Changing up or....down?

tackleberry
tackleberry Posts: 82
edited February 2010 in The bottom bracket
When out riding during a glorious afternoon, I got to speculatingthat when one changes gear what do the "cognoscenti" regard as changing up , does it mean changing to a higher gear (smaller sproket) or not? Cos I heard someone say it the other way round! Anyhow, changing to a faster (harder) gear is it up or down?


Oh and by the way..to the muppet Golf driver I very nearly ran into the back of whe ncrossing the Irthing Bridge this PM, thanks for the extra clipless drill which nearly ended up with me eating tarmac!! Dipstick!!

So gears which is it? Up or down?

T

Comments

  • Red Rock
    Red Rock Posts: 517
    Changing up is moving to a harder gear (moving to a smaller cog on the back or a bigger ring on the front).
  • skyd0g
    skyd0g Posts: 2,540
    +1^

    Even though changing up to a higher gear means 'moving down to a smaller sprocket' (on the rear cassette) it's still changing up.

    Why is it, when you try to explain some things clearly, they just sound wrong? :?
    Cycling weakly
  • pneumatic
    pneumatic Posts: 1,989
    the higher you climb, the lower the gear

    change down to go up

    Fast and Bulbous
    Peregrinations
    Eddingtons: 80 (Metric); 60 (Imperial)
  • Garry H
    Garry H Posts: 6,639
    "Gear" refers to the ratio between the sprocket and the chainring. Therefore moving up a gear means moving to a higher ratio.
  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    Look at the bottom of the cassette, the smaller cogs are higher up, so a harder gear is up. Simple!
    MTB/CX

    "As I said last time, it won't happen again."
  • cee
    cee Posts: 4,553
    should have gone to sheldons first...

    http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_l.html#low
    Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I believe in the future of the human race.

    H.G. Wells.
  • pneumatic
    pneumatic Posts: 1,989
    cee wrote:
    should have gone to sheldons first...

    http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_l.html#low

    Ah, indeed! Sheldon. gone but not forgotten!

    Fast and Bulbous
    Peregrinations
    Eddingtons: 80 (Metric); 60 (Imperial)
  • markwalker
    markwalker Posts: 953
    bails87 wrote:
    Look at the bottom of the cassette, the smaller cogs are higher up, so a harder gear is up. Simple!


    eh? not on any bike ive ever owned :)
  • Stewie Griffin
    Stewie Griffin Posts: 4,330
    markwalker wrote:
    bails87 wrote:
    Look at the bottom of the cassette, the smaller cogs are higher up, so a harder gear is up. Simple!


    eh? not on any bike ive ever owned :)

    Come on its quite obvious that he means after you have lay the bike on the floor on its non drive side :roll: :wink:

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