| |
Main
Date: 08 Jun 2007 10:30:36
From: Paul
Subject: when to change gears?
|
I am relatively new to cycling - 4 months - and I am training for a
triathlon. Whether you are going uphill or down or on flats, when should
you change gears? Does it depend on energy exertion level or cadence or
both or something else?
Many thanks!
|
|
| |
Date: 08 Jun 2007 19:48:55
From: Jorg Lueke
Subject: Re: when to change gears?
|
On Jun 8, 10:31 pm, Zoot Katz <zootk...@operamail.com > wrote:
> just enjoying and acknowledging the sweet return on your climbing
> investment, are also pleasurable ways to ride without pulling chain.
>
> Try 'em all.
> --
> zk
That's my favorite :)
|
| |
Date: 08 Jun 2007 13:03:27
From: gds
Subject: Re: when to change gears?
|
On Jun 8, 12:16 pm, "Leo Lichtman" <l.licht...@worldnet.att.net >
wrote:
> <joseph.santanie...@gmail.com> wrote: (clip) a gear selection is wrong only
>
> if it feels wrong.
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> A friend, who is bigger, stronger and younger than me, started riding
> off-road with me. Because his legs are powerful, he felt best in taller
> gears. I generally went to higher cadences, and had little trouble keeping
> up with him. He said that when he geard down, he didn't feel enough
> resistance to make him feel he was applying himself. Eventually, he learned
> to go to higher cadences, and I had trouble keeping up. So, what FEELS
> right may not always BE right.
>
> I suggest that you ride with someone better than you, and listen to their
> advice.
But in fact different folks have different optimal cadences. There is
no one right answer. So, I 'd agree with a middle postion. Go with
what feels best based on some experience.
|
| |
Date: 08 Jun 2007 10:26:29
From: joseph.santaniello@gmail.com
Subject: Re: when to change gears?
|
On Jun 8, 4:30 pm, "Paul" <l...@invalid.com > wrote:
> I am relatively new to cycling - 4 months - and I am training for a
> triathlon. Whether you are going uphill or down or on flats, when should
> you change gears? Does it depend on energy exertion level or cadence or
> both or something else?
>
> Many thanks!
Change gears when it feels like you are in the wrong gear. Or when the
terrain in front of you indicates that you will soon be in the wrong
gear. Cadence and thus gear selection is almost entirely a personal
preference, so just find what is comfortable for you. If the gear
feels too light, it is too light. If it feels too heavy it is, or you
are tired! In other words, a gear selection is wrong only if it feels
wrong.
Have fun!
Joseph
|
| | |
Date: 08 Jun 2007 23:49:01
From: David L. Johnson
Subject: Re: when to change gears?
|
joseph.santaniello@gmail.com wrote:
> On Jun 8, 4:30 pm, "Paul" <l...@invalid.com> wrote:
>> I am relatively new to cycling - 4 months - and I am training for a
>> triathlon. Whether you are going uphill or down or on flats, when should
>> you change gears? Does it depend on energy exertion level or cadence or
>> both or something else?
>>
>> Many thanks!
>
> Change gears when it feels like you are in the wrong gear. Or when the
> terrain in front of you indicates that you will soon be in the wrong
> gear. Cadence and thus gear selection is almost entirely a personal
> preference, so just find what is comfortable for you. If the gear
> feels too light, it is too light. If it feels too heavy it is, or you
> are tired! In other words, a gear selection is wrong only if it feels
> wrong.
In general that is certainly true. The one thing you might think about,
though, is that as a new cyclist your cadence may be lower than optimal.
Many (not all) experienced cyclists maintain a cadence of around
90-100rpm, perhaps a bit lower on hills. This is faster than would seem
natural, so if your current cadence is more like 60rpm you might
consider taking the advice above with one change: as a training
exercise, stay in gears that feel a little low, and work to keep the
cadence up.
--
David L. Johnson
"What am I on? I'm on my bike, six hours a day, busting my ass.
What are you on?"
--Lance Armstrong
|
| | | |
Date: 10 Jun 2007 20:50:28
From: Paul
Subject: Re: when to change gears?
|
"David L. Johnson" <david.johnson@lehigh.edu > wrote in message
news:NaednafwgPGyvvfbnZ2dnUVZ_ruknZ2d@ptd.net...
> joseph.santaniello@gmail.com wrote:
>> On Jun 8, 4:30 pm, "Paul" <l...@invalid.com> wrote:
>>> I am relatively new to cycling - 4 months - and I am training for a
>>> triathlon. Whether you are going uphill or down or on flats, when
>>> should
>>> you change gears? Does it depend on energy exertion level or cadence or
>>> both or something else?
>>>
>>> Many thanks!
>>
>> Change gears when it feels like you are in the wrong gear. Or when the
>> terrain in front of you indicates that you will soon be in the wrong
>> gear. Cadence and thus gear selection is almost entirely a personal
>> preference, so just find what is comfortable for you. If the gear
>> feels too light, it is too light. If it feels too heavy it is, or you
>> are tired! In other words, a gear selection is wrong only if it feels
>> wrong.
