Big gears on descents

[Ian H]

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!

On gears I'm comfortable to around 110rpm. On the fixed 150 is okay. 180 seems to be my max these days, but I need a nice straight, smooth bit of road to get to that.

 

[nickyboy]

Prefer to pedal my 52/11 on descent gradients around 3-4%. I can go faster than freewheeling. Once the gradient hits 5-6% I can't comfortably pedal as quickly as I can freewheel in a decent tuck

 

[Noblester]

I like to stand on the pedals to give my under carriage a rest.

 

[ColinJ]

On gears I'm comfortable to around 110rpm. On the fixed 150 is okay. 180 seems to be my max these days, but I need a nice straight, smooth bit of road to get to that.

 

[Ian H]

I shall assume that's ironic.

 

[C R]

On gears I'm comfortable to around 110rpm. On the fixed 150 is okay. 180 seems to be my max these days, but I need a nice straight, smooth bit of road to get to that.

I can do about 100, beyond that I feel pretty wobbly, I guess my pedaling technique is not very good. I've never ridden a fixie, but I guess to some extent the pedals carry your feet, is that the case?

 

[Ian H]

I can do about 100, beyond that I feel pretty wobbly, I guess my pedaling technique is not very good. I've never ridden a fixie, but I guess to some extent the pedals carry your feet, is that the case?

I suppose it's just something I got used to because you have to on a fixed-wheel. On a fixed at speed you have to drive the pedals, otherwise it feels as if your ankles are about to snap.

 

[ColinJ]

I shall assume that's ironic.

Seriously, I can't imagine doing 180 rpm! I remember seeing footage of Eddy Merckx on rollers doing some incredible cadence, and thinking "No way, man"... Ah, here you go... It looks pretty dangerous the way he was bouncing about - I could see him ending up shooting through the wall of his garage!

 

[boydj]

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

I do this too, sliding back on the saddle a little and taking some of the weight on my thighs while getting a bit more aerodynamic.

 

[Ian H]

Seriously, I can't imagine doing 180 rpm! I remember seeing footage of Eddy Merckx on rollers doing some incredible cadence, and thinking "No way, man"... Ah, here you go... It looks pretty dangerous the way he was bouncing about - I could see him ending up shooting through the wall of his garage! View attachment 541308

That's amazingly smooth really, at that cadence. Roller-racing on fixed I had two holders-up to keep me in place.

 

[ColinJ]

That's amazingly smooth really, at that cadence. Roller-racing on fixed I had two holders-up to keep me in place.

I suppose it was really, and obviously he was really good on the track as well as the road, but I kept wondering what would happen if the bike came off the rollers somehow...

 

[ColinJ]

If you really want to know the secret of how to develop a really high cadence on rollers, study what the rider does in this video clip...

... and then do the opposite!

 

[MntnMan62]

If I'm moving fast enough to render the big gear useless, I'll freewheel it but towards the bottom of the downhill I'll start pedaling to help keep as much momentum going so I can get some real benefit from the downhill run. And if I'm heading into a headwind while on the downhill section, I'll keep pedaling so that I can go faster and get more of a workout. Which after all, is the reason I'm on the bike in the first place.

 

[slowmotion]

Going downhill, I find that naked fear kicks in long before any concerns about gears and cadence. I'm far more concerned about the brakes than the cranks.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

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.

The resistance of the gear allows you to control your cadence, pedalling in neutral doesn't.
I've had a Sturmey Archer drop into a false neutral due to a maladjusted gear cable, and finding yourself in a non-gear when you just changed up from L after a traffic light getaway and were expecting the resistance of your N gear, is an odd sensation.
The situation on descents for me is very simple, I just freewheel and let gravity give me most of my effort expended in the climb back.