More shifting/hill questions

[schnitzle]

So I'm getting much more comfortable with my bike, but I'm still making mistakes when shifting up an incline. I'm not getting up some areas that I think I should be able to because I shift up instead of down or don't shift down enough :P

My main question is, should I shift down on the front or rear first? My bike has 7 in the back. So it seems like if I'm riding along a flat in 3/3 for instance, that I would want to shift in the front first to make the biggest difference so it will be 2/3. Is that right?

[Becky]

It depends... How much of a reduction in gearing do you need for a certain incline? How much momentum do you have going into the climb? Do you like to spin or to mash?

For a steep or long hill that's going to require some work, I might stay in the harder gear as long as possible, and then shift down the front first . For a short hill where I've got a lot of momentum, I might only shift once or twice in the rear and power over the top.

Unfortunately, there's no magic formula. Listen to your legs and lungs....let them tell you how much easier they need it to be.

The scientist in me likes to experiment with things like this, and understand how they work for me. I think I would find a practice hill nearby, one that isn't crazy hard or very easy. I'd practice riding that hill over and over, in all sorts of gear combinations, and see what happens when shifting just the front, just the rear, combinations of both, and in different orders.

Have fun, and good luck!

[schnitzle]

Thanks Becky, I guess that answers why I couldn't find much on the web about it. Too many variable. I think finding a hill to practice on is a great idea. I happen to live on a few! Sometimes I am extra dumb

Oh so if I'm starting from a stand still at the bottom of a hill (lots of cars, need to stop so I can look both ways) I assume I'll need to be in my lower gears already? So turn the crank with one foot to shift down before I take off?

[Becky]

Oh so if I'm starting from a stand still at the bottom of a hill (lots of cars, need to stop so I can look both ways) I assume I'll need to be in my lower gears already? So turn the crank with one foot to shift down before I take off?

You should be in a low-ish gear, but you don't want to be geared so low that you can't get any momentum to help you balance as you start out. (I under-gear all the time on my mountain bike- it's not pretty )

There's a stop sign at the top of a steep short hill on my commute home. I'll often shift to a harder gear as I approach it, just so that I'll have some "kick" and balance when I start pedalling again.

If I'm approaching a stop sign, and I know I'll have to climb immediately after it, I'll shift to the "right" gear as I come to a stop. That way, I can take off when traffic is clear without juggling my bike.

[schnitzle]

You should be in a low-ish gear, but you don't want to be geared so low that you can't get any momentum to help you balance as you start out. (I under-gear all the time on my mountain bike- it's not pretty )

There's a stop sign at the top of a steep short hill on my commute home. I'll often shift to a harder gear as I approach it, just so that I'll have some "kick" and balance when I start pedalling again.

If I'm approaching a stop sign, and I know I'll have to climb immediately after it, I'll shift to the "right" gear as I come to a stop. That way, I can take off when traffic is clear without juggling my bike.

Awesome, thanks again!!

[Biciclista]

a guy who used to race told me that under a load, it's easier to go from your bigger chain rings down than it is to shift the gears in the back on the cassette.
So I'd suggest you stay in your middle chain ring until you need to shift then drop into the lowest chainring... hopefully you'll still have a couple more gears in the back when you do this in case it gets even steeper.