Types and purpose of bicycles

First of all, two-wheeled transport is divided into bikes forchildren, teenagers and adults. The main differences are the frame size and wheel size. All other equipment is optional and can be changed at the request of the owner.

With children's bikes, everything is simple, because they are designed for ordinary rides for kids of 5 to 10 years. In most of these models, 1 speed is enough for city driving and bike rides with parents.

But bikes for adults and teenagers can be divided into several types based on the terrain and driving style. Each of them has its own characteristics and the number of speeds.

Despite the classification, each of the bikes is a bit versatile.

Bicycle type Number of speeds
City 1 – 7
Highway (high-speed, sports) 8 – 20
Mountain (MTB, off-road, fatbike) 7 – 27
Enduro (extreme) 6 – 12
Stunt (BMX) 1

Varieties of gear shifting systems

There are two transmission systems for bicycles – internal (planetary hub) and external, consisting of sprockets and derailleurs. Planetary system is very technically complex, expensive, but reliable. All components are inside the wheel, protected from dust and moisture. It is easy to operate, it has from 3 to 8 speeds and installed exclusively on city bikes.

The most common and popular is the external transmission, which consists of several parts:

  • System (front sprockets)
  • Cassette (rear sprockets)
  • Shifters (switches on the steering wheel)
  • Chain shifters (rear and front sprocket derailleurs)

For beginners, the principle of operation may seem complicated, but in fact everything is simple and automated. The user only needs to change the speed with a shifter on the steering wheel and the shifter (rear or front) will do the job. It is more difficult to set up such a system, so it is better to trust professionals.

Bikes with Planetary Hub

Why does a bike need so many speeds?

Having understanding of the types of bicycles and equipment, you can practically approach the answer to the main question – why does a bicycle need so many speeds? The presence of speeds allows you to enjoy the ride, regardless of style. Thanks to the transmission, the cyclist reduces the load on the muscles, adapts to the terrain and overcomes any obstacles. However, it is much more important to understand what kind of bike to choose and how many speeds are needed? It is this approach that allows you to ride for a long time without fatigue, protect bones, muscles and joints from damage, which is a common occurrence among inexperienced riders. It all depends on the purpose of use.

For city driving, where hard surfaces prevail (tiles, asphalt, concrete), city models are best suited. They have a lightweight frame and narrow sloping tyres with a small tread, which ensures minimal friction and good rolling (idling). City bikes are designed for uniform movement and overcoming small slopes, so they are often equipped with 1 – 7 speeds. The article TOP 5 city bikes will help you quickly choose a city model.

City Bikes

Sports bikes are focused on cycling on an asphalt track, which is why they are also called road or speed bikes. For such models, 8 – 20 speeds are characteristic. They use a large front chainring or a system of two, which, in combination with a rear cassette for 7 – 10 sprockets, allows you to reach speeds of more than 50 km/h. They are often used by professional athletes for training.

Sports Bikes

Mountain bikes or MTB is the most popular and versatile type that is used for many purposes. High demand for it is determined by a wide variety of frame designs (solid, single suspension, double suspension), wheel size (20 – 29 ") and speeds (7 – 27). The main task of mountain models is driving over rough terrain, so transmission variability is important here. By choosing the right combination of sprockets, you can drive onto a slope with a large angle, develop a speed of 30 – 40 km/h on a flat track and even more when descending a mountain. The reinforced frame and rims withstand significant loads, are designed for different weight categories (up to 150 kg), and off-road tyres with high tread are resistant to punctures. A special version of such bicycles is the fatbike. There are MTB bikes for children and adult on the market.

Mountain Bikes

Fans of extreme riding (downhill, freeride) on bicycles prefer simple and reliable systems. One medium-sized sprocket (32 – 38 teeth) is used in front, and a cassette for 6 – 12 speeds is used in the back. This minimizes the risk of chain snagging and flying off during strong shaking and sudden jumps.

Stunt BMX bikes have only one speed, i.e. one sprocket front and rear. They only care about fast acceleration over a short distance in order to make various jumps.

How to switch gears correctly?

Bicycle equipment requires compliance with certain operating rules that will help keep the chain, sprockets, cables, shifters and switches in working order. First you need to learn how to switch speeds. You need to remember a few basic rules:

  • Switching occurs at one speed. Otherwise, a cable break, unbalance, chain bite may occur. Changing the speed will be impossible or the chain will move with a deviation, cling to the neighboring sprocket. The exception is professional equipment.
  • You can not use a combination of the largest and smallest sprockets in front and behind. This leads to a strong skew and subsequent breakage, damage to the chain.
  • It is forbidden to press the pedals with force at the moment of throwing the chain over the sprockets. The exception is the planetary system, in which switching can occur without any conditions.

Based on these rules, you can form the order of switching speeds:

1. Gain initial speed sufficient to maintain balance.
2. Switch the speed up or down by one unit with the shifter.
3. In idle mode, pedal until the chain is completely transferred to the neighboring sprocket.
4. Repeat steps 1 – 3 as many times as necessary to achieve the desired combination of sprockets on the system and cassette.

Also remember to service your entire bike in late fall and spring. How to do it right, you can read in this article.

Which brand do you prefer?

When choosing a bike, you should pay attention to the manufacturer of attachments so that you don’t run into repairs in the near future. Several brands have firmly established themselves on the global market, which have been working for decades to improve bicycles and parts for them.

The most popular is Shimano from Japan. Even an amateur cyclist has heard this name at least once and knows what it is about. The company has been operating since 1973 and offers a wide range of bicycle parts for city rides, tourism, extreme sports.

The Italian manufacturer Campagnolo is known for being the first to invent the derailleur back in 1933. For almost 100 years of its activity, the company has patented more than 135 developments in the field of attachments for bicycles.

Shimano's main competitor is the American brand SRAM, founded in 1987. More than 20 product lines for road and mountain models are available from low-cost to premium.

More low-cost solutions are offered by microSHIFT from Taiwan. Good quality equipment will last for many years assuming easy walks, not extreme cross-country driving. The competition for it in the low-cost segment is Sunrun.