hills. gears. ??

[elk]

Thank you...it all makes sense....Kalidurga, your metaphor of the car is helpful and yes it's clear...

In some ways I have it easy because I have internal gears...so I push a button to go into lower gears and use a thumb lever to go into higher gears..so there is never any mistake.....

it's not the numbers I'm thinking about so much as how much resistance on the cranks I want /need...I've even been using my higher gears more in general ...

A hill near my house is funny because I can't even get off my street without going up one...!!!
But I'm gonna try spinning a LITTLE more..I was just so happy to find I could get up the hill in a higher gear with less agony...

I am just getting into shape after many years of bumsitting.... kind of thrilled about it too.

[fastdogs]

I was re-reading this post today, because it's interesting, but also because I rode a different bike this weekend and it seemed like it was geared WAY differently than my usual bike.
I mentioned to my dad that I was thinking of getting a new bike to ride on the weekends. He said he had a good bike that I could have, and dug out an old huffy from his shed. The plastic on the bottom of the shifter said "1992" so I guess that's how old it is, and the brake cables were actually routed through the top tube instead of being clamped on the outside of it. It had a selle royal saddle. He was quite proud of it, because he'd got it for $5.00 at a yard sale. I am not knowledgeable enough to take an old bike and fix it up, but took it out for a ride because he was so pleased that he had just the bike for me.
It fit me perfectly (would never fit him, he's too tall), but the slightest touch of the front brake made a scronking noise loud enough for the whole neighborhood to hear. The rear brakes would not stop it, but I was able to slow down a bit with them to avoid making so much noise all the time. Looking down on the front wheel, it appeared to be a bit wobbly, although the bike didn't feel wobbly, and he told me later that the rear wheel is a little wobbly too.
Anyway, I headed up a long hill near the house. I'd gone up it on my folding bike, and it wasn't easy, but I didn't have to go down to one till right near the top. On this bike, however, I was all the way down to 1 only halfway up. Needless to say, I could not make it all the way up the hill. The front deralleur was not working- the chain stayed on the smallest or middle wheel, depending on where it was when I started (it didn't work while moving, but would be on a different wheel when I stopped). I never got it on the large one at all- I could hear the chain rubbing like it was trying to push it over but it wouldn't move. The rear one worked fine. Just not low enough to climb the hill.

Is there that big a difference in the gearing of different bikes or was there just something off with this one? I only have a 9 speeds on my folding bike, but it seems to be enough to get me up most hills. It wasn't even close with the huffy.
vickie