vaihde

Vaihde is a Finnish noun that refers to a gear within a mechanical transmission. It designates a specific gear ratio that affects the speed and torque delivered by a machine or vehicle. In everyday use, people talk about selecting a gear, for example choosing the first (ykkösvaihde) or second (kakkosvaihde) gear to suit driving conditions. The term is common in descriptions of both automotive transmissions and bicycle gearing.

In automotive contexts, vaihde appears in discussions of manual transmissions, where the driver shifts between discrete gear positions, as well as in automatic transmissions, where a computer selects the appropriate gear automatically. Beyond vehicles, the word can describe a single stage in a gear train or any arrangement of gears that changes rotational speed and torque in a mechanism. The concept is central to the fields of mechanical engineering and vehicle technology.

Etymology and related terms: Vaihde is linked to the Finnish verb vaihtaa, meaning to change or switch, and the noun vaihto, meaning exchange or shift. These roots reflect the core idea of changing gear or changing transmission state. Related terms include vaihteisto (transmission or gearbox) and, in general discussions of gearing and power transfer, gear trains and torque control.