Question on gears

[mrs fry]

As you will know from my other posts, I'm new to cycling and would like to know more about gears. On my left I have numbers 1, 2 and 3. On the right I have numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. I know that for going up hills you need to be on a lower gear such as 1 or 2 and for straight roads a higher gear. Most of my commute is a straight main road and I use gear 5 on the right and gear 2 on the left.

My legs do ache quickly but if I go on a lower gear then if feels as though I have no resistance in the pedals and I wobble. I also can't get up hills even if it's on a low gear. And it makes rattling noises when it's on lower gears.

Help?!

 

[Arch]

Ok, first of all, you need to find the cadence that suits you. Cadence is the rate at which your feet spin round. Everyone differs a bit as to what they find right, but you ideally want to have your feet spinning fairly freely, rather than pushing hard (ie grinding, left right left right). On the other hand, you don't want to be spinning so fast that you feel no resistance and you're rocking about on the saddle and wobbling. Somewhere between 80-100 revs per minute, if you want to try and count....

So, find what's right for you. Your 2 and 5 is probably about right for on the flat, but if your legs ache quickly, try running on 2 and 4. The reason to have gears os so that you can maintain your comfortable cadence - IE, keep your feet spinning at that nice rate, whether going up or down hills.

The following is what I tend to do. Other people may have different tactics, and it comes down to what suits you.

When you come to a slight upwards gradient, change down one on the right hand, so you're on 2 and 3. If it gets steeper, try 2 and 2. Basically, you want to try and keep your feet spinning round at about the same rate - the bike will slow down, but it's more comfortable for you. I find that I can do most of my riding in 2 and 4, with 2 and 3 for slight hills (and starting off), 2 and 2 for steeper hills and then I go for broke and change down the left hand to 1, so I'm on 1 and 2. At that point, I have one low gear left in the box, and I'm going so slowly I might as well get off and walk.... But I get up most things. Other people like to change down the left hand earlier. Find what suits you. If you can, change a little bit in advance, rather than wait until your feet start to slow down too much - it's just easier on your knees, and keeps your momentum going.

Down hill of course, you can change up - 2 and 4, 2 and 5, 3 and whatever - depending on how fast you are prepared to go. Alternatively, freewheel and enjoy the rest!

The main thing to remember is not to run the chain so that you are on 1 and 6, or 3 and 1 - this means that the chain is running at a sharp angle from front to back, which is inefficient, and bad for the chain, and probably noisy. Those individual ratios will be attainable with some other combination of gears anyway.

Have a look at the bike, and you'll see it. You have three rings at the pedal end, the biggest of these (on the outside) is the high gear, the smallest (inside) the low. At the back, on the wheel, you have 6 cogs, the biggest (inside) is the low gear, and the smallest (outside) the high. Running biggest to biggest or smallest to smallest is the no-no. From the middle ring at the front (your number 2 on the left hand), you can probably run from 1 to 6 on the right without too much problem.

Does that make sense? You can come at gears from a mathematical point of view, but in my experience, feeling what's right for you is the very best way, because everyone differs a bit.

Rattling in lower gears might mean your derailleur mech, front or rear, needs an adjustment. A good local bike shop will be able to help.

 

[gavintc]

You are quite correct in what you say. Drop down the gears to make it easier to pedal when you start to climb or head into wind. Your 1,2,3 in your left hand change the big sprockets at the front and the 1-6 on your right hand do the same for the back ones. It take a bit of time to get the hang of it. Imagine that you leave the left gear in 2. Now, when you start driving a car, you start in 1st gear and you move more quickly, you change up to 5th gear. Your bike works the same, move through the gears smoothly as you get faster.

With regard to the rattling. Your gears are connected to the hand control with a cable. This stretches little each time you use it and eventually, your gears are not getting the correct pull on this cable. As a beginner, I would suggest taking it to a bike shop and they will tune it for about £5-10. If you are confident look at sheldon brown's web site for advice.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gearing/index.html

or Park Tool

http://www.parktool.com/repair/

 

[Arch]

Me again... If you struggle to make it up a hill, persevere. Once you are using your gears right, it really comes down to getting used to it. I live in York, which is dead flat, so when I go anywhere hilly, I struggle at first until I get my 'hill legs' back. Whereas people who live in very hilly areas seem able to fly up with no effort.

Do the same hill every day and you'll find that gradually you'll get further and further as time goes by. There's no shame in having to get off and push - you've only just started, and it can be jolly hard work!

 

[mrs fry]

I've just realised that using a mountain bike for road riding though is probably the reason it's all going wrong for me.

 

[gavintc]

There is an adage. Hills never get easy, you just get up them faster. I was out with the club today and I was struggling at times. Thighs burning, heart rate way too high. It can be hell, but it does feel good.

