The crankset effects my ideal number of gears, but I understand your point. Depends where I am at. In town I could get by with 1 but 3 would work and is really all I need, at the cabin in the foothills I might get by with 8 cogs but usually use at least 9 and visiting the kids on the coast 5 or 6 would do everything I need. So point taken, as a recreational rider I admit my three 2x11 really don't offer anything of real value.