio makes me work hard into a good wind and spins me out with a tailwind.

Al

I use them all (well not biggest/smallest or vice versa). Every day. That appears to make me unusual.

I've got a section where I go uphill on a gravel driveway. Definitely granny gear time.

I've got a section where I go downhill on a road. Top gear time.

Aaaaand everything in between.

i'm like eggplant.

i have uphills and downhills also tons of starting and stopping. full urban/city commando part with rushour gridlock downtown traffic in boston. and a full speedo flat paved bikepath part of my commute. that part i typically stay in one gear for miles and miles. i also ride around 5 miles of dirt trails on my commute. and i'm flipping through the gears the whole time.

Something around 42x16 usually, but I think I've used all 27 speeds at various times. (well maybe not the weird big/big, small/small ones)

43x20 its about 55.4 gear inches (guess-timate) on my SS beater.

My bike has a 16 tooth single in back and 38/48 chainrings up front.

DanO

42/16 all the way. Single speed It really makes a great commuter gear. Hills aren't much of a problem in it, although there's one on my secondary route that kills me every time, its a really really steep bridge. On my geared bike (which currently has a busted rear wheel) I'm usually on 48/20 or right in there.