To the mathematicians amongst you.

[Vegan1]

I disagree, running a 30*30 or 34*34 is in my opinion to do with marginal gains, we've have expanded on the OP regarding to what gearing to ride to now introducing lube, skin suits, helmets, shaving, going for a number 2 before a big climb, and even riding in the drops which saves seven watts.

Who would have thought that a simple gearing question could throw up some many things to think about - that's so cycling cool.

 

[Bollo]

I would not want to call 1-2 watts no difference, this equates to approx. 4 seconds if you were riding a 10.

You won't be riding a 10 on a 1:1 gear ratio. 1 watt on a hill at crawling speed on a 1:1 is no negligible difference.

Just to put the TT question in some sort of context, hitting my best 10 time in a 1:1 ratio gear would require a cadence of about 310rpm.

 

[fossyant]

Just to put the TT question in some sort of context, hitting my best 10 time in a 1:1 ratio gear would require a cadence of about 310rpm.

Easy... Just bring a fire extinguisher

 

[Crackle]

For ease of climbing

Ease of climbing, you lost me right there.

 

[hoopdriver]

Roadrunner on a bicycle...

 

[hoopdriver]

I'm trying to picture the marginal gains there. I am thinking that having the nice race Marshall come over and show you how to put your bike in a sane gear-ratio would be a really good start.

 

[jefmcg]

Easy... Just bring a fire extinguisher

No, no. If you shave your legs every three days, there'll be no tinder.

 

[smutchin]

I live for the marginal gains and finding that extra few watts. From using wax on the chain rather than lube, to keeping it tight on the legs by shaving them every third day - it's all relevant.

You need to read Michael Hutchinson's book, Faster.

http://amzn.eu/hegbJAO

 

[jefmcg]

You've gone from no difference to no negligible difference - make up your mind.

Let's say no measurable difference. Does that work for you?

I'll assume you are right, and this will save you 4 seconds over 10miles. But there is no time trial course where you would stay in a 1:1 gear for the whole course. Let's be generous and say you're in that gear for 5% of the time. So choosing the optimal gear will save you .... 0.2 seconds. According to google, the 10 mile TT is recorded in whole seconds, so even assuming time keeping is 100% accurate, then 4 times out of 5 that saving will make no difference (eg 18:05.1 and 18:05.3 would both be recorded as 18:05). But no time keeping is 100% accurate. According to this, the precision of a TT is only 10ths of a second, so it'a accuracy can only be 0.05 seconds at best and probably much greater, so the timing can probably not accurately record a 1/5th of a second difference.

But it doesn't need to. Apparently the national record was smashed last year by 45 seconds, and the second guy in that event also beat the record, so these guys are not pissing about with 0.2 second tweaks.

And for anything outside a time trial with electronic timing, 0.2 seconds is not measurable. You can't start strava, your garmin, your cycle computer, a stop watch with anywhere near that accuracy.

So yes, picking one gear over another may make you quicker, but only God will know it. Hence, "negligible"

 

[smutchin]

No, no. If you shave your legs every three days, there'll be no tinder.

Is that because any woman seeing a pic of a man with shaved legs will swipe left?

 

[smutchin]

Perhaps @fossyant could clarify this to stop the silly pendantry, but I assumed "no negligible difference" was a typo - I'm guessing he wrote "no difference" first, then changed it to "negligible difference" but forgot to delete the "no".

 

[fossyant]

Perhaps @fossyant could clarify this to stop the silly pendantry, but I assumed "no negligible difference" was a typo - I'm guessing he wrote "no difference" first, then changed it to "negligible difference" but forgot to delete the "no".

It was a typo. No difference that you or l would notice.

 

[jefmcg]

Is that because any woman seeing a pic of a man with shaved legs will swipe left?

Sadly I complained earlier today about a man saying how a woman cyclist's hair affected him, so I can't reply to this in any way that wouldn't make me a hypocrite.

Except to say: I wish I had said "kindling".