Gear Use

[indigoiis]

I'm writing a book.
It's called Gearing For Dummies.

It goes like this.

Front: Big, Medium, Little. (Those are on my left stem, uppest being Big.)

Back: Slow, Less Slow, Fairly easy, easier, much easier, easiest. (These are on my right stem, downest being Slowest.)

When I'm going up hill, I change into Medium and feel around the easy gears.

When I'm goin' down a hill, I change into Big and Slow.

My DH gave me a hint the other day, on some rollers.
He said, try just shifting only the left for awhile, between Big and Medium.
You mean, only shift between two gears?
Yep.
It was refreshing.

[elk]

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/retroral...rand-prix.html

this is the one. my ONLY hesitation is that boy bar that I thought was way cooler then....

i had it tuned, cleaned in '95 on the day my dad went into the hospital (he lived in Israel) suddenly and then he died and by the time I got back to Portland, ...well...ye old Englishe Bike went up into the attic...

and I just got her down this week.

I'm going to take her in (him I guess) and have them check the damage. I can clean the obvious stuff, but as you say....want it safe safe to ride!!

I only have 7 gears indigoiis, so I only need half a book for dummies...

[RoadRaven]

Yup...

Good guidance, Indi

I got it into my head by watching the front chain rings (I only have big and small on both my road bikes).

Because I was too nervous to be trying to glance down and back to the rear set of cogs, I mostly looked at the front and remembered:

Small = Slow


Then, as long as my chain looked like it was running parrallel to the bike frame, I figured my gearing at the rear was ok.

Making sure that your chain is fairly straight is important or the potential for you to drop your chain is greater.

So if you are in the small at the front (climbing hills, into head winds, on relentless false flats), then keep the chain sitting on the bigger cogs at the back - the half closest to the wheel...

... and if you are in the big at the front (downhill, flat courses, tail winds) then stay in the smallest cogs at rear... the half furthest from your back wheel.

Thats how I sorted it in my head. If it doesn't help, discard my ideas til you find something that makes sense for you.


(I don't have a triple chain ring, but I assume if you do, then when you are in the middle cog at the front, you try and stay in the middle gears at the back...?)