Originally Posted by
dsaul
For going up hills, it doesn't matter too much. For road riding at higher speeds, most people have a desired cadence range. The next higher gear should fall into the range for efficiency.
For example, I like to be in the 93-105rpm range on a road ride. When I reach the 105rpm limit of my comfort zone and shift up to the next gear, I would like it to put me near my low limit of 93rpm. This allows me to keep producing a good amount of power without too much effort to get back into my most efficient cadence. If the next gear puts my cadence into the 80's, I have to put in a hard effort to get back up to my desired cadence and makes the ride less enjoyable.
Exactly. You adapt your gearing to your cadence, not your cadence to your gearing. Same thing with race cars. The gearing is close so that when you shift you stay in the RPM range for max torque and power.
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Il faut de l'audace, encore de l'audace, toujours de l'audace
1980 3Rensho-- 1975 Raleigh Sprite 3spd
1990s Raleigh M20 MTB--2007 Windsor Hour (track)
1988 Ducati 750 F1