What gear?

Dr S
Dr S Posts: 146
edited January 2009 in Road beginners
Just been out for a few miles (second time ever) on the road bike and I'm puzzling the following.

What gear would one normally cruise in? I stayed round big ring and number 4 at the back. Should I use this much cross over? The bikes a Cannondale Caad9 with a compact double.

Nick
Kona Kula Supreme, the hardtail
Scott Spark 20 the softtail
Cannondale CAAD9 the roadie

Comments

  • 2Fast4Love
    2Fast4Love Posts: 123
    Shouldn't be any problem with that.

    For normal use I'd generally avoid the smallest 2 on the rear with the smallest on the front, and and the biggest 2 rear with the biggest on the front. The rest are fair game if you're set up correctly.
    Rides a Cannondale Synapse 105.
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Focus on cadence, not what gear you're riding - you should aim to keep a constant cadence of 80-90 rpm - it will be difficult to keep this up at the beginning, but is physiologically the most efficient. This may drop on steep hills.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • pneumatic
    pneumatic Posts: 1,989
    +1 for the cadence advice.

    Also, when starting out, it is tempting to turn too big a gear so that your legs are under strain. It took me a long time to learn to spin, rather than push.

    As for cross-over, I generally try to avoid combining the biggest chainring with the biggest sprocket and the smallest with the smallest, but otherwise, use the full range.

    Fast and Bulbous
    Peregrinations
    Eddingtons: 80 (Metric); 60 (Imperial)
  • GavH
    GavH Posts: 933
    +1 on the advice to spin rather than push. If you haven't got one already, get a computer of some kind with a cadence sensor.
  • softlad
    softlad Posts: 3,513
    or just count the revs against your watch as you go along...??

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