Gear ratios...ULTIMATE noob question
10-15-09 | 08:53 AM
#26
Live without dead time
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,136
Likes: 0
From: Toronto
And again, you keep arguing that "not everyone wants to be as advanced" which is true. Care to explain exactly why then it would make sense for a less advanced cyclist to use heavier more advanced track gearing like 46x15?
10-15-09 | 09:38 AM
#28
Fresh Garbage
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 13,190
Likes: 30
From: Los Angeles
Bikes: N+1
I agree. I never "worked" on my spin but the ability came naturally with time(1 year so far). As I became a stronger rider, endurance not muscle, spinning just became easy. I have to spin over 100 rpm if I desire to ride 20 mph or higher and I do and often it doesn't even feel like my legs are moving all that fast because I'm used to it.
10-15-09 | 09:38 AM
#29
Oh, you know...
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 2,834
Likes: 0
From: DC
Bikes: '74 Schwinn Sports Tourer (Polo), S-Works E5 Team Festina (Chorus 11), Trek 2200 Bonded Carbon (Fixed), Trek 920 (7 speed IGH), Chesini Olimpiade SL (1x7)
His original post said he was riding 46x16, and that he wanted a bigger gear. It's a very straightforward question with a very straightforward answer.
10-15-09 | 09:40 AM
#30
Oh, you know...
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 2,834
Likes: 0
From: DC
Bikes: '74 Schwinn Sports Tourer (Polo), S-Works E5 Team Festina (Chorus 11), Trek 2200 Bonded Carbon (Fixed), Trek 920 (7 speed IGH), Chesini Olimpiade SL (1x7)
I agree. I never "worked" on my spin but the ability came naturally with time(1 year so far). As I became a stronger rider, endurance not muscle, spinning just became easy. I have to spin over 100 rpm if I desire to ride 20 mph or higher and I do and often it doesn't even feel like my legs are moving all that fast because I'm used to it.
If you can't spin 170 RPM, elTwitcho thinks you suck.
10-15-09 | 09:43 AM
#31
Live without dead time
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,136
Likes: 0
From: Toronto
10-15-09 | 09:46 AM
#33
Oh, you know...
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 2,834
Likes: 0
From: DC
Bikes: '74 Schwinn Sports Tourer (Polo), S-Works E5 Team Festina (Chorus 11), Trek 2200 Bonded Carbon (Fixed), Trek 920 (7 speed IGH), Chesini Olimpiade SL (1x7)
I told him the smallest increment I could.
I'm not his mother. If he asks how to get to a bigger gear, I'll tell him how.
I'm not his mother. If he asks how to get to a bigger gear, I'll tell him how.
10-15-09 | 09:48 AM
#35
Oh, you know...
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 2,834
Likes: 0
From: DC
Bikes: '74 Schwinn Sports Tourer (Polo), S-Works E5 Team Festina (Chorus 11), Trek 2200 Bonded Carbon (Fixed), Trek 920 (7 speed IGH), Chesini Olimpiade SL (1x7)
Ride it for a year and you'll be spinning 170 RPM no problem.
10-15-09 | 09:49 AM
#36
Live without dead time
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,136
Likes: 0
From: Toronto
10-15-09 | 09:56 AM
#37
Live without dead time
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,136
Likes: 0
From: Toronto
I dunno dude, you're starting to change my mind. I'm coming around to the idea that no matter how long some people ride, it's possible that some of them will never become proficient on two wheels. Congrats on lowering the bar I guess
10-15-09 | 10:17 AM
#39
Senior Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,938
Likes: 2
From: Tokyo
I don't think you guys are helping the guy who asked the question.
Anyway, I read that Lance maintains a cruising cadence of 110rpm. Most racers maintain 80-100rpm sprinters go 140+
I am sure that you can go 170+ and pro track racers do 200+ but that seems a little excessive. I want to just ride long distances and have a good pace. 80-100 is nice for a long ride (2 hours or so).
Anyway, I read that Lance maintains a cruising cadence of 110rpm. Most racers maintain 80-100rpm sprinters go 140+
I am sure that you can go 170+ and pro track racers do 200+ but that seems a little excessive. I want to just ride long distances and have a good pace. 80-100 is nice for a long ride (2 hours or so).
