Gears are essential for all bike riders, but are you using them properly? In this video we show you how to avoid cross chaining, how to prepare for steep hills, what the correct cadence is and all the parts that make up a groupset on your bicycle.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 Our gears are one of the most crucial components on our bike.
00:02 Making sure they're running efficiently is not only key for our enjoyment,
00:06 but also for the lifetime of the bike itself.
00:08 Riding in the wrong gear can also be really inefficient for our riding performance,
00:12 which is probably the most important thing of all.
00:14 So here's our top 5 tips for getting the most out of your gears.
00:18 Gears
00:22 Gears
00:25 Gears
00:28 Gears
00:30 First of all, let's talk about the basics of gears.
00:33 You have two options when you do this.
00:35 You can make large changes, which revolve around the front two chainrings,
00:38 or smaller changes, which involve the rear cassette.
00:41 Your front cassette can come in many different types.
00:44 A standard, a compact, or a semi-compact,
00:47 which is a mix of the two.
00:49 The front chainrings are adjusted by using the left brake lever.
00:52 These shift the chain onto the smaller chainring for uphill or particularly steep sections,
00:57 and back onto the big chainring for downhill and flat efforts.
01:01 The right brake lever controls the rear cassette.
01:03 However, shifting it onto the larger ring makes the pedalling effort easier,
01:07 and the smaller ring harder.
01:09 But this allows you to put out more torque and consequently more speed.
01:13 Every bike may change gears slightly differently, depending on the brand.
01:17 But you'll get used to this after just a few rides,
01:19 and giving the gears a go by clicking through the systems.
01:22 Cycling Performance
01:27 Making sure that your front chainring and your rear cassette are working in perfect harmony
01:32 is key to cycling performance.
01:34 It's also really important for the lifetime of your bike that you don't cross-chain.
01:38 This can happen in two ways.
01:40 When the small chainring on the front and the smallest sprocket on the back
01:44 are both in use at the same time.
01:46 Or conversely, when the big chainring on the front and the biggest sprocket on the back
01:50 are both in gear when you are pedalling.
01:52 This can both stretch the chain and also cause mechanical damage,
01:56 meaning more replacement parts and more cost.
01:59 As a rule of thumb, use the rear cassette to make small gear changes.
02:03 Use the front chainring once you're starting to reach the extreme ends of the cassette.
02:07 Personal Preference
02:13 This can be personal preference, but a lot of riders do pedal a cadence
02:17 that isn't suited to their ability or the terrain they're riding on.
02:20 Getting on top of your cadence will mean you aren't chugging uphill on the big ring at 40 rpm,
02:25 or spinning yourself out on the small ring going downhill at 120 rpm.
02:30 As I mentioned, cadence can be a very personal thing,
02:33 but aiming for 80 to 95 rpm when riding on a flat road is a good cadence to aim for.
02:39 Gear
02:45 Gears are a great way to affect your pedalling rate,
02:47 but making sure you're aware of what's up the road ahead
02:50 is crucial for selecting the correct gear at that moment in time.
02:54 Making sure you are aware of any potential nasty ramps up the road
02:58 will give you the time to shift down a few gears or onto the small chainring.
03:02 This will ensure you don't come to a grinding halt.
03:05 Changing gear before you are on the climb is far easier for you and your bike,
03:09 whereas changing on the climb itself puts a lot of strain on the bike mechanism
03:13 as well as your momentum going up the climb as well.
03:16 Clicking through the gears one at a time also means you're less likely to have a mechanical,
03:20 whether this is by dropping the chain or jamming the gears altogether
03:24 if you try to make a lot of gear changes all at once.
03:27 Control
03:32 Being aware of your gears isn't just for climbs and descents.
03:36 When riding within towns and cities,
03:38 it is crucial to be aware of when you may have to come to a stop and push off again.
03:43 Always be aware that pushing a massive gear moving away from traffic lights or a junction
03:48 is going to be incredibly hard work and almost resemble a track start.
03:52 Instead, click through the gears before you come to a stop to a more manageable gear.
03:57 This means you can move away far more gently.
04:01 Those are our top tips for getting the most out of your gears
04:04 and do be sure to practice in a quiet area before you head out and try it out on the open road.
04:09 Thank you for watching and do let us know in the comments section
04:12 if you have any top tips for changing gears.
04:15 And don't forget to like this video and subscribe to the Cycling Weekly YouTube channel.
04:19 Until next time, we'll see you then.
04:21 [MUSIC PLAYING]