General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Bike Gears Rss Feed  
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2015-02-10 5:08 PM

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New user
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Kingston, Ontario
Subject: Bike Gears
So i have been doing some online studying to try and find out the importance of the gears on my bike. Now i have figured out what all my gears are, far as degrees or how many inches i go forward. i also notice that some are very similar to each other however I'm having a hard time understanding the importance of these gears . Just wondering if maybe anyone has some good articles to read online or even some books i can purchase to better educate me on the gears and importance of the gears and in turn to make me a better cyclist, Any help would be awesome. Cheers.


2015-02-10 7:52 PM
in reply to: 0

Master
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Northern IL
Subject: RE: Bike Gears

That sounds like a lot of work to do. It can be nice to know the history, but what all are you looking to get out of it? Generally people tend to stick with operation of. Maybe swapping parts a little to move the available range around some. I really don't know anyone who uses gear inches anymore. Just the size and ratios as wheels have been fairly standard size for some time.

ETA: And I really hope this doesn't come across as harsh as I've been analyzing and interpreting a lot of stuff today. 



Edited by brigby1 2015-02-10 7:53 PM
2015-02-11 6:50 AM
in reply to: zombie2212

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Champion
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Tacoma, Washington
Subject: RE: Bike Gears

If I remember correctly, "gear inches" actually refers to an equivalent diameter high-wheeler, given the gear ratio that you're in. Archaic, and really only relevant in finding which gear is actually the next closest ratio when doing sequential shifting. XT Di2 and some proposed wireless systems use sequential shifting (shifting both the front and rear derailleur simultaneously to get the next closest gear ratio), but in practice, most people just travel up or down the rear cluster until they run out, and then shift the front and adjust accordingly.

Having a wider range in back can be helpful in avoiding having to do a lot of front shifting, at the expense of having larger differences between the gears. Trade-offs and personal preferences...

2015-02-11 7:29 AM
in reply to: zombie2212

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Member
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Groningen, Netherlands
Subject: RE: Bike Gears
Things to know about gears:

More teeth on the front: Bigger (heavier) gear.
More teeth in the back: Smaller (lighter) gear.

If you want to know specifically how fast you can go in which gear, then I suggest you google Sheldon Brown and or Gear Calculator, it will you so long as you provide the gears, the wheelsize, and the cadence. Sheldon Brown's site in general is a great resource for anything bike tech related, I can't imagine you will need to know more than what is on his site.
2015-02-11 1:33 PM
in reply to: zombie2212

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Vancouver, BC
Subject: RE: Bike Gears

Gear inches are useful. Talk to a track racer. 

2015-02-11 1:33 PM
in reply to: jeng

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Pro
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Subject: RE: Bike Gears

Sorry I don't have anything helpful to add. You got some great advice already.



2015-02-11 1:36 PM
in reply to: zombie2212

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Pro
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Vancouver, BC
Subject: RE: Bike Gears

Ok, I do have something helpful to add that may be relevant to your post.

Because of the overlap in the gears, when I shift from the small ring to the big ring, I usually shift up a cog or two in the back (easier) before I do it, and then vice versa, down a cog or two in the back before shifting from the big ring to the small ring.

2015-02-11 1:55 PM
in reply to: jeng

Master
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Northern IL
Subject: RE: Bike Gears

Originally posted by jeng

Gear inches are useful. Talk to a track racer. 

Jen, you might be the only track racer most people on here know. (Or maybe it's "closest to"?)

