Originally Posted by
jackbombay
I believe that humans have a wider "efficient cadence range" than the bike industry wants us to believe.
I like a close spaced cassette, but I also like a wide spaced cassette, neither correlates to faster or slower times on the bike.
I'll never forget the time or the ride when I rode an Asahi MTB with 15 gears from Toronto Ontario to Lindsay Ontario Canada.The gears had had pretty big jumps between t hem and on the hills I'd shift to the next gear and then spin until the bike slowed to that gear. That's why I like 21 speed setups when they became available - the jumps between gears were smaller. On my 27-speed touring bike I have it set up with 7 fairly close cogs and 2 wider jump bailout cogs. Then there is my "FUN" MTB that also has 27 gears with 28-38-48 chainrings and a 11-19 teeth corncob cassette for riding the gently rolling hills on some of the routes I ride around here. If I put 1.5" or 1.25" smooth tires on that bike it's a real pleasure to ride.
Cheers