Breathing and those funny gear-things.

[forwater]

Okay, Cycle Chat. I have got two questions for you!

Before I give them out, though, here's my standard disclaimer. I'm a complete beginner (remember my post about the six-mile journey nearly killing me?), so what I say may induce face-palming. I don't do this intentionally! Your patience and goodwill is much appreciated.

Okay, so! My first question goes something like this:

What's your preferred method of breathing while you're on a bike? I seem to default to having a mouth gaping open wide like a fish. This is unfortunate because while it does let me get more oxygen with less effort, it makes me have hella dry mouth. When I do try to breathe with my mouth closed, I end up with a soaking wet upper lip, because my nose leaks.

Do you have this issue? If you don't, how do you prevent it?

And my second question is...:

My bike seems to be weird. It's got gears in two different places. It has gears on the back wheel, but then also in the middle of it where the chain loops to. I have got three different levels of 'gear' on the 'front' set of 'gears', and quite a few on the 'back' one. ... Is this normal? What's the purpose of this? Is there a name for this kind of thing, so that I can look it up?

On my bike, I've actually got two different 'shifters' on the handlebars. One controls the 'front' set of three 'gears', and the other controls the back wheel's set. I have no idea what the front ones are good for.


Thanks for your help.

 

[cyberknight]

You use the front gears in combination with the back gears to give you more usable gear ratios .

With a "triple " as it is called at the front you would use the gear closest to the bike for going up hill with the biggest one ( cleset to the wheel) to give you a very easy gear for going up hill.
For going fast you would use the front gear closest to the pedal and the back gear furthest from the wheel ( the gear with the least amount of teeth ) to give you a fast gear .
The middle ring at the front gives you a in between gear for more options of gear speeds.

You should try not to use the gears combinations where the chain is at an angle and could rub on other bike parts causing wear .

E.G.
Try not to use the front gear closest to the pedals with the gear at the back closest to the spokes and the opposite , close to the pedals at the front with the gear at the back furthest from the spokes.

As for breathing haha whatever i can get air in by , nose and mouth when getting uphills

 

[Spinney]

Can you do a 'snot rocket' yet? Gets rid of the runny stuff from your nose.

(Disgusting but effective, but try not to get snot on your clothes...)

 

[ThePainInSpain]

Breath IN through the nose, OUT via the mouth.

 

[HLaB]

I've never thought about breathing but I guess I must be doing it or I wouldn't be making this post. I don't think I cycle with my mouth completely open because of the bugs (I mean mobile protein supplements).

You've got a tripple, which is very common. You have the option to use the gears on the back at 3 different levels on the front. The smallest ring at the front gives you the option of a very low gear set, which is good for climbing hills but is no good for momentum on the flat/ downhill. The largest ring at the front is an exact opposite, it gives you a very high gearset which is better for momentum on the flat/ downhill but is too high for hills. The middle ring at the front give you an option of something in between this low and high, most folk spend the majority of their time in this ring, only switching to the small ring (low gears) for steep uphils and swiching to the big ring (high gears) for downhills. Once you have this sorted out you'll probably find your 6 miles a bit easier. Thing to watch out when you are in the big ring at the front don't be in the big cog at the back and visa versa, when you are in the small ring at the front don't use the small cog at the front; neither are good for your chain.
Good Luck

 

[Arch]

Okay, Cycle Chat. I have got two questions for you!

Before I give them out, though, here's my standard disclaimer. I'm a complete beginner (remember my post about the six-mile journey nearly killing me?), so what I say may induce face-palming. I don't do this intentionally! Your patience and goodwill is much appreciated.

Okay, so! My first question goes something like this:

What's your preferred method of breathing while you're on a bike? I seem to default to having a mouth gaping open wide like a fish. This is unfortunate because while it does let me get more oxygen with less effort, it makes me have hella dry mouth. When I do try to breathe with my mouth closed, I end up with a soaking wet upper lip, because my nose leaks.

Do you have this issue? If you don't, how do you prevent it?

Not a problem I have on a bike. Although when lying in bed I tend to default to mouth breathing, for some reason. Can't help much really, I'd suggest go with whatever stops you going blue, and if necessary wet your mouth often with a sip from a bottle.

And my second question is...:

My bike seems to be weird. It's got gears in two different places. It has gears on the back wheel, but then also in the middle of it where the chain loops to. I have got three different levels of 'gear' on the 'front' set of 'gears', and quite a few on the 'back' one. ... Is this normal? What's the purpose of this? Is there a name for this kind of thing, so that I can look it up?

On my bike, I've actually got two different 'shifters' on the handlebars. One controls the 'front' set of three 'gears', and the other controls the back wheel's set. I have no idea what the front ones are good for.