2015-02-12 8:47 AM
in reply to: zombie2212

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Veteran
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Calgary
Subject: RE: Bike Gears
I'm not sure what you mean by the importance of gears. I think it's more important to understand how to use gears than it is to understand a lot of technical detail. I don't know if this answers your question and maybe you know these things already but my own rules of shiftig are something like this...
- Shift often. If you think that maybe you should change gears, then change gears.
- Shift early. When you start up a hill you want to avoid shifting so late that the motion of your legs grinds to a halt because you're in too high a gear
- Avoid cross chaining. (Inside gear in front, outside in the back and vice versa)
- Shift gears to keep your cadence in a comfortable / effective range.
- Do most of your shifting with the gears in back. Shift gears in the front chainring to accommodate significant changes in terrain or slope.
- Some gear combinations may be close to other gear combinations using different chain rings. However these are all still useful because they help provide a useful range of accessible gears without excessive shifting in the front chain ring.
2015-02-14 9:35 AM
in reply to: 0

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Resident Curmudgeon
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Subject: RE: Bike Gears

Originally posted by donw I'm not sure what you mean by the importance of gears. I think it's more important to understand how to use gears than it is to understand a lot of technical detail. I don't know if this answers your question and maybe you know these things already but my own rules of shiftig are something like this... - Shift often. If you think that maybe you should change gears, then change gears. - Shift early. When you start up a hill you want to avoid shifting so late that the motion of your legs grinds to a halt because you're in too high a gear - Avoid cross chaining. (Inside gear in front, outside in the back and vice versa) - Shift gears to keep your cadence in a comfortable / effective range. - Do most of your shifting with the gears in back. Shift gears in the front chainring to accommodate significant changes in terrain or slope. - Some gear combinations may be close to other gear combinations using different chain rings. However these are all still useful because they help provide a useful range of accessible gears without excessive shifting in the front chain ring.

That's a good set of tips. Regarding the "shift often" part, I strive to maintain a relatively steady cadence, in my case around 90rpm. If the effort becomes hard enough to slow down the cadence then I shift to an easier gear. If the effort becomes so easy that my cadence speeds up to around 100+, then i shift to a harder gear. To measure cadence you can count, or buy a cycle computer that has a cadence sensor/readout, Eventually you will get a good sense of what your most efficient cadence feels like, and won't have to measure anymore.



Edited by the bear 2015-02-14 9:36 AM
2015-02-14 7:24 PM
in reply to: donw

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New user
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Kingston, Ontario
Subject: RE: Bike Gears
Originally posted by donw

I'm not sure what you mean by the importance of gears. I think it's more important to understand how to use gears than it is to understand a lot of technical detail. I don't know if this answers your question and maybe you know these things already but my own rules of shiftig are something like this...
- Shift often. If you think that maybe you should change gears, then change gears.
- Shift early. When you start up a hill you want to avoid shifting so late that the motion of your legs grinds to a halt because you're in too high a gear
- Avoid cross chaining. (Inside gear in front, outside in the back and vice versa)
- Shift gears to keep your cadence in a comfortable / effective range.
- Do most of your shifting with the gears in back. Shift gears in the front chainring to accommodate significant changes in terrain or slope.
- Some gear combinations may be close to other gear combinations using different chain rings. However these are all still useful because they help provide a useful range of accessible gears without excessive shifting in the front chain ring.



This is kind of what i was looking for. I think i was over thinking the gears. I do change gears when necessary and i don't cross over. i think i was just lost to why some people stress the importance of knowing your gears but it does seem quite simple. Thanks for all the input everyone





2015-02-15 3:44 AM
in reply to: the bear

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Co Louth, Ireland
Subject: RE: Bike Gears

That's a good set of tips. Regarding the "shift often" part, I strive to maintain a relatively steady cadence, in my case around 90rpm. If the effort becomes hard enough to slow down the cadence then I shift to an easier gear. If the effort becomes so easy that my cadence speeds up to around 100+, then i shift to a harder gear. To measure cadence you can count, or buy a cycle computer that has a cadence sensor/readout, Eventually you will get a good sense of what your most efficient cadence feels like, and won't have to measure anymore.




Totally agree here - I've always shifted alot and thought I was pretty good at maintaining a steady cadence but I recently bought a cadence sensor and have found that it helps a huge amount more with keeping a steady cadence - makes longer rides easier and also helps make turbo sessions more effective by not allowing me to slack off!
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