Changing the front (big) cog on a Cannondale CAAD 9 Optimo 3

Singing Mulefa

Hello,

As you can see from my very untechnically specific word usage of "big cog" I am pretty new to this cycling malarky...I am cycling everywhere now (as I have sold my car) so I want to undestand technical language as best as I can.

I got my brand new Cannondale CAAD 9 last night and cycled it home....it is rapid.... I have never used SPDs before and used them for the first time as well....Its like someone has taken away the keys to my clapped out volvo and given me the keys to an F1 car....the difference in speed is amazing! It actually made me laugh out loud when I overtook about 150 cars in the middle of carlisle stuck in rush hour traffic...Then I got to my first big hill and that is where the problem arose...

I can change up and down the gears at the back.....1 lever clicks the gears down (or up?) and the other brings the gears all the way back to the beginnning (like a reset).....The front however will not change....after clicking at the lever randomly (on the 13 mile journey to work this morning) it did change but then I could not change back (as I could not remember the specific lever I had pressed....)

I just asked my Year 10 class and one of the students told me that the derailier (is that how you spell that?) on the front cogs is not pushing the gear (chain) enough and so the bike does not want to change gear... I am going to take it back to the shop and ask at the weekend....meanwhile I have to cycle everywhere and not changing from the biggest gear will make hills hard.....and slows my time down massively...

1. Also how high should I take my tires in terms of psi? The shop put them up to 120 psi? Is this high enough.... I still felt a little bit of "sqidging" this morning when the tire seemed a little soft..

2. When cycling down hill I tried cycling in the hardest (biggest cogs....please correct me!) gear and I was not putting any power into the bike....do I need to spin my legs faster??

Sorry about the quantity of questions I am just interested in finding out how my bike actually works.

Kind Regards

Will

HungryCol

Hi Will,

This cycling malarky is great and I've never really been able to properly impart the wonders, excitment and feeling of whizzing on a road bike. Rolling by commuters in the morning is just the icing on the cake.

Congrats on your wonderful choice of machinery. A CAAD9 is a worthy road bike and Cannondale make the best alu frames in the world. You know you're riding quality craftsmanship.

It's Ok to call it the big cog on the front, I'd probably say the big chainring so whatever way you say it is fine. Your Year 10 seems to be right (aren't they always!). It's as though you click the lever to drop the front derailleur down and it moves but not enough to pop the chain back to the smaller ring. It should be a simple adjustment for your LBS (Local Bike Shop).

120psi seems loads but the limits should be on the tyre wall e.g. "max 125" etc. I have my front at 110 and rear at 120 (they're 700c x 25 - Continental Gatorskins) but they're cabable of taking more.

There's a whole debate on spinning v's grinding. Just choose whatever's comfortable for you. The more experience you get the better you know what suits you.

Col

STEFANOS4784

Also the biggest cog on the rear "set of cogs" should be the easiest to pedal and the smallest the hardest to pedal but vice versa for the front (don't ask why, i think it's just a miracle of nature ) so that might be why you can't get power down hills :?: :?