What is the Road Bike, best Gear Combination/Ratio for 30 miles?
07-22-09, 09:03 AM
#1
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What is the Road Bike, best Gear Combination/Ratio for 30 miles?
I ride in group 3-4 times every week. It about 30+ miles each day ride at 15-20 MPH average (ups & down road). In times we go 25 mph too. I have 52/38/30 front and 12-25 at the rear. What Gear combination/Ratio is the best for 17-19 mph for long time say for 30 miles? I mean I can maintain this speed without loosing recovery of energy? (I get tired very soon).
I mean please mention like 52Front-14Rear like this. I am not very expert.
Another thing, do I really have to stick to 39 Front (the middle) gear ? I can put it on 52 front and 15, 16 or 17 in the rear , I have (12-25) in the rear, whichever gives me 70~90 rpm and WITH accleration capability?
How to preserve energy with this speed (not burn out too fast) ?
I mean please mention like 52Front-14Rear like this. I am not very expert.
Another thing, do I really have to stick to 39 Front (the middle) gear ? I can put it on 52 front and 15, 16 or 17 in the rear , I have (12-25) in the rear, whichever gives me 70~90 rpm and WITH accleration capability?
How to preserve energy with this speed (not burn out too fast) ?
Last edited by NILADRI; 07-22-09 at 09:06 AM.
07-22-09, 09:08 AM
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The issue is maintaining a proper cadence. Use whatever gear combination (other than the extreme combinations of the big frnt ring big rear ring, or small front ring small rear ring, known as cross chaining) that keeps you at a comfortable cadence.
Most people find a cadence around 90 rpm to be a good balance between taxing your aerobic system (which happens at higher cadence) and tearing your legs up (which happens at a lower cadence).
Buy a computer with a cadence sensor, and work on trying to maintain a cadence around 90 (or at least in a range between 80-100)
Or a simpler method, shift to a harder gear when your lungs hurt, shift to an easier gear when your legs hurt. Slow down if both hurt.
Also take a look here to see what gear combinations give what speed at what cadence.
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/
Most people find a cadence around 90 rpm to be a good balance between taxing your aerobic system (which happens at higher cadence) and tearing your legs up (which happens at a lower cadence).
Buy a computer with a cadence sensor, and work on trying to maintain a cadence around 90 (or at least in a range between 80-100)
Or a simpler method, shift to a harder gear when your lungs hurt, shift to an easier gear when your legs hurt. Slow down if both hurt.
Also take a look here to see what gear combinations give what speed at what cadence.
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/
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Last edited by merlinextraligh; 07-22-09 at 09:13 AM.
07-22-09, 09:09 AM
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Just try to keep a cadance of 90. The gear will depend on your speed. I dont think anyone can really tell you which gear to use.
07-22-09, 09:53 AM
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You should be able to stay on your middle front 38t chainring for most of your ride. You should only use the 52t chainring downhill above 22 mph. Avoid the small chainring unless you are traveling uphill at 12 mph or less. Shift the RD using the full range of rear gears as often as needed to stay in a 80 to 100 cadence range.
Gear chart using MPH @ 90 RPM
For 700 X 25 / 25-622 tire with 175 mm cranks
With 10-speed 12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-23-25 Cassette
52t 36t 30t
Cog MPH MPH MPH
12 30.6 21.2 17.7
13 28.3 19.6 16.3
14 26.2 18.2 15.1
15 24.5 17.0 14.1
16 23.0 15.9 13.2
17 21.6 15.0 12.5
19 19.3 13.4 11.2
21 17.5 12.1 10.1
23 16.0 11.1 9.2
25 14.7 10.2 8.5
Michael
Gear chart using MPH @ 90 RPM
For 700 X 25 / 25-622 tire with 175 mm cranks
With 10-speed 12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-23-25 Cassette
52t 36t 30t
Cog MPH MPH MPH
12 30.6 21.2 17.7
13 28.3 19.6 16.3
14 26.2 18.2 15.1
15 24.5 17.0 14.1
16 23.0 15.9 13.2
17 21.6 15.0 12.5
19 19.3 13.4 11.2
21 17.5 12.1 10.1
23 16.0 11.1 9.2
25 14.7 10.2 8.5
Michael
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Last edited by Barrettscv; 07-22-09 at 10:26 AM.
07-22-09, 10:06 AM
#6
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At 17 to 19 mph, given what you have, 52x19 or 52x21 would work out well, putting you in a good rpm range. Drop to the 17 if the pace picks up.
07-22-09, 10:15 AM
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If the 39 is too small to give you the speed you want and the 52 is big enough that you have to use the cogs in the middle of your cassette then you could either get a bigger middle ring like a 42T or a smaller big ring like a 50T. The compromise with the 50T is that you would lose some top speed with your 12-25 cassette.
Also consider how often you use the small ring. If you do prefer to use the big ring most of the time then a double crankset may be best for you as it would locate your big ring in a position more parallel to the middle of your cassette, giving you a straighter than, IOW a better chain line, when you use your big ring.
Also consider how often you use the small ring. If you do prefer to use the big ring most of the time then a double crankset may be best for you as it would locate your big ring in a position more parallel to the middle of your cassette, giving you a straighter than, IOW a better chain line, when you use your big ring.
07-23-09, 11:05 AM
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I try and keep up the ideal cadence while not taxing my legs too much. If my legs start burning too much I'll have to slow down to let them recover. (I'm obviously not a racer.) A little bit of burn is good, or a lot of burn for short periods, but not a lot of burn for extended periods. It tires me out too quickly.
I try to maintain a good cadence and then let my legs (and heart and lungs) tell me whether to shift or stay in the same gear. I shift whenever things change, so that I can maintain this cadence/effort ratio. I shift when the gradient changes - even a tiny bit - and I shift when the wind changes - even a tiny bit. I usually shift several times a minute. On any given stretch of road I'm more likely to be shifting constantly than to be cruising along for several minutes in the same gears.
One thing I recommend: ride on a stretch of road where the gradient and wind are pretty constant. Then downshift one gear and spin faster. When I tried this I discovered that, not only was the pedaling easier, but I was going faster. Of course, if I downshift too much, my pedals are going so fast that I can't maintain the speed and it tires me out. But I discovered that I had been choosing a little bit too high of a gear for a given situation, and my riding got faster and easier when I spun a little faster.
I try to maintain a good cadence and then let my legs (and heart and lungs) tell me whether to shift or stay in the same gear. I shift whenever things change, so that I can maintain this cadence/effort ratio. I shift when the gradient changes - even a tiny bit - and I shift when the wind changes - even a tiny bit. I usually shift several times a minute. On any given stretch of road I'm more likely to be shifting constantly than to be cruising along for several minutes in the same gears.
One thing I recommend: ride on a stretch of road where the gradient and wind are pretty constant. Then downshift one gear and spin faster. When I tried this I discovered that, not only was the pedaling easier, but I was going faster. Of course, if I downshift too much, my pedals are going so fast that I can't maintain the speed and it tires me out. But I discovered that I had been choosing a little bit too high of a gear for a given situation, and my riding got faster and easier when I spun a little faster.
