Big ring fever?

[jimboalee]

I got the geared bike out 2 days ago (I've been riding s/s for the past 6 months ish). Firstly, for some reason I was in more pain than usual. And I'd 'forgotten' how to spin up a hill in a low gear - it just felt wrong. Though spinning a high gear on the flats and descents was easy.

Are there any lessons to be learned?

 

[Davidc]

I hardly use the big ring, even now I've lowered the tourer's gearing.

I find I use the middle one most of the time (32 with an 11-32 cassette) and really only need the big one (44) going downhill with a following wind.

With some very steep hills round here including a number of 1 in 3s I do sometimes use the 22 chain ring. I'd be quite content with a double with 22t and 36t instead of the triple, and may look into it when and if I wear out the present rings.

 

[jimboalee]

I hardly use the big ring, even now I've lowered the tourer's gearing.

I find I use the middle one most of the time (32 with an 11-32 cassette) and really only need the big one (44) going downhill with a following wind.

With some very steep hills round here including a number of 1 in 3s I do sometimes use the 22 chain ring. I'd be quite content with a double with 22t and 36t instead of the triple, and may look into it when and if I wear out the present rings.

Erm... 44T is not a 'big ring', its a medium sized one with a small ring and a teenie-weenie ring next to it.

My new bike has a 42/34/24 chainset and the chain is on the 42T exclusively.
I have had a recce of the 34 ring but the 24 ring hasn't been oil smudged yet.

There is a 20% hill in Redditch. I can get up it on a 30x25 700C sports bike, and I'd like to know what the 24x32 feels like under load, so I'm off over there Friday maybe.

My favourite carpark with its 25% spiral ramp has been demolished.

33% hills are 'walkers' in my book. The speeds are not dissimilar, so why waste energy with all that balancing act stuff?

 

[Chrisc]

33% hills are 'walkers' in my book. The speeds are not dissimilar, so why waste energy with all that balancing act stuff?

33% hills are for admiring from a distance..

 

[Davidc]

Erm... 44T is not a 'big ring', its a medium sized one with a small ring and a teenie-weenie ring next to it.

My new bike has a 42/34/24 chainset and the chain is on the 42T exclusively.......

33% hills are 'walkers' in my book. The speeds are not dissimilar, so why waste energy with all that balancing act stuff?

Depends on the rider whether it's big! You're probably stronger and younger than I am, the effects of time passing are a bit depressing!

With my bodily state (and age?) it's as big as I can sensibly use.

Bigger rings were OK in my youth, when I could apply real force at lower cadence when needed but now I get on better with less force more often, a higher cadence.

There was a time 30 years ago when I rode up 33%, and stretched chains, but I'll agree now that anything steeper than 20% is really a walker, though I'll do short stretches of 25%. I find that if I tackle something too steep it knackers me to the extent that I don't enjoy the rest of the ride as much as I would have.

The 32 middle ring of the present chainset isn't quite high enough for me not to use the 44, but when I had a 38 with a 48 largest ring I don't think I ever used the 48.

Edit: Should have said that I reckon any speed lower than 3.5 mph means it's more sensible to get off and push.