Do I use the wrong front gear?

hoohaar

Hi, ever since I started road riding (around a year ago) I have always use the small front ring a lot more than the large one. I pull away in the smaller front ring normally in the 3rd or 4th gear and than work my way up the gears and only really go to the large front ring when I'm belting it down a hill.

So is my technique wrong? Should I be starting in the large front ring? Or is it just a matter of individual preference?

geebee2

Depends a bit on your setup and where you cycle.

On one bike I have a 50/34 compact and use the small ring very rarely ( basically only on pretty steep hils ).

On my other bike I have a 53/42 and use the small ring quite a bit.

The cogs you have on the back also affect it - with some setups (say 11-28 with a 50/34 compact) you can stay in the big ring almost all the time, where with a 11-21 straight you are going to need the small ring much more.

inseine

You're doing it right. Try to keep your revs up (80 to 100 is a fair range) and just use whatver gear keeps you in that range. Most beginners use too big a gear.

ollyridesfirst

as stated above, it depends what you're running on....

then again, if you look at gear sizes....a 50/17 gear gives a size of 77.94 inches - a 34/12 gives 75.08 so there's not much difference. If you have a 34/50 crankset and a 12-25 cassette and you regularly get into the 12 gear on the cassette, there wouldn't be much difference in running the 50/17 gear and at least you'd have room either way to go higher and lower.

I tend to use the small chainring for hills and if i'm on a light training ride and want to have a high cadence....just out of interest, what is your cadence when in the small ring?

hoohaar

Ok cool, thanks for the replies. Am always keeping the cadence between 80 and 90.

hoohaar

This is my set up.

Drivetrain: Shimano Tiagra STI, Tiagra clamp on front derailleur, Tiagra rear derailleur, Tiagra compact, 50/34T crankset, HG-53 9-Speed chain, 11-25T Shimano cassette

So maybe I will try to get into the larger ring a bit more often to improve my speed.

ThatBikeGuy

I usually aim for between 90-100 rpm which puts me mid range on the big ring. I rarely drop to the small ring unless i am going up some long steep gradients.
I have 11-25 on the rear and i *think* 52-39 on the front though i may have to check that.

All personal preference, just ride how you feel comfortable riding and 80-90 cadence is about right for best efficiency/power.

rolf_f

ThatBikeGuy wrote:

I usually aim for between 90-100 rpm which puts me mid range on the big ring. I rarely drop to the small ring unless i am going up some long steep gradients.
I have 11-25 on the rear and i *think* 52-39 on the front though i may have to check that.

That's impressive or Cleveland is flatter than I though