27speed

27speed refers to a marketing term used by some bicycle manufacturers, particularly in the early 2000s, to describe a bicycle equipped with a drivetrain that offers 27 distinct gear ratios. This was typically achieved through a combination of a triple crankset (three chainrings at the front) and a nine-speed cassette (nine cogs at the rear). The multiplication of these two numbers, 3 x 9, equals 27.

The concept of "27-speed" was intended to highlight the broad range of gears available to the rider, suggesting versatility for various terrains and riding conditions. A wider range of gears allows cyclists to tackle steep climbs with easier ratios and maintain higher speeds on flat or downhill sections with harder ratios. While the number 27 was a convenient marketing figure, the actual number of unique or practically usable gear combinations could be less due to overlapping gear ratios between the chainrings.

Modern bicycles, especially mountain bikes and road bikes, often feature drivetrains with a similar or even greater number of gear ratios. For instance, a common setup today is a 2x11 (two chainrings, eleven cogs) or 1x12 (one chainring, twelve cogs) drivetrain, which can offer a comparable or wider gear range than the older 27-speed systems. The terminology "27-speed" has largely fallen out of common usage as drivetrain technology has evolved, with manufacturers now focusing on other metrics like gear range or the number of speeds in the rear cassette more directly.