How did I do that?

[Kano]

Quick ride to the post office tonight, and on the way home, we must go down a little hill really fast -- pedal like heck in the big ring to do this -- cuz it's a busy road, and there's no shoulder, so we're in the lane, and want to make room for the big noisy smellies that are on our tails, right? Once down the hill, the road widens, we get bike lane again, and all should be well, yes?

Short flat, then climb. In the process of gearing down from the big ring to the little ring for the climb (triple) -- BEFORE any stress occurs -- the chain jammed. Instead of the silly "crazy pedaling" that usually happens when I gear down a few moments early, INSTANT stop! DH, who was crawling along behind me, comes to a stop to ask if I'd got a flat (nope, happy day I put the armadillos on about seventy miles ago!) Told him chain got stuck. (wow, was I good at clipping out!)

Simple matter of standing on the ground, pedaling in the air for a moment to clear things, but what the heck happened?

(I had to grumble at him -- that crawling down hill thing of his -- on the way TO the post office, this hill I got stopped dead at the bottom of is good for 35mph, but he was in front of me, and I had to ride the brakes most of the way down!)

Karen in Boise

[mimitabby]

Kano,
that's happened to me before too. You probably (but not necessarily) put it in a gear too high for your low chain ring or too low for your big (high ) chain ring.

Sigh, I get to feeling like i've finally figured it out and i do it again.

[Kano]

Oooh, Mimi, that could be! I WAS using a pretty high gear before I needed to start gearing down for the hill, and probably was in one that wasn't appropriate for the little ring up front!

Thanks!

Karen in Boise

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

(I had to grumble at him -- that crawling down hill thing of his -- on the way TO the post office, this hill I got stopped dead at the bottom of is good for 35mph, but he was in front of me, and I had to ride the brakes most of the way down!)

Just a helpful suggestion- you should maybe always go down hills in front of him?
It's not good to encourage people to descend hills faster than what they are comfortable with doing. For whatever reason, your DH feels the need or preference to go down the hill more slowly than you- best to just let each of you choose your preferred speed for downhills. 35mph is fast, and can be dangerous if something unexpected happens. How would you feel if he grumbled at you about how you weren't going fast enough?
It's wonderful that you two are out there riding together!

[northstar]

Ooh, Karen, that is scary! I'm glad you didn't lose control and wipe out! But I'm glad you may have found the cause of the problem. I'm glad I read this so that it doesn't (hopefully!) happen to me anytime soon.

[Kano]

Ooh, Karen, that is scary! I'm glad you didn't lose control and wipe out! But I'm glad you may have found the cause of the problem. I'm glad I read this so that it doesn't (hopefully!) happen to me anytime soon.

There was that little panic moment when I wondered if the end result would be just that, but then I remembered, quit TRYING to pedal! Clip out, stop, and deal...

Sure was a waste of perfectly good momentum getting up that next hill, though!

Karen in Boise

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Sure was a waste of perfectly good momentum getting up that next hill, though!

Isn't it funny how we keep trying to peddle after we drop the chain, -like that will change something! Then just as we are starting to tip over, we think of possibly getting our feet out and on the ground....DUH!!! I have done that more than once.

Glad you and your DH have the speed thing worked out pretty well.

[Kano]

Just a helpful suggestion- you should maybe always go down hills in front of him?
It's not good to encourage people to descend hills faster than what they are comfortable with doing. For whatever reason, your DH feels the need or preference to go down the hill more slowly than you- best to just let each of you choose your preferred speed for downhills. 35mph is fast, and can be dangerous if something unexpected happens. How would you feel if he grumbled at you about how you weren't going fast enough?
It's wonderful that you two are out there riding together!

LIsa -- usually I am in front of him. He makes me go first on busy roads, on the theory that _I_ am safer that way! His "poking along" last night is also his little "trick" to keep me safe: then I'm not going fast and making him nervous! Any other time we're out together, he IS grumbling that I'm not going fast enough to suit him! Generally speaking, he's much more of a risk taker than I am, and that's supposed to be OK, but only for HIM. I'm supposed to be CAREFUL all the time!

I agree, it IS wonderful to ride together! Some days, I challenge him, some days he challenges me, and we also enjoy our solo rides, where we're doing our own thing. His are mostly his commutes, I go out to play -- commuting is more his style when it comes to "exercise" -- there's a reason for the ride. I think I love the ride more for the ride than the destination, y'know?

Karen in Boise

Karen