Learning to use gears?

[slinkedog]

Just to clear up the vernacular issues...

The front cogs are called your chainrings. If you have two, you have a double chainring. Three is a triple and the little one is usually referred to as the "granny gear" and you will probably only use it when you're climbing.

The rear set of cogs are usually referred to as just that... cogs. The big one will generally be the easiest to ride (i.e. if you're going up a hill that is hard, you'd want to be in the little chainring in the front and your biggest cog closest to your wheel in the back) and the smallest is the hardest to push. Most road bikes have 9 cogs in the back, so if you have a triple in the front (like me!), you have 27 gears to choose from.

The devices that actually do the gear shifting are called derailleurs. You have one for the front and one for the back. The back one is usually no problem and it is usually easy to shift. It's the front one that gets to be a little tricky, sometimes. You have to push a little harder to go from a smaller chainring to a bigger one, at least that's been my experience. If your chain is really making a lot of racket, you can kind of half click your front derailleur in or out to adjust it in or out a little. YOu might need someone to show that to you... it's kind of hard to explain.

RR is right that you'll have an easier time shifting your front chainring if the chain isn't totally stretched out at a weird angle, and you can shift both derailleurs at the same time, if that makes it easier.

I hope that's helpful and not annoying, i.e. "I already knew all that!!"

Happy riding and have FUN! Maybe we can do a SF bay area ride soon!! I want to do some riding on the peninsula, so maybe we can get a group together.

[KkAllez]

Read KSH's post "Listen up new riders, learn to spin and save your knees" that is on page two of New Riders (this particular discussion group).

That has phenominally changed the way I shift, and I'm not a new rider. Do you ride paying attention to cadence? When I rode my aluminum frame bike I rode a cadence of 85 to 90. With the new carbon fiber and learning to spin I ride 105 to 110, which to me is incredible, and is so much easier. I literally put to test the spinning theory: I pedal in an easy gear until I am going so fast my butt is bouncing out of the saddle, then I shift to a harder gear, and as soon as I am bouncing I shift up again, and so forth, working to keep my cadence at 105. Also, since I have hills I have to plan a few of them and make sure I have something left to shift down to on the ascent when it gets hard. Since I use a Flight Deck computer it makes it easy to see what I have left.

My method years ago when I was mountain biking and then when I first started road biking was to ride in the biggest chain ring and as hard to pedal as I could stand. However, now that I'm riding long distances I've learned to do just the opposite and incredibly enough, over the long haul, I am actually faster and more efficient.

BTW, I just went from a triple chain ring to a double chain ring when I got the new bike. I've not missed the triple at all.

[RoadRaven]

Hey there slinke - thanks for popping in the correct vernacular

I was just trying to write the way I learned about how it worked, but you're right, we should be encouraging the "right" words too...

So, shadon... hows it going?

[KSH]

Well, if it weren't for other riders helping me... I might have kept riding in one gear... all the time!

It took me a few months on the bike to finally *get it*. And honestly, I am just now learning (literally, TODAY!) how to move into the big chain... but I don't know all the different gears (how they feel) on the big chain.

I have owned my bike since October 2004... racked up around 900 miles on it... and at around 600 miles I learned how to spin instead of mash and use my gears!

But... learn how to use your gears... it is very important to know how to use your gears so you can spin and go faster!

Best of luck!

*Disclaimer... I know I didn't help at all... very sorry... but I feel your pain.*

[shadon]

I've got some work to do! Right now it seem like the only time I can get out for more than a quick ride, is the weekend. I think I'm gonna go to the Presido this weekend and practice...find some varied terrain and practice....

Sometimes I think I need a coach! (actually, not a bad idea...)