>
> In general that is certainly true. The one thing you might think about,
> though, is that as a new cyclist your cadence may be lower than optimal.
> Many (not all) experienced cyclists maintain a cadence of around
> 90-100rpm, perhaps a bit lower on hills. This is faster than would seem
> natural, so if your current cadence is more like 60rpm you might consider
> taking the advice above with one change: as a training exercise, stay in
> gears that feel a little low, and work to keep the cadence up.
>
> --
>
> David L. Johnson
>
> "What am I on? I'm on my bike, six hours a day, busting my ass.
> What are you on?"
> --Lance Armstrong
Thanks - all good advice. BTW, I really like and tell a lot of people that
quote from Lance Armstong.
Thanks.
|
| | |
Date: 08 Jun 2007 19:16:28
From: Leo Lichtman
Subject: Re: when to change gears?
|
<joseph.santaniello@gmail.com > wrote: (clip) a gear selection is wrong only
if it feels wrong.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
A friend, who is bigger, stronger and younger than me, started riding
off-road with me. Because his legs are powerful, he felt best in taller
gears. I generally went to higher cadences, and had little trouble keeping
up with him. He said that when he geard down, he didn't feel enough
resistance to make him feel he was applying himself. Eventually, he learned
to go to higher cadences, and I had trouble keeping up. So, what FEELS
right may not always BE right.
I suggest that you ride with someone better than you, and listen to their
advice.
|
| | | |
Date: 08 Jun 2007 17:06:55
From: Paul
Subject: Re: when to change gears?
|
"Leo Lichtman" <l.lichtman@worldnet.att.net > wrote in message
news:gWhai.126859$p47.26485@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
>
> <joseph.santaniello@gmail.com> wrote: (clip) a gear selection is wrong
> only if it feels wrong.
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> A friend, who is bigger, stronger and younger than me, started riding
> off-road with me. Because his legs are powerful, he felt best in taller
> gears. I generally went to higher cadences, and had little trouble
> keeping up with him. He said that when he geard down, he didn't feel
> enough resistance to make him feel he was applying himself. Eventually,
> he learned to go to higher cadences, and I had trouble keeping up. So,
> what FEELS right may not always BE right.
>
> I suggest that you ride with someone better than you, and listen to their
> advice.
SOunds like good advice - thanks.
|
| | | | |
Date: 08 Jun 2007 14:31:00
From: Zoot Katz
Subject: Re: when to change gears?
|
On Fri, 8 Jun 2007 17:06:55 -0400, "Paul" <lof@invalid.com > wrote:
>"Leo Lichtman" <l.lichtman@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
>news:gWhai.126859$p47.26485@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
>>
>> <joseph.santaniello@gmail.com> wrote: (clip) a gear selection is wrong
>> only if it feels wrong.
>> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>> A friend, who is bigger, stronger and younger than me, started riding
>> off-road with me. Because his legs are powerful, he felt best in taller
>> gears. I generally went to higher cadences, and had little trouble
>> keeping up with him. He said that when he geard down, he didn't feel
>> enough resistance to make him feel he was applying himself. Eventually,
>> he learned to go to higher cadences, and I had trouble keeping up. So,
>> what FEELS right may not always BE right.
>>
>> I suggest that you ride with someone better than you, and listen to their
>> advice.
>
>SOunds like good advice - thanks.
>
It has all been good advice so I'll just throw in mine, FWIW.
I generally try to ride in as high a gear that still allows me to
accelerate in that gear by increasing my cadence.
Spinning out in top gear or slogging in the lowest gear are the two
obvious exceptions. Otherwise, I want to feel that I'm always pulling
chain but able to pull more instead of downshifting for every hump in
the road, wind gust or immediate traffic situation.
White knuckle bombing down hills on mini bikes or just sitting back
feeling the breeze or tightly tucked stretching your envelope, or
just enjoying and acknowledging the sweet return on your climbing
investment, are also pleasurable ways to ride without pulling chain.
Try 'em all.
--
zk
|
| |
Date: 08 Jun 2007 16:47:47
From: Bill H.
Subject: Re: when to change gears?
|
On Jun 8, 7:30 am, "Paul" <l...@invalid.com > wrote:
> I am relatively new to cycling - 4 months - and I am training for a
> triathlon. Whether you are going uphill or down or on flats, when should
> you change gears? Does it depend on energy exertion level or cadence or
> both or something else?
>
> Many thanks!
It varies somewhat depending on the situation, but I usually change
gears to maintain a high cadence. When I was just starting, I would
focus on the effort required of my legs, and would shift up when I
felt little to no resistance on the pedals, and shift down while
ascending hills. Toughest thing was to down shift at the right time
(not too early and not too late). I was never training for a
triathlon, though, so you may need to employ different techniques.
|
|
