Big gears on descents

[Twilkes]

Threads on gear ratios always tend to have some people saying that it's pointless to have big gears, e.g. a 53 chain ring at the front or an 11 or even 12 sprocket on the back, because when are you ever going to use them on the flat, and if you're going fast enough downhill to be using them then it's more efficient to freewheel.

Apart from taking advantage of tailwinds, I'm realising that pedalling downhill, particularly in a big gear with low cadence, means I can maintain the same tension on my legs, back and arms as when I'm riding normally. On my last ride I freewheeled down a lot of the descents, including one that is almost 6 minutes long, and I really felt it in my hands and arms because there is necessarily more tension on them. You can try to keep some pressure on the pedals but because they'll either be vertical or one foot forward/one foot back the balance is not the same, and using muscles to keep your legs still feels much more fatiguing than using them to move.

I also feel more stable and in control at speed pedalling downhill, like I'm moving the bike rather than the bike moving me, it reduces the little sideways wobbles etc.

 

[Domus]

I take EVERY opportunity to freewheel.

 

[Venod]

You can try to keep some pressure on the pedals but because they'll either be vertical or one foot forward/one foot back the balance is not the same, and using muscles to keep your legs still feels much more fatiguing than using them to move.

You don't have to keep your legs still, you can still turn the cranks even if they are not powering the bike forward.

 

[Twilkes]

You don't have to keep your legs still, you can still turn the cranks even if they are not powering the bike forward.

It wouldn't reduce the weight on your saddle or handlebars though, that's the reason I like to keep pedalling.

 

[C R]

You don't have to keep your legs still, you can still turn the cranks even if they are not powering the bike forward.

That gives a very unstable feeling to the bike, having a gear that is actually pushing gives a more in control feel, as the OP said.

 

[Venod]

That gives a very unstable feeling to the bike

How can turning the pedals with no resistance give an unstable feeling ? in all my years of cycling I have never felt unstable by soft pedaling.

 

[C R]

How can turning the pedals with no resistance give an unstable feeling ? in all my years of cycling I have never felt unstable by soft pedaling.

It might be a personal thing, but I've heard other people saying the same about getting in unstable feeling when you are pedaling downhill and run out of gear.

 

[ianrauk]

It might be a personal thing, but I've heard other people saying the same about getting in unstable feeling when you are pedaling downhill and run out of gear.

Got to say it's something I've never experienced either or heard of.
I do a mix of both when descending, freewheeling and pedaling .

 

[mustang1]

I use big gears t o relax. Sometimes when I want to ride on the flats or slight inclines, I get out of the saddle and dump it into the big gears and do a slow mesmerising climb. I love it! I don't really use it on the downhills as most of hte time I prefer not to ride too fast.

 

[Domus]

On long freewheel descents I have the cranks horizontal and put a little weight on them, almost hovering over the saddle. Works for me.

 

[ColinJ]

I can relate to that statement. Maybe not "unstable" but turning the pedals without any engagement of the freewheel at all just doesn't feel right.

I don't get that feeling when freewheeling on descents, and from time to time I exceed 80 km/hr on fast local ones. I DO get it on my singlespeed on slower descents though when spinning out on my 52/19 gear. I was doing just over 35 km/hr yesterday, corresponding to 100+ rpm, and the lack of resistance made me feel like my legs were going to fly off!

 

[Tigerbiten]

It all depends on your riding style.

Before I set my bent trike up with ultra high gears, I didn't really see the use for them.
I thought that they were mainly useful to get a couple of more mph downhill.
But now I've got them, I use them to work less hard downhill.
When I just try a turn the pedals without a resistance to work against, I cannot settle into a steady slow cadence.
It's either silly fast or it's very stop/start and both feel just wrong.
But once my top gear was above 130", I found it easy to settle into a slow-ish cadence downhill to help keep my leg muscles warm for the next climb.
I do use my ultra low first gear (9.6") a lot more than my ultra high top (178"), but I wouldn't want to try and ride without either now I've got used to my setup.

YMMV .............

 

[C R]

I don't get that feeling when freewheeling on descents, and from time to time I exceed 80 km/hr on fast local ones. I DO get it on my singlespeed on slower descents though when spinning out on my 52/19 gear. I was doing just over 35 km/hr yesterday, corresponding to 100+ rpm, and the lack of resistance made me feel like my legs were going to fly off!

Yes, sorry, I wasn't very clear, it isn't when freewheeling, it is the spinning out that gives the instability feeling.

 

[Milkfloat]

Although what the OP describes sounds a little crazy - I agree. I remembering cramping up coming down on the big 2200m descent from El Teide as I was spinning out when I tried to pedal, I needed some resistance and putting the pedals parallel to take by weight did not suffice. Descending is my advantage with the guys who I ride with, so my only chance of payback/catch-up after they have dropped me on the climbs - I make the most of it.

 

[byegad]

When I owned an AZUB-4 81 speed recumbent trike, triple up front, 9 on the rear sitting on a 3 speed hub, my gearing went from 15" to 150". The 150 was good to about 50mph pedalling downhill and I used it reasonably regularly in hilly County Durham. At 50 mph I felt I was going quite fast enough, so I never tried to go any faster, often rubbing a brake to keep from going much past 50mph.

Given the recumbent position, and a front fairing any hill sloping down meant I could click up a couple of gears and take advantage, this being much needed as the 15" bottom gear saw a lot of use going up these hills!

How much use a similar top gear would be on an upright I don't know, because on the same hills the fastest I ever managed on an upright bike was about 44 mph, with the help of half a gale blowing down the hill.