Originally Posted by
xroadcharlie
Bike gears are like car gears. The more you have, The greater potential for efficiency gains with respect to energy use and load limits, to a point. Three is much more efficient then one, and 7 properly spaced gears are considerably more efficient then three.
I don’t actually know if there is research showing that different gears are more efficient. I do know there is research showing that there is a broad power maximum at pedal cadences from about 1/3 to 2/3 of maximum cadence. You will be able to deliver near maximum power in that cadence range and won’t necessarily be noticeably slower than on a geared bike. Ok, in a race context, maybe you would.
I’m not good for much over 150 rpm so I take that range to be about 50 to 100 rpm for me, and my riding experience would agree with this.
So, I know that I can climb faster up a steep hill in a lower gear where I can keep up 75 to 80 rpm, which really is where I’m able to do the most work. If I’m running SS and only able to do 40 to 50 rpm, I won’t be able to put out as much power and I will be a bit slower. But whether I’m more efficient, as in pedaling output power per calorie used, I don’t know.
OTOH, there is a huge difference of mind and experience, at least for me, when riding SS versus riding a geared bike.
Otto