So its 20 km door-to-door and usually takes me 51 mins. 29 seconds which is an average of 23.3 km/h (the long uphill from Kent Ave. to Kind Edward Ave is a killer). Last night after I put my daughter to sleep, I switched my bicycle gear from 66 gear inches to 62 gear inches. This lowers the gear and makes it slightly easier to climb uphill although speed on the flats is reduced. This has the effect of increasing my cadence.

I woke up early this morning before the alarm rang and had 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and 2 pears with a cup of coffee for breakfast before heading out. The higher cadence meant my legs felt "light" most of the time. Climbing inclines, I did not feel as if I was going as fast as before because I did not feel as much resistance.

Contrary to my expectations with a lower gear, it took me 49 minutes 15 seconds door-to-door this morning which amounts to a reduction of 133 seconds (2 minutes 13 seconds) or an improvement of 4.3%. This is a fairly notable gain.

For my commute with includes a fairly long portion uphill, I am 4.3% faster spinning a lower gear of 62 inches and averaged 24.4 km/h (roughly 1.1 km/h faster average). I don't know how much of this to attribute to the fairing. A fairing generally helps one of several ways:

- maintain a given speed with less effort than without a fairing
- achieve a higher speed with the same effort than without a fairing
- increase rider comfort

Since I don't have multiple gears, I am unable to go faster on the flats to raise my average speed on the flats than what I can spin with 62. The gains must be coming from the uphills portions of the ride. I also note that 62 gear inches allows me to accelerate more rapidly from traffic lights and reach my cruising cadence sooner. 100 rpm equals 18.4 mph (29.6 km/h).

So there you have it. Lowering a gear and spinning yields a faster time than mashing - even with a fairing. Its also less stress for your connective tissues. Of course, one individual's experience does not a principle make. Your mileage may vary.