Since Jo asked...

Something I learned this year...

when you get to the top of a hill, don't stop pedaling. Yes your heart rate may be sky high, but pedal 8 - 10 more revolutions down the hill. You'll get up to your downhill cruising speed faster. You can then take your drink, let the HR drop a bit and then resume pedaling, or not if you're going fast enough. :D

It use to drive Thom nuts when I would stop putting much effort into my pedaling on the tandem as we crested a hill. On our last ride together on our singles, he noticed that I was taking off down the hill much faster than I use to.

V.

I like riding in my middle chain ring. I feel like it gives me the most options. My speed range, at the cadence I like, in the middle is 9 - 25mph, . I feel like that's a good thing to know. Not so much for the low end. My quads are really good at telling me when to switch to my granny.

But I figure if I am not doing more than 25, why go up to the big ring?

Yet it is helpful when you have crested that hill, gotten your drink and you look at your speedometer and you're already doing 26 mph and you want to go faster. Instead of flailing wildly and discovering you need to shift, you can do it as you start to pedal. Thus not wasting any effort and more importantly, not looking like a dork. ;)

V.