when to change gears?

Paul said:

I am relatively new to cycling - 4 months - and I am training for a
triathlon. Whether you are going uphill or down or on flats, when should
you change gears? Does it depend on energy exertion level or cadence or
both or something else?

Many thanks!

It varies somewhat depending on the situation, but I usually change
gears to maintain a high cadence. When I was just starting, I would
focus on the effort required of my legs, and would shift up when I
felt little to no resistance on the pedals, and shift down while
ascending hills. Toughest thing was to down shift at the right time
(not too early and not too late). I was never training for a
triathlon, though, so you may need to employ different techniques.

Paul said:

I am relatively new to cycling - 4 months - and I am training for a
triathlon. Whether you are going uphill or down or on flats, when should
you change gears? Does it depend on energy exertion level or cadence or
both or something else?

Many thanks!

Change gears when it feels like you are in the wrong gear. Or when the
terrain in front of you indicates that you will soon be in the wrong
gear. Cadence and thus gear selection is almost entirely a personal
preference, so just find what is comfortable for you. If the gear
feels too light, it is too light. If it feels too heavy it is, or you
are tired! In other words, a gear selection is wrong only if it feels
wrong.

Have fun!

Joseph

<[email hidden]> wrote: (clip) a gear selection is wrong only
if it feels wrong.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
A friend, who is bigger, stronger and younger than me, started riding
off-road with me. Because his legs are powerful, he felt best in taller
gears. I generally went to higher cadences, and had little trouble keeping
up with him. He said that when he geard down, he didn't feel enough
resistance to make him feel he was applying himself. Eventually, he learned
to go to higher cadences, and I had trouble keeping up. So, what FEELS
right may not always BE right.

I suggest that you ride with someone better than you, and listen to their
advice.

On Jun 8, 12:16 pm, "Leo Lichtman" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

<[email hidden]> wrote: (clip) a gear selection is wrong only

if it feels wrong.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
A friend, who is bigger, stronger and younger than me, started riding
off-road with me. Because his legs are powerful, he felt best in taller
gears. I generally went to higher cadences, and had little trouble keeping
up with him. He said that when he geard down, he didn't feel enough
resistance to make him feel he was applying himself. Eventually, he learned
to go to higher cadences, and I had trouble keeping up. So, what FEELS
right may not always BE right.

I suggest that you ride with someone better than you, and listen to their
advice.

But in fact different folks have different optimal cadences. There is
no one right answer. So, I 'd agree with a middle postion. Go with
what feels best based on some experience.

"Leo Lichtman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

<[email hidden]> wrote: (clip) a gear selection is wrong
only if it feels wrong.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
A friend, who is bigger, stronger and younger than me, started riding
off-road with me. Because his legs are powerful, he felt best in taller
gears. I generally went to higher cadences, and had little trouble
keeping up with him. He said that when he geard down, he didn't feel
enough resistance to make him feel he was applying himself. Eventually,
he learned to go to higher cadences, and I had trouble keeping up. So,
what FEELS right may not always BE right.

I suggest that you ride with someone better than you, and listen to their
advice.

SOunds like good advice - thanks.

Paul said:

"Leo Lichtman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

<[email hidden]> wrote: (clip) a gear selection is wrong
only if it feels wrong.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
A friend, who is bigger, stronger and younger than me, started riding
off-road with me. Because his legs are powerful, he felt best in taller
gears. I generally went to higher cadences, and had little trouble
keeping up with him. He said that when he geard down, he didn't feel
enough resistance to make him feel he was applying himself. Eventually,
he learned to go to higher cadences, and I had trouble keeping up. So,
what FEELS right may not always BE right.

I suggest that you ride with someone better than you, and listen to their
advice.

SOunds like good advice - thanks.

It has all been good advice so I'll just throw in mine, FWIW.

I generally try to ride in as high a gear that still allows me to
accelerate in that gear by increasing my cadence.

Spinning out in top gear or slogging in the lowest gear are the two
obvious exceptions. Otherwise, I want to feel that I'm always pulling
chain but able to pull more instead of downshifting for every hump in
the road, wind gust or immediate traffic situation.

White knuckle bombing down hills on mini bikes or just sitting back
feeling the breeze or tightly tucked stretching your envelope, or
just enjoying and acknowledging the sweet return on your climbing
investment, are also pleasurable ways to ride without pulling chain.

Try 'em all.
--
zk

Zoot Katz said:

just enjoying and acknowledging the sweet return on your climbing
investment, are also pleasurable ways to ride without pulling chain.

Try 'em all.
--
zk

That's my favorite 🙂

Quoted message said:

Paul said:

I am relatively new to cycling - 4 months - and I am training for a
triathlon. Whether you are going uphill or down or on flats, when should
you change gears? Does it depend on energy exertion level or cadence or
both or something else?

Many thanks!

Change gears when it feels like you are in the wrong gear. Or when the
terrain in front of you indicates that you will soon be in the wrong
gear. Cadence and thus gear selection is almost entirely a personal
preference, so just find what is comfortable for you. If the gear
feels too light, it is too light. If it feels too heavy it is, or you
are tired! In other words, a gear selection is wrong only if it feels
wrong.

