Cycling can be as much of a stress-buster as it can be a cardio workout routine. It is said that a 30 minute ride on your bike can help you burn close to 650 calories, which is much more than what you can burn during a one-hour intensive gym session. But when it comes to deciding upon which bike you should buy, things get a little confusing. There are geared cycles, gearless cycles, mountain bikes, road bikes, fat bikes, and so much more.

If you are a cycling enthusiast, then you would know that geared bikes are the most preferred form of bicycles and there is a wide variety of geared cycles to chose from. But did you know that the number of gears in each cycle varies and that affects the performance as well? Continue reading as we explain all about geared cycles, how gears work, and our recommendations for the best-geared bikes.

How Do Geared Cycles Work?

Geared cycles are similar to cars where the rider can shift gears to control the bikes speed. While cycling on a plain turf, it is recommended that the bike is set on a high gear which makes it possible to gain speed by pedaling faster. On the other hand, while cycling in rough terrain like mountains, etc., a bike with a lower gear combination will help you pedal with ease. The number of gears in a cycle can range from 2 to 36.

How Many Gears Do You Need in a Bike?

A bike has gears in the front and back, where the front gears are called chainrings or crankset. The rear gears, on the other hand, are called cogs, and bikes usually have 8-11 cogs in the rear with the largest cog being closest to the wheel followed by the next largest cog. A large cog signifies lower gear and lower speed, making it easy to pedal. Let us look at how the number of gears differs in different types of bikes:

Bikes which are primarily used on roads feature a minimum of two gears in the front and up to 12 cogs in the back - totalling 2x12=24 gears. This allows you to achieve varying speeds as per road conditions.

The Maestro road bike from Firefox comes with 2x7 gears and is an ideal bike for your daily commute to work or for some fun escapades.

When it comes to gears, mountain bikes vary vastly. They can feature between one to three chainrings in the front with almost ten cogs in the rear wheel. Thus, the gears range from 10 to 30 and are influenced mainly by the design of the bike. The Nuke 27.5D mountain bike from Firefox is a mountain bike designed especially for women & fitted with 3x9 speed shifters, making it one of the best mountain bikes available in the market. Its double wall wheel rims and alloy frame make it ideal for a day in the mountains.

The market also offers hybrid bikes where the gears can vary from 1 to 3 in the front and around 8 to 9 cogs in the back. The recently launched Road Runner Pro D from Firefox is a hybrid bike which comes with 3x7 speed shifters and offers an excellent option for those who like riding in the mountains as well as on the road.