Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

forum
road.cc bike forum

Swapped from fixed wheel to geared bike!

by kieren_lon
Sun, Aug 27, 2017 19:53
4

12 years on a fuji track (steel / classic) running 70 gear inches and 1.31 stack to reach ratio.

I have replaced it with a Canondale CAAD12 105 which is a bit more roomy at 1:41 stack to reach ratio.   I feel a lot slower on the CAAD but also haven't ridden over the last few months.

 

Any tips for skilling up with gears?  (even if they migth be obvious)

 

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

Add new comment

4 comments

Avatar
CXR94Di2 | 7 years ago
0 likes

Gearing= change early for gradient changes. Spin for endurance. Get fit again and use a more aero position to get higher speed. But I guess by buying a more relaxed setup, outright speed is not your over riding concern?

Avatar
Welsh boy | 7 years ago
0 likes

Just enjoy riding it, use your gear to keep your revs in a comfortable zone (you dont drive your car all day in one gear and then tell your mates how cleaver you have been letting it grunt up a hill in the wrong gear so why do it on your bike?).

Forget Strava and all that sort of crap (if you want to be competative ride a race), just enjoy the ride, you will soon adapt to gears and wonder why you ever rode fixed anywhere other than on a velodrome.

Avatar
alansmurphy | 7 years ago
0 likes

Spin spin spin.

After a fixed it will feel un natural and slow, depending on what you want to do in the future may determine your style but just bloody spin. As a former commuter and single speed enthusiast, I took great pleasure in turning a heavy gear and have a natural cadence of 73 2 I used to love attacking the bottom of a hill trying to power up and grinding at the top. Bloody stupid.

Spinning uses the cardiovascular system and puts less strain on the fast twitch muscles in the legs, instead sharing the load. So to keep yourself in the saddle and recover better, have a nice spin in easy gears.

Also, for motivation, use something like Strava. Pick yourself 2 or 3 routes (maybe a short flat blast, a big hill and some intervals) and measure your progress.

Most of all, enjoy and keep turning those pedals...

Avatar
kieren_lon replied to alansmurphy | 7 years ago
0 likes

alansmurphy wrote:

Spin spin spin. After a fixed it will feel un natural and slow, depending on what you want to do in the future may determine your style but just bloody spin.

Thanks.  I have noticed I'm slower - I used to easily be able to hold 22mph and spin up to 28mph with realitive ease.  On the new bike I struggle to hold 19 mph.    I think part of that might not be being efficient on the pedal stroke (on the fixed I can be lazy and the momentum guides me).

My comfortable cadence typically on the fuji was around 110 once I got moving.  
I think I do about the same cadence on the CAAD12 but don't have any zip-ties yet to move the sensor

-----

Welsh boy wrote:

Just enjoy riding it, use your gear to keep your revs in a comfortable zone...
... if you want to be competative ride a race

Good advice, thanks.   I've been out twice around a 4km , quiet road, route on a local park & I'll be doing that for the mean time as thats all I can do.   It's popular with roadies so I tried to follow a few and match cadence and hopefully gearing and watch what they do for corners.

 

I have a running background so am aware of polarized training, progressive overload and being in  the right zones.  However of course all of that went out the window on the new toy and yeterday and this mornings 20k efforts were zone 4 which I'm sure I'll feel later. Your reference to a comfortable zone brings me back to reality.

I am actually keen to do a race at some point.  That is the reason I got the CAAD12, however my fitness and nike handling need a fair bit of work so maybe next year.   It's definately on the radar 1

Today I was a bit better on the gears, down shifting for corners and lights.  

Latest Comments