How do the gears on a bike work?

Question

I ask about the gears because I bike everywhere, my problem is I don't know which gears make me go faster, and which ones don't. I got 6 gear markings. Which gear guarantees me a faster ride? 1,2,3,4,5, or 6?

Answer 1

I don't know, but all I know is that there is a guy near my house that is always in the highest gear on the flattest hill..his legs are going like crazy.

Answer 2

It's to do with gear ratios- the bigger the difference in size ratio between the front and rear cog the the more power you need to exert. Number 1 is easy to pedal but you won't go very fast- number 6 is hard to pedal but allows you to exert a lot of power and hence you can go faster.