I know you are a beginner and sometimes it can be so daunting. There is no embarrassment taking a little break half way up, we have all done it. Hills hurt.

You will notice that

 

[potsy]

Me again... If you struggle to make it up a hill, persevere. Once you are using your gears right, it really comes down to getting used to it. I live in York, which is dead flat, so when I go anywhere hilly, I struggle at first until I get my 'hill legs' back. Whereas people who live in very hilly areas seem able to fly up with no effort.

Do the same hill every day and you'll find that gradually you'll get further and further as time goes by. There's no shame in having to get off and push - you've only just started, and it can be jolly hard work!

Listen to Arch some cracking advice there.
When should you feel shame Arch? I've been at it 9 months now and my big hill is still killing me.

 

[gavintc]

There is an adage. Hills never get easy, you just get up them faster. I was out with the club today and I was struggling at times. Thighs burning, heart rate way too high. It can be hell, but it does feel good.

I know you are a beginner and sometimes it can be so daunting. There is no embarrassment taking a little break half way up, we have all done it. Hills hurt.

 

[Arch]

I've just realised that using a mountain bike for road riding though is probably the reason it's all going wrong for me.

There are possibly things about the bike that are making it harder. The good news is, you can probably change some/most of them.

1. Does it have knobbly tyres? Change them for more slick ones. Knobbles stick to the road, so you're riding through glue. I have Schwalbe Big Apples myself. And whatever tyres you have, keep them pumped up nice and hard. Think of the difference betwen walking along hard sand on the beach, and walking along the soft stuff.

2. Does it have suspension? Front only, or front and rear? If it does, can it be 'locked'? If you have suspension and it's bobbing when you're pushing hard, you're wasting energy. If you can lock it, it that helps. If it doesn't have suspension, then that's a plus.

Just changing the tyres could make a big difference.

Once you've done some more, and know you're committed, it'll be worth thinking about whether you want to change bikes. But for now, improve the one you have, if you can. Plenty of folk use MTB's for commuting, or as a hack to take to the pub or a winter bike. Including me!

 

[Arch]

Listen to Arch some cracking advice there.
When should you feel shame Arch? I've been at it 9 months now and my big hill is still killing me.

Never. Hills are right buggers. They get steeper, you know.

To add to Gavin's adage a bit - hills don't get easier, but you start to recover quicker at the top. I may be puce by the summit, but one turn of the pedals over the top and it's all better. Also, I think some people just are better at hills, but I bet they can't do some of the stuff I can...


Like...


um...


knit?

 

[Arch]

There is no embarrassment taking a little break half way up, we have all done it.

My problem is, if I have to stop, I'm down to bottom gear, and I'll never get going again in that gear, I just twiddle and fall over. Once I've stopped on a hill, I'm walking to the top.

But it happens less often than it used to.

 

[PpPete]

Lots of good sense here....

Just one thing, if you find having two sets of numbers is confusing....

Think of the left shifter as having LOW (=1) MEDIUM (=2) HIGH(=3)
Then within each of those you have some "fine tuning" that you can do with the numbers on the right shifter.

 

[jimboalee]

Reading the description of your route on your other thread, you haven't got any hills, except if you have to ride up Upper Gungate; and that's not steep, 4% max.

Your bike is the ticket. There is a network of cycle paths through Tamworth and you will short cut through the underpass and across Lady Bridge. Mind you, Holloway has a nasty little kick in it.

 

[Andy in Sig]

Hills can be a bit disheartening if you get off and walk up them. There is, however, a way to turn this around psychologically (at least it works for me). If I get knackered on a hill, I stop but don't walk. I wait until I get my breath back and carry on and then repeat as necessary. Pretty soon you are stopping less frequently going up a given hill and then the day comes when you manage it in one, which is a great boost and helps you gain the mental toughness to make yet more progress.

 

[summerdays]

With gears - try not to grind ... which is when you push really hard and go a reasonable distance for each rotation of the pedals, you want to try to do the opposite which is spin a bit more. So instead each rotation of the pedals is easier but you have to do more of them. (This also relates to your other post about toning). Apparently grinding is equivalent to becoming a sprinter type of body - big muscles, whereas spinning is more like the Marathon runners body. At first spinning feels a bit odd but give it a go and see if it suits you (it doesn't suit everyone).

I don't feel I explained that very well. But I did find gears difficult at first - small numbers make it easier to turn the pedals and are used to go up hills, whereas the bigger numbers are used to go down hill. And the difficult one to remember: change down to a smaller number as you approach traffic lights or junctions where you are going to stop.

And if you have to get off and walk on a hill - so be it... just note where it was and try and make it your goal to get 10m further up the hill next time. And the first time you make it to the top - the sense of achievement is brilliant.