Low gear or high gear.

[Beebo]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/videos/c20mvz631z8o

Just watching the GB women win gold again at the World Track Camps.

Here’s a question for all you boring pedants 😁.

Chris Boardman refers to them riding a ‘Super low gear’ (at about 24 seconds if you want to watch the video)
I know what he means being the lowest ratio and smallest rear cog, but in general conversation do you refer to your hardest gear as a low gear or a high gear?
I think most people would regard a low gear as the easiest one.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/videos/c20mvz631z8o

 

[Dogtrousers]

I think most people would regard a low gear as the easiest one

I certainly agree with this view, and so would much of the rest of the world, cycling and non cycling.

 

[figbat]

I concur. For me, "high" and "low" refer to the gearing ratio. High for speed, low for acceleration or climbing. The issue with bikes is that the "low" gear on a multi-speed cassette is on the "highest" (biggest) cog.

Chris Boardman refers to them riding a ‘Super low gear’ (at about 24 seconds if you want to watch the video)
I know what he means being the lowest ratio and smallest rear cog, but in general conversation do you refer to your hardest gear as a low gear or a high gear?
I think most people would regard a low gear as the easiest one.

What makes you think that Chris is referring to the gearing being "harder/longer" rather than "easier/shorter"?

 

[Ajax Bay]

A low gear is one where the gearing is lower: less turns of the wheel per turn of the cranks.
The three riders have different roles, different strengths, and therefore different gearing.
A super low gear implies the rider has chosen a higher cadence for their optimum efficiency (each in own role).
At (roughly race pace) 60kph the wheel needs to turn about 8 times a second (~480rpm).
So if the rider can produce best power for 15 secs at a cadence of 100rpm(say) then the gearing needs to be 4.8:1 (a 52/11 say).
Bear in mind the peak power needed by the lead off rider to get on top of that gear on the back straight: hence she will likely push a lower gear than the other two.
Lemond's quote comes to mind: “it never gets easier you just go faster”.

 

[slow horse]

View attachment 749445

That snow is going to make the road slippery.

 

[T4tomo]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/videos/c20mvz631z8o

Just watching the GB women win gold again at the World Track Camps.

Here’s a question for all you boring pedants 😁.

Chris Boardman refers to them riding a ‘Super low gear’ (at about 24 seconds if you want to watch the video)
I know what he means being the lowest ratio and smallest rear cog, but in general conversation do you refer to your hardest gear as a low gear or a high gear?
I think most people would regard a low gear as the easiest one.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/videos/c20mvz631z8o

very strange segue into you question given track bikes have only one gear?

and I doubt there is any debate on your question either. we all know what a low gear means

 

[Dogtrousers]

very strange segue into you question given track bikes have only one gear?

Not strictly true, they have multiple gears. But changing gear is not very easy or convenient.

 

[T4tomo]

Not strictly true, they have multiple gears. But changing gear is not very easy or convenient.

I;d say the have one gear, but that one gear can be changed, given the correct tools.....and almost certainly not whilst riding.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I;d say the have one gear, but that one gear can be changed, given the correct tools.....and almost certainly not whilst riding.

Oh definitely not while riding

 

[Dogtrousers]

Having watched it I think CB is using the normal sense of low gear. "Katie Marchant, getting them off the blocks ... super low gear, it got them off the blocks". KM's legs were whizzing round do presumably she had a low gear for the initial acceleration before she peeled off.

Although whether weedy normal people like us would find her gearing "super low" is a different question.

 

[ianrauk]

Low is slow

 

[Ajax Bay]

Marchant took 11.47 secs for the first 125m (0kph to ?) and <7.0 secs for the next 125m.
In her last half lap she averaged 64kph so with a 130" gear her cadence would need to be about 107 (I do not know what length her gear was: I guess they'd tipped Boardman off that a slightly lower gear was the plan, or he can just tell).
Riders 2 and 3 maintained that pace, give or take a couple of kph.
If Marchant chose a lower gear she'd have had to be pedalling even faster (and probably outside the peak of her power v cadence graph) - on the other hand a lower gear would've allowed her to accelerate faster, out of the gate.
No point for her to accelerate faster if the other two can't almost match her, or she will drop them: fine margins/balance.
Anyway: great ride.

 

[Alex321]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/videos/c20mvz631z8o

Just watching the GB women win gold again at the World Track Camps.

Here’s a question for all you boring pedants 😁.

Chris Boardman refers to them riding a ‘Super low gear’ (at about 24 seconds if you want to watch the video)
I know what he means being the lowest ratio and smallest rear cog, but in general conversation do you refer to your hardest gear as a low gear or a high gear?
I think most people would regard a low gear as the easiest one.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/videos/c20mvz631z8o

I agree, but I don't think he meant what you think. I think he meant that as the starter, who wanted to accelerate hard, she was using what for the track is a "super low gear" - though most of us would consider it a pretty high gear on the road. Her cadence was certainly pretty high.

 

[Sharky]

Lemond's quote comes to mind: “it never gets easier you just go faster”.

My quote would be "it never gets harder, you just go slower".

 

[Beebo]

I agree, but I don't think he meant what you think. I think he meant that as the starter, who wanted to accelerate hard, she was using what for the track is a "super low gear" - though most of us would consider it a pretty high gear on the road. Her cadence was certainly pretty high.

I think you’re right. I’ve misunderstood his gear reference. He actually regards her massive gear as being super low, so she gets off the line quickly.