Gear changing on hills

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Elmer Fudd

Miserable Old Bar Steward
Now I've always been told that you should relieve pressure when changing gears with a derailleur set up, but I've been really struggling round Durham, the city of seven hills, if I ease up, I need to change gear again immediately and eventually I run out of gears and grind to a standstill. Aaaaargh!!!!!!

Where am I going wrong ?

If anyone knows Durham, they are steep hills, never used to have a problem in Redditch !!
 

asterix

Comrade Member
Location
Limoges or York
Change down a bit sooner? Keep a higher cadence?
 

walker

New Member
Location
Bromley, Kent
as asterix has said, try and get into a higher cadence before changing, also if you can get into the saddle for a little while as you change might make it a little easier to change too
 
<in the style of our forum favourite poster [you can guess who....]>

It's worth developing a 'flat spot' in your pedalling action, so you can ease-up and change gear more easily at this point in the pedal stroke.

All these people with fixies who talk about it giving a smoother pedalling action, when do they change gear ?
 

MrGrumpy

Huge Member
Location
Fly Fifer
andy_wrx said:
<in the style of our forum favourite poster [you can guess who....]>

It's worth developing a 'flat spot' in your pedalling action, so you can ease-up and change gear more easily at this point in the pedal stroke.

All these people with fixies who talk about it giving a smoother pedalling action, when do they change gear ?

apparently they don`t need to change gear :smile:
 

cyclebum

Senior Member
Location
Cheshire
Hi guys, call me thick (I'm a woman after all so I'm used to it!) :smile: but as a complete novice to the real world of cycling this is all very helpful, or it would be if I could understand what you are talking about. I understand cadence but what is riding fixed? or developing flat and as for stis/ergos - in my world of family planning stis have nothing to do with cycling!!!!!!
 

Steve Austin

The Marmalade Kid
Location
Mlehworld
You don't need to stop pedaling, just ease up on the power a bit. Going up one gear at a time won't crunch the gears too dramatically.
And being in the correct Front ring makes it all so much easier
 

palinurus

Velo, boulot, dodo
Location
Watford
cyclebum said:
Hi guys, call me thick (I'm a woman after all so I'm used to it!) :smile: but as a complete novice to the real world of cycling this is all very helpful, or it would be if I could understand what you are talking about. I understand cadence but what is riding fixed? or developing flat and as for stis/ergos - in my world of family planning stis have nothing to do with cycling!!!!!!

Riding fixed: Riding a fixed-gear bike, a bike with one gear and no freewheel. Adherents are often fanatical.

STIs/Ergos: Two types of gear levers used on road bikes.
 

cyclebum

Senior Member
Location
Cheshire
Thanks for this palinurus, I think I will stick to my 24 speed free wheeler! Not sure what my gear levers are though, must be in the manual somewhere.
 
Location
Herts
cyclebum said:
Thanks for this palinurus, I think I will stick to my 24 speed free wheeler! Not sure what my gear levers are though, must be in the manual somewhere.


You may not have gear levers - you probably have speed alterers :smile:
 
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