gears - no-one ever told me this before!!!

[johnr]

I go for the lower gear/higher cadence option but it took some getting used to. When I eventually had a go with a cadence monitor I found I was pedalling comfortably at about 85 almost all the time.

BUT... I've said it before, and I'll say it again, the constant nagging from my local bike shop to keep the pressure in my tyres up, was the best beginners advice I got.

You've picked a great time of year to start. Enjoy!

 

[Globalti]

When I came back to cycling 22 years ago I thought MTB tyres should be run soft for grip and cushioning so I ran them so soft that they would creep around the rims under braking! How many more cyclists are riding around in this kind of ignorance?

 

[jimboalee]

Hi Donna, I used to live in Gosforth so I have a soft spot for the N.E.

It sounds to me as if you are making the common mistake of pushing too high a gear and mashing your knees. You ought to be in the middle ring most of the time and turning the pedals at about 70 rpm, this will reduce the strain on your joints and ensure that rather than build up muscle bulk you build up cardio-vascular fitness. Also what kind of tyres are you using? If it's knobbly MTB tyres, invest in some slick or semi-slick street tyres about 1.6" wide and pump them up to the maximum pressure shown on the sidewall, you won't believe how much faster it makes you.

I know some weightlifters who are extremely CV fit, although they very seldom do any high speed / high rep / low weight exercises.

 

[4F]

Whatever pedalling rate is comfortable for you.

Exactly, all this oh you must be do at least 80 - 85 rpm or you are a grinder and that is bad for you etc etc is in my opinion bollox.

The rpm is your choice and go whatever is most comfortable with you.

I have a dodgy knee from my football days. In general my cadance is in the 70's on both my road bike and my fixed and I find that is just the right tempo.

 

[2Loose]

It sounds like you would be most comfortable leaving the chain on the largest ring at the front and only swapping it to the middle one when you are heading onto the largest 23 cogs at the back.
However, if you come across a few larger hills then you would be wise to heed the above advice regarding spinning faster in the lower gears...

 

[Rob3rt]

Unless you are rolling around at 10mph impeding traffic while pedalling at a cadence of 40 rpm then carry on as you are!

My rule of thumb for me when riding with gears ignores cadence as such, I go by how I feel, if I feel light resistance such that if I put the hammer down Ican feel the acceleration im good to go. If I feel like the pedals are just spinning and if i suddenly speed my pedalling rate for hardly any return then I need to shift up. If grinding out and unable to rapidly accelerate then I'll shift down.

I ride fixed mostly so dont have this luxury a lot of the time, but I naturally pedal about 75-80 rpm or so my garmin tells me, this is for about 20mph I think. Riding fixed I ignore my cadence mostly.

 

[Donna]

Here's a laugh for you, my lovely little hybrid is in the bike shop getting fixed, so last night I decided to give the hubbys racer a try (hes never even used it!!!).

Its just not normal being in that position, no room for my stomach ha ha only did about 3 or 4 miles, used the middle cog all the time and I literally couldnt breathe when i got back, hard work is not the word, felt I was pedalling loads and not getting very far, and my knees were killing when i got back too. I had to have a shot to see what it was like to ride, wanted to commute to work 9 miles each way, but dont think I can make it on his bike, my hybrid is soooooooooooo much easier, think I will have to wait for that to be returned its only been a few weeks but im getting withdrawal symptoms, love it!!!

 

[Globalti]

Why has it taken several weeks to fix the hybrid? As far as I know there isn't much on a bike that takes more than an hour to fix.

 

[potsy]

Several weeks at £30 an hour ooh that's going to cost

 

[Rob3rt]

Here's a laugh for you, my lovely little hybrid is in the bike shop getting fixed, so last night I decided to give the hubbys racer a try (hes never even used it!!!).

