Do you count the gear when you ride.?

[ianrauk]

You don't want to be looking down at the gears.
Only takes a millisecond you to lose concentration and lose control, hit a pot hole etc.
Learn your gears by feel.

 

[wisdom]

I just go by te feel and always change down a couple of gears at least if the lights are on red.
I like the idea of a helmet light to light up the computer.What type do people use?

 

[Oldspice]

I used to think people who never had markers on there gear shifters used some mystic ritual, that went against nature and the universe. Now after a few months with the bike, i can't see why i panicked so much.

Don't over think it and it will come naturally to you, it's just a case of up and down. Now when i am on a different bike with markers on the shifters i still don't look

 

[Tigerbiten]

I know approx what gear I'm in from the speed I'm going.

1st is ~2 mph at around 70 rpm.
Then it's approx +1/2 mph per gear untill I'm in 8th at around 6 mph.
Then it's approx +1 mph untill 12th gear at around 10 mph.
Then its around +2 mph in 13th gear and +3 mph in 14th.
Switch into the overdrive gears at around 16 mph and then spin out at around 110 rpm in 21st at close to 40 mph.

 

[Red Light]

If you don't want to work by feel as others have suggested, get a Shimano Flightdeck cycle computer and it will tell you what gear you are in. It connects up to the shifters which have a couple of buttons on to operate the computer.

 

[Matthew_T]

I use downtube shifters so dont have any visual of what gear I am in. However, as I have got used to them, I know what gear I should be in for what hill, etc.

I normally cycle on the flats with the large chainring and 3rd gear on the rear.

 

[MrJamie]

I still get confused with trigger shifters sometimes, I tend to glance at the number which is fine unless its nighttime somewhere rural. I keep meaning to put a cheapy knog frog light on my helmet so i can see my gears/computer.

 

[novetan]

Tks all for your opinion.

As I mentioned presently I hv a gear indicator, but not all the time I look at it. My Afine has 9 gears and 7 gives me the best cadence and speed on the flat. But sometimes unknowingly I used 8 or even 9 and I had a feeling its going faster. But when I happened to glance at the marker, then do I realized my speed and cadence actually dropped.

Maybe I don’t have the experience of the “feel” factor yet but I hv been riding close to a yr and sometimes I do think the feel can be deceptive without actually knowing which gear you are on.

For eg. there is a particular stretch of climb which I can do best in gear 3. In gear 4 or 5 come close by a few sec. With my new Ultegra and if I go by feel and shift gear later after realizing my legs are burning, I’d waste some precious and momentum time to shift.

What I said is going against the many opinions here. Isn’t it an indicator will allows you to engage the relevant gear in better anticipation ahead of you and would be faster than the “feel” effect that allows post shifting after listening to your legs.

And in saying all these, I must admit I still a very ameturish into a yr cycling.

 

[G2EWS]

This time around in my biking hobby, I have realised that there is no requirement to know what gear I am in. All that interests me is if I can peddle without hurting or straining.

When I used to bike in the past, some 10 years +, I was obsessed by the gear!

Regards

Chris

 

[Rob3rt]

I couldn't care less about the actual ratio I am in as long as my cadence, HR and perceived effort are all in line, then I am happy!

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Don't have gear indicators on any of my bikes. Can't see the point.

 

[marinyork]

I count the gear I'm in to calculate my cadence, so yes.

 

[asterix]

If you don't want to work by feel as others have suggested, get a Shimano Flightdeck cycle computer and it will tell you what gear you are in. It connects up to the shifters which have a couple of buttons on to operate the computer.

Saw a neat bit of kit on someone's bike. It was an Inline Gear Indicator like this: http://www.amazon.com/Shimano-ST-700-Dura-Ace-Inline-Indicator/dp/B001GSSE5I

However, now I have gone back to a double chainring with bar-end shifters I can just feel what gear I am in by the lever angle.

 

[youngoldbloke]

Indicators are pointless, even on a familiar route the gear you use will be determined by a number of variables, other than the gradient. The wind may make a big difference, for example. Then how do you decide which 'number' you should be in on a unfamiliar route? Your legs will tell you, not a number on your shifter. I ride with a person who changes down in anticipation of the hill to come - not because her leg muscles tell her too, and guess what, she drops behind the group every time. I've used down tube shift levers, (no 'numbers'), Campag shifters (no 'numbers') and Tiagra shifters (with indicator). I have never felt the need and never even think to look at the indicator - it is totally irrelevant. Sram road bike shifters don't have indicators either. How do we manage? In fact, it is only the lower end shifters in the Shimano range that have indicators. Trust your legs.

 

[tadpole]

If I'm moving i'm in top (smallest) if I've stopped say for example at lights, I'm one gear down. It's all a I need to know. I'm not sure what it says about my gears or my legs, but it works for me.