10-15-09 | 11:02 AM
#40
.
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 12,769
Likes: 38
From: Rocket City, No'ala
Bikes: 2014 Trek Domane 5.2, 1985 Pinarello Treviso, 1990 Gardin Shred, 2006 Bianchi San Jose
10-15-09 | 11:14 AM
#41
Live without dead time
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,136
Likes: 0
From: Toronto
I don't exactly understand how some of you guys seem to be confusing the statement "you should be easily able to spin more than 140rpm during a sprint or down a hill" with "you should ride 140rpm all the time, dur dur dur". Either you're deliberately trying to misread things, or you need to slow down, read the post two or three more times, then give a couple minutes for the information to digest before posting.
I mean come on
140 is pretty low dude. Track racers are easily into the 200+ range with practice, and I can spin 180 going downhill. For a short sprint I can probably crank up to 160 which I think is well within the reach of most cyclists.
And if you can sprint at about 160 rpm, you can run a lower gear for cruising, have more stamina, climb faster and STILL have as fast a top speed as someone who runs a heavier gearing and struggles at 140. When I ran 48x18 on our fast rides I'd beat everyone on the uphills, then on the downhills me and the fastest rider would be hitting 59 kph on the way back down.
And if you can sprint at about 160 rpm, you can run a lower gear for cruising, have more stamina, climb faster and STILL have as fast a top speed as someone who runs a heavier gearing and struggles at 140. When I ran 48x18 on our fast rides I'd beat everyone on the uphills, then on the downhills me and the fastest rider would be hitting 59 kph on the way back down.
Like I said, if you can spin faster, you can run a lighter gear while still maintaining a fast sprint speed or downhill speed. That's useful. The faster you learn to spin, the faster your top speed is going to be.
You're telling the guy basically not to bother learning to spin, and instead get a heavy track gear and mash slowly. Aside from obvious knee problems, this is going to guarantee that he's never going to develop a good pedal stroke and he'll ALWAYS be slower than someone who ran a lower gear and can spin faster than him. Forgive me if I'm not understanding you correctly but it seems to me that that advice is basically encouraging bad form to get a small immediate payoff instead of working towards the bigger payoff that will take time to get.
You're telling the guy basically not to bother learning to spin, and instead get a heavy track gear and mash slowly. Aside from obvious knee problems, this is going to guarantee that he's never going to develop a good pedal stroke and he'll ALWAYS be slower than someone who ran a lower gear and can spin faster than him. Forgive me if I'm not understanding you correctly but it seems to me that that advice is basically encouraging bad form to get a small immediate payoff instead of working towards the bigger payoff that will take time to get.
Last edited by elTwitcho; 10-15-09 at 11:18 AM.
10-15-09 | 12:24 PM
#43
Oh, you know...
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 2,834
Likes: 0
From: DC
Bikes: '74 Schwinn Sports Tourer (Polo), S-Works E5 Team Festina (Chorus 11), Trek 2200 Bonded Carbon (Fixed), Trek 920 (7 speed IGH), Chesini Olimpiade SL (1x7)
Are the only two speeds you can go at full stop and full sprint?
I don't exactly understand how some of you guys seem to be confusing the statement "you should be easily able to spin more than 140rpm during a sprint or down a hill" with "you should ride 140rpm all the time, dur dur dur". Either you're deliberately trying to misread things, or you need to slow down, read the post two or three more times, then give a couple minutes for the information to digest before posting.
I don't exactly understand how some of you guys seem to be confusing the statement "you should be easily able to spin more than 140rpm during a sprint or down a hill" with "you should ride 140rpm all the time, dur dur dur". Either you're deliberately trying to misread things, or you need to slow down, read the post two or three more times, then give a couple minutes for the information to digest before posting.
That makes it sound like spinning really high cadence (140+) is a totally normal thing that everyone should do every day unless they are still riding a bmx with streamers and training wheels.
If you agree that the only people who need to spin 140+ are the sprinters and track racers, then I think we're all on the same page.
