CafeRacer

I know some of it depends on the track itself and if the rider is more of a sprinter or endurance rider but whats a common gear for solo TT's? And I dont mean at the Cat3 or Jr. Level. In the Kilo's i've done and the persuits Ive found myself wishing I had 1 - 2 tooth bigger ring on. Sudgestions greatly taken!

JS

taras0000

what gear were you running and if you don't mind my asking, what time did you pull off?

ultraman6970

For stand starting Kilometer... 51/50x15 at the most or the equivalent.
For individual persuit.... 50/51/52x15 or the equivalent like 54/53/52x16.

Kilo is such a short race that if u have the bad idea of use like 52x15 u wont be able to launch the bike fast enough, the idea is get the bike at full speed in the shorter period of time and keep it like that (thats why is important the strategy and the gear choice). Some sprinters use 47x14 other ones 50x15 (my case). But usually in Kilo u dont use an extreme heavy gear at all.

In persuit is like the same, but u have more distance to launch the bike so 1 or 2 extra Teeth sometimes help and sometimes simply kill u at 50% of the race. Btw u havent told us what do u use for TT, i mean if u want to put more multiplication means (at least for me) that u have a super high cadence and that u can keep it for long periods of time. But if u r using like 50x16 (6,60 meters per pedalier turn) and u r a 25 y/o guy with the strenght of a junior or a cat +2 makes a lot of sence that u feel like pedaling in the air when doing a TT race, u know.

What do u use for TT?

UM

ultraman6970

I think cafe racer is in canada, i just noticed it a few mins ago... u wont be able to use the gears that everybody use in london's velodrome at all, well u can but before doing it prepare your will and all that stuff hehehe...

Maybe 1 extra T would help... ..

well thats it cya

CafeRacer

Classic steel frame style, No areo wheels, Shyte areo bar, 50 x 14 1min 14sec. felt under geared.

Meek

50x14 is pretty big. If you ran a 1:14 with that and you felt undergeared, I'd suggest upping your powerband, because it sounds like you have a lot of low end torque (think old American V8). Think LEG SPEED. Too big gear and your acceleration suffers, or if you get hit with a good headwind, it'll shut you down.

My $.02

classic1

As far as gearing goes, when in doubt go up!

In the kilo, you will die. Better to be dying on a big gear than a small one.

ultraman6970

50x14??? r u DAVID BANNER??

1:07 here using 50x15, 1989/90....

cya

CafeRacer

Thanks for the 2 cents, worth about 5cents Canadian! hahaha. Ill try all the sudgestions. Thanks guy

ultraman6970

Well that depends of the person, but as bigger the gear the stronger u have to be. As u must know in a Kilo the last 300/200 meters are pure suffering, and a big gear would make u waste energy in the begining because u have to put all your power to have a good start, leaving u w/o stamina to be able to move that heavy gear the last 200/300 meters... so u make the situation even worse, slow starting and even slower finishing. The best strategy is try to get the same cadence during the whole KM than starting as a locomotive and finishing as a turtle because for sure a guy that is not even faster than u will kick your ass because he was able to keep up a high speed during the whole race.

My advice for Cafe racer is try to improve your cadence. 1.14 secs isnt bad but u have to think that a persuit racer average is doing 1.14/16 secs on each kilometer during a 4km race and using 51x15 maybe. So it is quite clear that u need to put a lot more speed on your legs (as Meek said).

The question is how r u going to do that. Ride behind a car (or motorcycle) at 60km/h using 52x16 or 53x16 (for a few kms)... in a few weeks of doing that u'll be able to overpass the car as nothing (sprint). ALways using the same gear. Avoid the use of heavy gears, u'll be hanging from ur buggers the 1st few weeks but later will be normal for u ride at 130/150 rpms.

The second option is change that gear u have to 50x15 or 47x15 (better) and sprint with other guys, sprints, sprints and more sprints, obviously with somebody that is faster than u... but go behind a motorcycle or a car will help a lot...

Good luck

taras0000

I would gear down to 47/14 and try that. My best kilo time in competition was 1:10, in training, 1:09.7, and I always thought of myself as a torquier instead of speedier rider. That would be my suggestion for a track like London. See what Goody has to say, isn't he a rider with your club?

CafeRacer

I actualy already have a pretty wicked spin/cadence with good endurance - no thanks to doing something simlar to what you sudgested. I just assumed in events like a TT and Persuit your suppost to mash up a way bigger gear and they stay on top of it.

Im gonna try the 52-15 next race. Pending if a new frame arrives.

Meek

Mmm, new frame.

What are you getting? What do you have now?

ultraman6970

52x15? well... try 50x15, 52 it is too much... I think that u race in London, ontario, right? The track wont let u go faster even if u wanted to, thats the problem with super small tracks... well let us know what happened with 52x15 then

CafeRacer

I will


New frame will be a secret. Im still lookn' around waiting for a calls back. My old True North is just way to flexxxy for me. Ask Goody what my take off looks like haha.