Thanks for your help.

The gears at the front do the same thing as the gears at the back. It'll help to understand why you have gears at all:

Gears are there to allow you to keep a comfortable cadence. Your cadence is the rate your feet spin round on, on the pedals. Without gears, then you would end up havng to grind your feet round slowly when going up hill, and sping them faster than actually possible to go downhill or at any speed. Gears alter the relationship between how fast your feet turn, and how often the rear wheel turns per revolution of the pedals, so that you an keep your feet turning at a relatively constant speed (cadence), but make the bike go faster or slower for that speed (cadence). (Does that make sense?)

The way gears work is to alter the relationship of the size of the cogs at each end of the chain. Many make do with one size at the front (these are called chainrings), and 7 or 8 at the back (sprockets). These have 8 speeds. Others have two or three chainrings, and will be called something like14 or 21 speeds (2 or 3 times 7 for example). So what you get is more finely spaced options to tailor the speed of the bike to your cadence. The littlest ring at the front gives you the lowest ('easiest') gears, the bigger ring the higher ('harder, faster') gears.

So, in practical terms: most of the time you will probably be using the middle ring of your three, and work up and down the gears at the rear as you need them - lower gear for going uphill, higher gear for going fast. However, if you think you'll run out of low gears - you're tackling a long or steep hill, you can change down to the little chainring, and get a lower set of gears. If you're flying long and feel you could go faster, change up to the larger chainring, and you'll get some higher gears.

Personally, I tend to be in middle most of the time, and if going up hill, and I get down to 2rd, and can see that the hill carries on, or gets steeper and I'm going to struggle, I go to the smallest chainring, and that usually is enough, but I still have my very bottom gear if I need it. You'll soon learn what looks like you'll cope, and what you think you'll need a lower gear for. Some people prefer to move chainrings earlier, and have more gears in hand. My larger chainring barely gets used - I'm not fast! The thing is to look ahead, and see what's in store and plan your gears.

As cyberknight says, you should avoid gear combnations where the chain is at a severe angle - the smallest chainring and the smallest sprocket, and the largest and largest. You shouldn't need these combinations, because they are actually duplicates of the gear ratios you have on the middle ring anyway.

Really, the best thing is to go out and try. Go and find a quiet bit of road, and play with your gears. Sit in a middle gear and change the front shifter, and feel the difference. Then find a bit of a hill, and try changing down a couple of rear gears and then the front gear and see what feels comfortable. Then find a flat bit, and try changing up in various combinations. You will find out what feels best for you, and unless you're planning to take up professional racing, all that matters is what's comfortable for you.

I could probably have saved all the typing by just giving you the standard tip: look up Sheldon Brown's website.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears.html


And enjoy your cycling!

 

[Crackle]

It doesn't matter how you breathe. I'm a mouth breather because like you my nose ceases to function. So instead I ride mouth open with a look of permanent suffering on my face. I hate snot rockets so I carry tissues and clear my nose every now and again.

As said the front chain wheels are if you like, your coarse adjustment and the rear your fine adjustment. Small front, hill climbing, middle, probably used most and you'll normally leave the chain here until you are stronger, big for flat road, wind behind you and downhill. Rear just change to suit the terrain, bigger equals easier. The idea is to use the gears to keep the same rhythm so your legs go around at a constant pace and don't go at whizzy speeds downhill or grinding pace uphill - Use your gears!

 

[Thelma]

Thanks for the clarification on gears. I wondered if I was doing it right by staying mostly in the middle of my 3 big cogs. I've come to think of them gears (possibly incorrectly) as 3 gears, but with the option for lots of fine-tuning. (I have 21 in total)

 

[biglad]

My breathing seems ok when I'm cruising along, but as soon as I hit a hill I'm in trouble. I shift down to my wimpiest gear and once thats exhausted, I have to resort to swearing at myself until I get to the top. Really nasty words as well. I don't say them very loud in case there are people around, but it helps. So, in through the nose, swear through the mouth and you're sorted mate!

 

[Rebel Ian]

Thanks for the clarification on gears. I wondered if I was doing it right by staying mostly in the middle of my 3 big cogs. I've come to think of them gears (possibly incorrectly) as 3 gears, but with the option for lots of fine-tuning. (I have 21 in total)

What you'll find though is whilst you have 21 many of them are the same or almost the same gear ratios.

 

[forwater]

Thanks for the help! I've been keeping the chain on the smallest of the three 'front gears' just because I had no idea what to do with the 'front gears'. I understand better now. Thanks!

And I'll try the nose-in, mouth-out thing. You're all a huge help.

 

[Globalti]

Try hanging the bike from a ceiling or turning it upside down and messing around with different gear combinations white turning the pedals; you'll soon get the idea.