Serializer with odd gearing ratio

In certain embodiments of the invention, a serializer has (a) an initial, transfer stage that transfers incoming parallel data from a relatively slow timing domain to a relatively fast timing domain and (b) a final, serializing stage that converts the parallel data into serialized data. Between the transfer stage and the serializing stage is an update stage that (i) buffers data between the initial and final stages and (ii) can be used to toggle the serializer between an N−1 operating mode (that serializes (N−1) bits of parallel data) and an N+1 operating mode (that serializes (N+1) bits of parallel data) to achieve a net N:1 gearing ratio where N is an odd integer. The serializer can be configurable to support other gearing ratios as well.