carlosjrf

Yesterday morning I went to my first mountain ride ever. I have to point out that I got my bike a month ago and had ridden 5 times bfore yesterday and after 15 years of not touching a bike.

I did not know much about the trail. On the way there it was raining like the world was goint to end, but since I was invited by experienced riders to teach me some stuff I wasnt going to pass. When I met them at the parking lot it wasnt raining, but the rain had just left the area 45 minutes before. I'm not experienced, but I knew I was in for quite an experience. Ive always had problems keeping hydrated on physical activities. The guys I went with were keeping and eye on me all the time to check I was hydrating, shifting properly and trying to enjoy the ride. The trail turned out to be uber muddy, pools of mud and water, some a foot deep. I got stuck three times and since Im a begginer and I dont have appropriate mountain biking shoes, I wore my white sneakers, I had to walk in the mud. I couldnt go up the hills, because my lack of experience, physical condition (im 40lbs overweight), mud, etc, so I walked. Two hills later ther was a downhill I couldnt handle (did I mentioned I have V-brakes?) and the bike couldnt handle me either, I almost went of the trail. So i jumped off the bike, the bike stayed in the trail thank god.

After I recovered from an almost heart attack I walked downhill. Two more hills later I decided I couldnt go on anymore and the guys escorted me to the exit to the road. I sat to rest for half an hour, had a granola bar and some water. Thats when I noticed I wasnt hydrating properly, had 1.5L remaning on a 2L camelback after about hour and a half or riding. I had mud up my nose. I had a great time, cant wait to go at it again. Only this time I will find an easier trail and work up from there. This trail was too much for my first time.

Ok now the question. The guys where telling me that to go uphill I have to be on low gear on front and high gear on back (if I got it backwards please escuse me), say 1 front 3 on back. Know a little about gear ratios I though it would be the other way, high on front low on back, say 3 front 7 back, so I could get the most power to the back tire without killing myself. They say its better their way so its easier for me and get less tired. what do you think?

Johnny Law

the front is like 3 worlds of "hardness". 3 being the hardest. the back is like the levels of hardness. 1-7/8/9 whatever you have. the lower the number the easier it is to pedal. 1-1 would be way easy 3-9 uphill would be bowling ball calf material.

pablosnazzy

when it comes to "what gear should i be in?" you should be in the gear that is most comfortable for you. keep shifting until it's as comfortable as it can be for you. don't worry about 1 in front and 3 in rear or any of that, learn by feel where to be. the more you ride, the stronger you legs will get, the different gears you will need. after a while you will know where you want to be. don't overthink it, you are riding a bicycle, it's supposed to be fun. enjoy it.

the fact that you had a good time in ultra muddy conditions is good. you are gonna LOVE it when the trail is good.

junkyard

Shifting is simple. Just do what I did:

I have memorized all gear ratios available in my drive train. Additionally, I have taken the time to break down all trails that I ride on into some critical components. First is grade (steepness of climb), second is technical rating (I use a 1-5 scale, one being lowest, five being highest) and finally number and degree of turns. With this information, I have mathematically calculated the best gear ratio for me in every situation. I based this calculation on a combination of my own personal output wattage and maximum heart rate, along with the gear ratios available and my personal trail rating system. I also take temperature and humidity into consideration since this affects my output capabilities. From there, shifting becomes a simple task.

dminor 

^^ I think I saw that in use before - - isn't that the formula developed by the Chechnyan Olympic team?

cryptid01

Numeric indicators on the shifters are only confusing and never referenced by experienced riders. If you "know a little about gear ratios," you understand that a smaller ring on the front and a larger cog on the rear make for easier pedaling up hills. Shift accordingly. Or if you have thousands of hours for simulation and testing and a supercomputer brain like junkyard, you can use his method, but that means you can never ride on any new trails.

Daspydyr 

Get the chain as close to the frame as you can, littlest ring on the pedals and tallest on the rear wheel. I call this GRANNY, she is my friend. If that is too slow I call on granny's sister, the next gear away from the rear wheel. I spend a lot of time with Granny and her sister. You can say we are dating.

If this is complicated, check with dminor and junkyard, they keep it simple.

pablosnazzy

nope, you are totally off, you didn't take into account wind.

victim

Surprised "experienced" friends took you out on sloppy trails, it's really frowned upon by trail builders and courteous riders but that's for another thread. Stick with the sport I think you'll like it.

victim

That's pretty rudimentary but I assume your dumbing it down for the beginners that may be reading???

