shifting tech

Tim 4706 said:

What is the most efficient way to shift your bicycle? I own a new Trek 1500 and im having a little trouble understanding how and when to shift to get the best results on hills when I get in with a group I always seem to be droping back but then I have to work hard to catch up. Is there any way to learn the proper way to shift correctly?

Anticipation is key. If you are going to be hitting a steep climb, make sure you have shifted to the appropriate gear before you become bogged down in the larger gear you are currently riding in. The same goes for cresting a hill. Shift into a higher gear sooner so you are not spinning out. That is one way you can gain some distance on inexperienced riders. It takes some time to get used to knowing what gears you will need.
~Nick

ccrnnr9 said:

Anticipation is key. If you are going to be hitting a steep climb, make sure you have shifted to the appropriate gear before you become bogged down in the larger gear you are currently riding in. The same goes for cresting a hill. Shift into a higher gear sooner so you are not spinning out. ...

Tru 'nuff, but also watch out for the beginner habit of down shifting too soon and giving away all your momentum. You definitely don't want to stall in too big a gear but I see folks dropping to their small rings at the fist sight of a hill and going backwards while the more experienced riders maintain their momentum a bit longer and gain bike lengths. Tune into your cadence, it'll naturally drop as the slope increases, but you don't want to let it drop too far out of your power zone. I'll let my cadence drop into the mid '70s on longer hills but not much lower unless it's just too steep and I've run out of gears.

daveryanwyoming said:

Tru 'nuff, but also watch out for the beginner habit of down shifting too soon and giving away all your momentum. You definitely don't want to stall in too big a gear but I see folks dropping to their small rings at the fist sight of a hill and going backwards while the more experienced riders maintain their momentum a bit longer and gain bike lengths. Tune into your cadence, it'll naturally drop as the slope increases, but you don't want to let it drop too far out of your power zone. I'll let my cadence drop into the mid '70s on longer hills but not much lower unless it's just too steep and I've run out of gears.

Yeah-especially over short rollers. Match your speed to the group and stay on the wheel in front as much as you can!!! Its too easy to go "this hurts and I'm gonna get dropped if I stay in this big gear" shift back and think your going to outspin the group!! Now-on very long climbs you have to pace yourself and if you know you need to get immediately into your personal rythm then you can drop off the group as long as your confident your steady pace will catch them as you get over the top.

Roll into the hill and let your cadence drop before shifting to the small ring. You may also wish to shift to one harder cog at the same time to better cope.

What the previous posters say is correct. I should have made that clear in my explanation. One thing I learned last season doing lots of crits is to set yourself up in a gear that is easy enough to spin but still provides enough power. This is so that if the group is to speed up, you can maintain their wheels without having to shift right away. This is not to say that this is always possible, but it is good to experiment with what gearing you are able to comfortably accelerate in. That is one reason it is good to be comfortable at different cadences.
~Nick

ccrnnr9 said:

That is one reason it is good to be comfortable at different cadences.
~Nick

So true-so true!! I am training myself to do that all the time. My biggest issue is I like to spin 95 to 105 and so many times I find myself tiring because to stay on the wheels of the group thats speeding up (like on a false flat) I am getting up to 120 cadence and getting nowhere!!