How to Determine How Many Speeds Are on a Bike

Bicycle gears allow the rider to shift and alter the ratio of the chain to the cranks. This gives the rider the ability to downshift when going uphill, or move the gear into a higher gear to sprint. Bicycle gears work off the principle of mechanic advantage. You can calculate the amount of gears on a bicycle by using a formula based on the observed number of sprockets and chain rings.

Instructions

    • 1

      Count the number of sprockets on the rear wheel cassette, located at the center of the back wheel.

    • 2

      Count the number of toothed metal chainrings located around the pedal crank in the middle of the bicycle.

    • 3

      Multiply the total number of chainrings by the total number of rear sprockets. A bike with three chain rings and seven rear sprockets would have 21 speeds, also called a "3x7" bike.