General Cycling Discussion - another Newbie question about changing Gears

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bab
03-15-04, 10:54 AM
I live in Florida where everything is VERY FLAT. In most of my rides, I don't change the gears much unless I hit big headwind which isn't that big for you all who live up north.. I got by feel and not by "gear number".

My husband says I should be using the gears more to get the optimal ride.

Is there a book or website that someone can refer me to so that I can better understand how to effectively use my gears? Any suggestions would greatly be appreciated.

Thanks

AndrewP
03-15-04, 11:05 AM
If you legs hurt more than your lungs change down. If your lungs hurt more than your legs change up. If neither hurt dont worry about your gears, just keep on pedaling and enjoy the ride. I usually change down a gear or two as I slow down for an intersection or a bridge. You can only use one gear at a time, but it is nice to know that you have other gears available to handle the hills, headwinds or people you want to leave in the dust.
MichaelW
03-15-04, 11:19 AM
Ditto.
Plus, measure your pedalling cadence in revs/min. A good rider would spin at 80-90 rpm, and a racer at over 100. Dont just increase your revs, that takes more power. Gear down, and rev up, to use the same power, more efficiently.
You can train your legs to spin fast, over time.

dexmax
03-16-04, 07:18 AM
just to add...

I also change gears by feel.. I maintain a 90~95rpm cadence.. Even if I'm at 90rpm, when I feel that there is more resistance to my "normal" feel, I gear down. This will increase my cadence to about 94~96rpm.. when I feel the resistance is deminishng, I gear up, then it will go back to about 90rpm.. and so on.

When I want to speed up, I usually start at 90 then gradually increase to 95~96rpm and change gear, bringing back my cadence to about 85~90.. Or, I'll gear up 2~3clicks and pedal off the saddle at about 75~80rpm.

enjoy!
Jonny B
03-16-04, 02:01 PM
As dexmax said, changing gear is much like shifting in a car. Your legs have an optimal rev range, just like a car.

Or better yet, drop by the Singlespeed forum, and learn how to convert your bike to SS. Since you don't seem to use most of your gears, why not get rid of them? You'll save weight from all the derailers and shifters and stuff, and you'll get stronger too, since you have to push harder into those headwinds.