Dannihilator

Shh, don't throw his calculations off track, it was not a pretty sight the last time it happened.

dminor 

^^ Yeah, I think he ended up way over in San Fran with no date . . .

. . . or was that the time he ducked behind a building to take a pee at the Ames Research Center - - right before they fired up one of the wind tunnels?

skol

put it in the middle cog of your rear cassette and shift up and down the front chainrings only to simplify things for now and that should get you over and down most of what you will see

Daspydyr 

The posters in this thread have proven that marijuana should never be legalized, yup, that is what this all boils down to.

Grimlock

Spinning your legs faster through an easier gear will help you get up longer climbs. Mashing slower through big gears will only help for short climbs.

Johnny Law

or you can just get a SS if your not good at math

dminor 

^^ or lack opposable thumbs for pushing levers.

Johnny Law

^^ well grip shifting is always an option for the handicap

carlosjrf

Well, I guess my friends were right, as confirmed by you all. Thank you all for your input. I will practice, find beginner trails and get in better shape so I can enjoy the whole trail riding instead of walking.

andy b.

I know this thread is a month old, but I just read it today. So here's a story right back at ya.....

Carlos,

Many years ago in my younger days I was quite out of shape (and in fact due to not riding very much the past few years I am not in the finest shape at present either, but I am working on it). My brother had a mountain bike that he said I could use, and then I ended up getting my own after a few months. My problem wasn't being overweight, in fact the opposite, I was a scrawny dude with about 1 pound of muscle on my body. I was living at my parents' at the time (because it was a while ago and I was young and single). My parents live at the top of a large hill. Some might call it a mountain, and the highest (in elevation, although some folks might smoke a lot of weed there too) town in PA. Every day after work, and any other time I had a chance, I'd take the mountain bike out for a ride. My bike (and my brother's) was a non-suspended GT Tequesta that weighs about the same as an old Wal-Mart Huffy. Rigid steel frame, no suspension fork, 36-spoke wheels, you get the picture. At least the Tequesta was indestructible (and in fact I still own it and ride it occasionally).

The first part of the trail was about a half mile path through the woods. It was pretty level and had a few small whoops and some singletrack areas. Then it ended with about a 10' drop down a relatively steep path that you could easily walk up and down, and ride a bike down. The path ended at an old dirt road from the local logging and mining activities. The road was well-used with lots of rocks, ruts, and some small washouts cutting across it. It was almost a mile long and was a blast to ride down (although initially I was probably more like coasting down it). At the bottom of the road was a bunch of dirt roads and paths and it was all pretty level with muddy spots and some water-filled ditches cutting across. Just your usual northeast woods varied terrain.

So I would go cruising out the path and down the road and then spend as long as I could riding around the old roads and trails on the mostly level sections at the bottom of the hill. Sure I had to walk over or around some obstacles, but it was a blast! Then came the fun of going home. I bet I walked my bike up that 1 mile hill 50 times. Every time I went out my only thought was "I WILL make it up that hill one day", and every time I pedalled my legs off to try and get farther up that hill. Even if I only made it ten feet further, that was good enough for me. You know what, I eventually made it up the hill. And then I had a heart attack. (JUST KIDDING!) And then I kept trying to make it up the drop at the end of the path through the woods. And you know what, I eventually made it up THAT hill. Around that time I was at Penn State working on my engineering degree and I actually used to ride with a bunch of mountain bike racers on occasion and I'm proud to say my clunky old GT and I kept up just fine with them. Now, I guess I might have to walk part way up that hill again, but I'm working on it.

I haven't ridden over a log or fallen tree in probably four years. This past weekend I was out riding with my kids after some heavy storms went through our area and a large tree had fallen down across the trail. I told my kids I was going to ride my bike over it (an old GT Ricochet with a new Manitou Match front fork on it), and they just laughed and said, "there's no way you're going to ride over that log, dad." It took me about 45 minutes of clearing some brush away and piling up a few broken off branches and some other woods debris, and many failed attempts, but I eventually rode back and forth over the trunk several times, much to my kids' surprise. Sure I fell a few times trying, and my kids laughed, so what.

So what is the point of all this? Don't be a pansy and go out riding some lame-ass converted railroad trail with the excuse you're not in shape. Go out with your friends and challenge yourself and just keep saying, "I WILL make it through this trail", and eventually you will. And you'll be better off for it. JUST DO IT!

andy b.