Its just not normal being in that position, no room for my stomach ha ha only did about 3 or 4 miles, used the middle cog all the time and I literally couldnt breathe when i got back, hard work is not the word, felt I was pedalling loads and not getting very far, and my knees were killing when i got back too. I had to have a shot to see what it was like to ride, wanted to commute to work 9 miles each way, but dont think I can make it on his bike, my hybrid is soooooooooooo much easier, think I will have to wait for that to be returned its only been a few weeks but im getting withdrawal symptoms, love it!!!

Most of these issues could quite easily be due to it being your husbands bike, i.e. in his size and set up to his liking. Going on a men are usually taller assumption, dropping the seat may allow you to pedal but with a longer top tube you will be in a more stretched out possition. Could be over stretched and possibly closing your hip angle too much hence feeling hard to pedal (as well as the different gear ratio) due to reduced power output. Knee's could be hurting from ill sized bike or trying to grind out the big gears!

 

[Donna]

Sorry no, my bike hasnt been broken for weeks...... Ive only been cycling for a few weeks!.. and Im loving it.... even addicted maybe?

I think the hip angle is definitely too much, I think his seat was too low (kids been on it) and my leg wasnt quite stretched out, but when i got back my knees were painful. Think I will just stick to my bike, did 26 miles last weekend and wasnt out of breath, just enjoyed the ride.

 

[ward-c]

i got a 27 speed. middle cog on everything takes me most places.

 

[hobbygirl]

so thats why my gears make a clicky noise in some of the upper and lower gears, ive no idea on what number or what gears are front or back ( my husband keeps trying to teach me much to his fustration ) i just know that one way is easier to pedal and the other harder and the gears are the opposite way on the other handle. i am getting on fine with this technique but get confused when people talk technical to me.

 

[Arch]

so thats why my gears make a clicky noise in some of the upper and lower gears, ive no idea on what number or what gears are front or back ( my husband keeps trying to teach me much to his fustration ) i just know that one way is easier to pedal and the other harder and the gears are the opposite way on the other handle. i am getting on fine with this technique but get confused when people talk technical to me.

If you know what works for you, that's what matters. I've been cycling 'seriously' for 10 years now, and even I sometimes have to think about whether the small sprocket is the high gear or not (my chain of thought goes "small chainring, low gear, so it's the opposite on the back, so big sprocket is low gear"). In the same way that when I give directions, I have to physically point left or right before I say the word, to be sure of being right.

If anyone asks me what the gears on my bikes are, I say 'low enough for me' - I can't remember inches or tooth numbers from one day to the next.

But I digress....

Donna, if you are on the big chainring all the time, and it suits you, you might want to look into getting the gears raised a bit - this can be done with different chainrings, or different sprockets. If hubby knows about bikes, ask him, or the bike shop. It might depend on your mechs (the gear changing bits), frame clearance and so on. Then as you get faster, you can use the middle ring, and have the big one for speed.

 

[Broadside]

Donna,

Hi, you don't have 21 gears - you have 3 ranges of gears (as you have 3 chainrings at the pedals). Think of these as three sets for:
- mainly uphill rides
- mainly flat rides
- mainly downhill rides

Now, at the back you have a cassette with 7 cogs. With your chain on the smallest (inner) ring at the pedals (low gears for hills) you have 6 useable gears. The smallest gear at back should not be used as the chain will be running at an angle and rub/wear faster.

Similarly, with the chain on the biggest (outer) ring at the pedals (high gears for speed) you also have 6 useable gears but thus time you would avoid the biggest (inner) cog at the back.

On the middle ring all 7 cogs should be useable.

You seem to be cycling quite fast so try using the biggest chainring and see how you get on at the back!

I hope this helps.

Donna, if you have 7 at the back and 3 at the front then you are right, you have 21 gears all of which are useable. Some people prefer not to use them all but it is your bike and it has 21 gears so use whatever you like.

To say you have got 3 ranges not 21 gears is wrong and is just over-complicating things. I have yet to come across anyone with a 21, 24 or 27 speed bike that describes it as a 3 ratio bike.

Good luck with your riding, after a few more miles in the saddle you will know what suits you best.