I have a long 15% grade on my standard ride. I always stand up for the entire hill ('cause I'm that macho. jk).

By standing, I mean that I just put my weight on the high pedal, and let my weight push it down, rinse and repeat. It's essentially like a stair-stepper machine. I'm not saying that's the most efficient way, but that is what I do.

I can do this in the lower gear or the next-to-the-lowest gear ("second"). It does not work in the third gear.

So here's my question. It doesn't seem to be any harder for me in second gear than in first.. That is, I'm just doing my stair-stepping. Yet, I go faster that when in the second gear.

Same effort. Go faster.

So shouldn't that violate some law of conservation of energy, causing the universe to explode?