In general that is certainly true. The one thing you might think about,
though, is that as a new cyclist your cadence may be lower than optimal.
Many (not all) experienced cyclists maintain a cadence of around
90-100rpm, perhaps a bit lower on hills. This is faster than would seem
natural, so if your current cadence is more like 60rpm you might
consider taking the advice above with one change: as a training
exercise, stay in gears that feel a little low, and work to keep the
cadence up.

--

David L. Johnson

"What am I on? I'm on my bike, six hours a day, busting my ass.
What are you on?"
--Lance Armstrong

"David L. Johnson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Paul said:

I am relatively new to cycling - 4 months - and I am training for a
triathlon. Whether you are going uphill or down or on flats, when
should
you change gears? Does it depend on energy exertion level or cadence or
both or something else?

Many thanks!

Change gears when it feels like you are in the wrong gear. Or when the
terrain in front of you indicates that you will soon be in the wrong
gear. Cadence and thus gear selection is almost entirely a personal
preference, so just find what is comfortable for you. If the gear
feels too light, it is too light. If it feels too heavy it is, or you
are tired! In other words, a gear selection is wrong only if it feels
wrong.

In general that is certainly true. The one thing you might think about,
though, is that as a new cyclist your cadence may be lower than optimal.
Many (not all) experienced cyclists maintain a cadence of around
90-100rpm, perhaps a bit lower on hills. This is faster than would seem
natural, so if your current cadence is more like 60rpm you might consider
taking the advice above with one change: as a training exercise, stay in
gears that feel a little low, and work to keep the cadence up.

--

David L. Johnson

"What am I on? I'm on my bike, six hours a day, busting my ass.
What are you on?"
--Lance Armstrong

Thanks - all good advice. BTW, I really like and tell a lot of people that
quote from Lance Armstong.

Thanks.

i change gears whn my body tells me--i try to keep up a steady
cadence--never trained for a trilathone

hashed out my knees with a fast cadence--took 3 years to get over it--i no
longer push my body other than swimming

hth
peter

"Paul" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am relatively new to cycling - 4 months - and I am training for a
triathlon. Whether you are going uphill or down or on flats, when should
you change gears? Does it depend on energy exertion level or cadence or
both or something else?

Many thanks!

i ahve no idea, how old you are or what kind of shape you are in--but i
hashed my knees using a high cadences

make sure your read gear cassett has no drastic changes in gear teeth
number--should be a stead slop from large to small

hth
peter

"David L. Johnson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Paul said:

I am relatively new to cycling - 4 months - and I am training for a
triathlon. Whether you are going uphill or down or on flats, when
should
you change gears? Does it depend on energy exertion level or cadence or
both or something else?

Many thanks!

Change gears when it feels like you are in the wrong gear. Or when the
terrain in front of you indicates that you will soon be in the wrong
gear. Cadence and thus gear selection is almost entirely a personal
preference, so just find what is comfortable for you. If the gear
feels too light, it is too light. If it feels too heavy it is, or you
are tired! In other words, a gear selection is wrong only if it feels
wrong.

In general that is certainly true. The one thing you might think about,
though, is that as a new cyclist your cadence may be lower than optimal.
Many (not all) experienced cyclists maintain a cadence of around
90-100rpm, perhaps a bit lower on hills. This is faster than would seem
natural, so if your current cadence is more like 60rpm you might consider
taking the advice above with one change: as a training exercise, stay in
gears that feel a little low, and work to keep the cadence up.

--

David L. Johnson

"What am I on? I'm on my bike, six hours a day, busting my ass.
What are you on?"
--Lance Armstrong

seems like he is avoiding something--like marathon runners--the longer they
run is a reflextion of some underlying psychiatric problem

i would rather use the 6 hours to look for ass instead of busting it

hth
peter
"Paul" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"David L. Johnson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

On Jun 8, 4:30 pm, "Paul" <[email hidden]> wrote:
> I am relatively new to cycling - 4 months - and I am training for a
> triathlon. Whether you are going uphill or down or on flats, when
> should
> you change gears? Does it depend on energy exertion level or cadence
> or
> both or something else?
>
> Many thanks!

Change gears when it feels like you are in the wrong gear. Or when the
terrain in front of you indicates that you will soon be in the wrong
gear. Cadence and thus gear selection is almost entirely a personal
preference, so just find what is comfortable for you. If the gear
feels too light, it is too light. If it feels too heavy it is, or you
are tired! In other words, a gear selection is wrong only if it feels
wrong.

In general that is certainly true. The one thing you might think about,
though, is that as a new cyclist your cadence may be lower than optimal.
Many (not all) experienced cyclists maintain a cadence of around
90-100rpm, perhaps a bit lower on hills. This is faster than would seem
natural, so if your current cadence is more like 60rpm you might consider
taking the advice above with one change: as a training exercise, stay in
gears that feel a little low, and work to keep the cadence up.

--

David L. Johnson

"What am I on? I'm on my bike, six hours a day, busting my ass.
What are you on?"
--Lance Armstrong

Thanks - all good advice. BTW, I really like and tell a lot of people
that quote from Lance Armstong.

Thanks.

make sure your rear cassett has no major difference in gears --should be a
constant angle--this way when you shift you do not have to alter your
cadence--i suspect mine is the same as my heart beat --about 70 times a
minute

hth
peter

"Paul" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am relatively new to cycling - 4 months - and I am training for a
triathlon. Whether you are going uphill or down or on flats, when should
you change gears? Does it depend on energy exertion level or cadence or
both or something else?

Many thanks!