The Intricacies Of Mountain Bike Gears
When you choose mountain bike, it is a good idea to learn more about the gearing systems. This article will explain more about how those systems work.
Mountain bike gears are continually becoming more and more complicated and intricate. Today's bikes can come with up to 27 gear ratios. It is common for a mountain bike today to use nine gears in the back and three sprockets of different sizes in the front for gear ration production.
Why so many gears? The most common reason is that a large number of gears allow a rider to pedal at the same pace no matter what terrain that he/she is on. This can be understood better if you think about a bike that just has one gear. Every time you turn the pedals one full turn, then the rear wheel also turns one full turn, too (1:1 gear ratio).
For example, your back wheel is measured at 26 inches. If you pedal one full turn, then this would mean that your wheel moved 81.6 inches. If you are riding at 50 RPM, then you will be able to go 340 feet per minute. This means that you were going 3.8MPH, which is equivalent to walking speed. This speed is great for going up a hill that is steep, but it is not a good speed for flat ground or racing downhill.
If you want your bike to go quicker, then you will need a different ratio. If you want to reach a speed of 25 MPH downhill using a 50-RPM cadence, then you will need to have a 5.6:1 gear ration. If you have lots of gears on your bike, then you will be able to get that ratio so that you can continue your pedaling at a consistent pace, no matter what terrain you are on or what your speed is.
A typical mountain bike that has 27 gears will have six gears so incrementally close to the other that you will not be able to determine that there is any difference between the gears when you change them.
Most mountain bike riders decide to choose a gear system with a front socket that is suitable for the slope or terrain that they usually ride on and they stay with this choice, even though it may be more difficult under a heavy load to shift the gears. This is purely a personal decision, but it is simpler to shift between gears when the rear socket, rather than the front one.
When you are pedaling uphill, then you will find that it is much better to choose a sprocket that is smaller on the front and then shift gears with the nine gears that are available on the rear. If you are more speeds on the rear sprocket, then you will find that it is much more efficient to ride.
Mountain biking needs gears so that you can keep an overall speed going. If you didn't have gears, then you would find it difficult to build up any speed and you would find it nearly impossible to pound your pedals for extra control. Gears help to move the pedals and enable you to gain that speed.
How Mountain Bike Gears Work
The gears in mountain bikes just keep getting more and more intricate. The bikes of today have as many as 27 gear ratios. A mountain bike will use a combination of three different sized sprockets in front and nine in the back to produce gear ratios.
The idea behind all these gears is to allow the rider to crank the pedals at a constant pace no matter what kind of slope the bike is on. You can understand this better by picturing a bike with just a single gear. Each time you rotate the pedals one turn, the rear wheel would rotate one turn as well (1:1 gear ratio).
If the rear wheel is 26 inches in diameter, then with 1:1 gearing, one full twist on the pedals would result in the wheel covering 81.6 inches of ground. If you are pedaling at a speed of 50 RPM, this means that the bike can cover over 340 feet of ground per minute. This is only 3.8 MPH, which is the equivalence of walking speed. This is ideal for climbing a steep hill, although bad for ground or going downhill.
To go faster you'll need a different ratio. To ride downhill at 25 MPH with a 50 RPM cadence at the pedals, you'll need a 5.6:1 gear ratio. A bike with a lot of gears will give you a large number of increments between a 1:1 gear ratio and a 6.5:1 gear ratio so that you can always pedal at 50 RPM, no matter how fast you are actually going.
On a normal 27 speed mountain bike, six of the gear ratios are so close to each other that you can't notice any difference between them.
With actual use, bike riders tend to choose a front sprocket suitable for the slope they are riding on and stick with it, although the front sprocket can be difficult to shift under heavy load. It's much easier to shit between the gears on the rear.
If you are cranking up a hill, it's best to choose the smallest sprocket on the front then shift between the nine gears available on the rear. The more speeds you have on the back sprocket, the bigger advantage you'll have.
All in all, gears are very important to mountain bikes as they dictate your overall speed. Without gears you wouldn't be able to build speed nor would you be able to pound pedals. The gears will move the pedals and help you build up speed.
There are all types of gears available in mountain bikes, all of which will help you build up a lot of momentum if you use them the right way.
GMC Yukon XL Road Bike
The GMC Yukon XL is a lightweight road racing style bicycle featuring a 6061 Aluminum frame and aero fork. Alloy frames are not only lighter, but are torsionally stiffer and transfer pedaling energy more efficiently to the rear wheel. The Shimano STI Shifters with their integrated brake levers give you excellent control of shifting and braking. This puts gear changing and braking conveniently in one central location. The Yukon XL also sports a light and strong alloy wheelset and Kenda tires for superior traction and excellent braking response. Small Frame bike ; 20" or 51.0cm, Top Tube 52.5cm, Chain Stay 40.4cm, with a standover height of 30" or 75.5cm. Medium Frame bike; 22" or 56.0cm, Top Tube 55.5cm, Chain Stay 40.4cm with a standover height of 32" or 81.0cm. Large Frame bike; 25" or 63.5cm, Top Tube 59.5cm, Chain Stay 40.8cm with a standover height of 34" or 87.0cm.
GMC Yukon XL Road Bike
The GMC Yukon XL is a lightweight road racing style bicycle featuring a 6061 Aluminum frame and aero fork. Alloy frames are not only lighter, but are torsionally stiffer and transfer pedaling energy more efficiently to the rear wheel. The Shimano STI Shifters with their integrated brake levers give you excellent control of shifting and braking. This puts gear changing and braking conveniently in one central location. The Yukon XL also sports a light and strong alloy wheelset and Kenda tires for superior traction and excellent braking response. Small Frame bike ; 20" or 51.0cm, Top Tube 52.5cm, Chain Stay 40.4cm, with a standover height of 30" or 75.5cm. Medium Frame bike; 22" or 56.0cm, Top Tube 55.5cm, Chain Stay 40.4cm with a standover height of 32" or 81.0cm. Large Frame bike; 25" or 63.5cm, Top Tube 59.5cm, Chain Stay 40.8cm with a standover height of 34" or 87.0cm.
Standard Roof Rack Fork Mount (Pair)
brulliTake your bike wherever you go with a standard roof rackliCycling accessory is best for square or OEM barsli9mm skewer attaches to the front fork of your bicycle once the front wheel is removedliQuick release and tie-down strap for rear wheel short tray are included/ul
Standard Roof Rack Fork Mount (Pair)
brulliTake your bike wherever you go with a standard roof rackliCycling accessory is best for square or OEM barsli9mm skewer attaches to the front fork of your bicycle once the front wheel is removedliQuick release and tie-down strap for rear wheel short tray are included/ul
2008 Iron Horse 6 Point Frame Mountain Bike (All Mountain)
Iron Horse 6 Point Frame Kit Only. Not complete bike as depicted in picture. The 2008 6POINT series models are designed for situations where a typical trail or marathon bike is not enough but where a freeride bike is overkill. The trails will require climbing but also have technical sections that may include jumps, stunts, and steep chutes or descents. This aspect of riding is categorized as All Mountain - the 6 POINT is aimed at the more aggressive side of the all mountain category, combining some features of heavier duty freeride bikes with a lighter weight frame and air spring suspension. The lightweight 7.3 lb frame is crafted using Iron Horses 6069-t6 OPT tubing and F7 links to provide a stiff, strong, and responsive ride. The 6POINT also features a 150x12mm rear wheel spacing and 83mm BB shell for maximum tire clearance, solid wheel builds, and an aggressive riding stance.