What circuits are there?

The derailleur

The derailleur is the most widespread and at the same time the cheaper variant. It is popular for sporty bikes and in mountainous regions. Mountain bikes and trekking bikes are equipped with them, as are racing bikes. The difference is the number of cranks, which are 1-speed on sporty bikes and max. 3-speed on touring bikes. So if you tend towards a touring bike, you will also find more chainrings. Derailleur gears can have 5 – 27 gears. On a 27-speed bike, there are 3 chainrings and a 9-speed sprocket cassette at the rear.

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The hub gears

This type of gear is mostly found on city bikes or everyday bikes. They require less maintenance/care but are a little heavier than derailleur gears.

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The bottom bracket gear

A bottom bracket gear is constructed like a car. This gear system is still relatively new and designed for heavy use. In bad weather or for very long distances, bottom bracket gears could be ideal. The gears are not on the hub, but work directly on the crank. The installation ensures a low centre of gravity. The gearbox was developed by the Pinion company, which is why it is also called Pinion gears. It is almost maintenance-free and very robust, and it can optionally be converted to a toothed belt drive.

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Electronic shifting or mechanical shifting?

The royal class of gears. Professional cyclists and triathletes rely on a precise electronic system because the gear is changed at the touch of a button. With the mechanical system, you still have to operate a lever to engage the gear. Especially on long distances, this can be exhausting.

The mechanical gearstick

Mechanical gears have been around almost as long as bicycles themselves and have a right to exist. Not only nostalgics and purists count on this robust technology, but also most professional cyclists. However, the trend is clearly going in the direction of electronic gears. Between 30 and 50 % of competition bikes, are already equipped with electric gears.

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The electronic gearstick

The royal class of gearsticks. Professional cyclists and triathletes rely on the precise electronic system because the gear is changed at the touch of a button. With the mechanical system, you still have to operate a lever to engage the gear. The decision – electric or mechanical – is a question of comfort and budget. For those who travel a lot and cannot and do not want to be so careful with their equipment, mechanical gears are certainly the better choice.