thanks for the info you guys. im amazed how there is so much to learn. i really want a much better bike time. anything else i can do to increase efficiency?
people keep saying cadence and im starting to realize the importance. is it necessary to get a meter that reads cadence? i have no idea what are idea gearing combos. like whats a good gear to practice on and to really develop those muscles.
Originally Posted by
Dalai
What treefox is referring to is cross chaining. The greater the diagonal created with the chain ie Big front chainring and rear cog closer to the spokes puts more stress on the components and greater wear.
Check out a gear calculator such as
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/ and input the cassette ratio and front chainring sizes.
The resulting table will show you the gear inches. 53x23 is only a fraction taller than 39x17 which will have the chain running in a straighter line which means less transmission wear and due to the less friction within the components less wattage required for the same speed.