As I was writing my previous post I started to consider how confusing the way we talk about gears on our bikes can be. The cogs on the cassette go from the smallest to the largest, whether there are 12, 11, 10 or less. We name these as low to high. The lowest has the greater number of teeth and is on the “highest” position on the cassette! Then, if you have a shifter with an indicator, they are numbered from 1, which is the largest with the most teeth, to 9 -12, which have the least teeth. Throw in the fact that when there are more than one chainrings on the front, things get even more mixed up. With the chain on the smallest front ring and the largest rear cog, you’re in the lowest gear and pedalling is easiest. It seems that these terms have evolved from comparing them to gear boxes on cars. Previously riders talked about larger and smaller cogs which, in my mind, is a lot easier to grasp.

Confused? I am!