Using the gears properly

rumbataz
rumbataz Posts: 796
edited December 2011 in Road beginners
I have a GT ZUM S2 and it has three round things at the front by the pedals and eight round things on the rear wheel. This gives me 24 gears and i've had a play around in the short cycle runs i've done so far to get used to changing the gears.

However, I think I read somewhere that you should not cycle in particular gears (for example, when the chain is on an edge round thing at the front and on the opposite edge round thing at the back). Is this correct? Is there an easy-to-understand guide to the do's and dont's of using the gears on a bike?

Comments

  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    It just wears the gears out a little quicker.

    There's a fair amount of overlap between all the gears so the 'cross chaining' combinations are easily avoided.

    Shifting when putting in a lot of power through the chain isn't ideal either.

    Other than that, go nuts.
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    "Round thing".... Is that the technical term?! Personally I try to avoid crossing the chain (from largest chainring at the front to largest 2-3 sprockets at the back, or smallest to 2-3 smallest). As Rick says, many argue that this wears components more quickly. Also, even though you have 24 gears, in reality there is a lot of replication in ratios, so it's not 24 separate gear ratios...
    Do not write below this line. Office use only.
  • Read this -

    http://sheldonbrown.com/gears.html

    and bookmark the site it's invaluable for beginers.
  • Hi cadseen - may I ask do you think (or find) there is any any quicker wearing of any components with using all the cassette sprockets on the bigring ? I ask cause I would like to do it myself to avoid front changes on short hills but avoid it on the general principles that it best to avoid the extreme chain angles.
  • John.T
    John.T Posts: 3,698
    Best to avoid the big/big combination. Once you are there any change to a lower gear is a problem. And you don't always guess what gear you will need right. Better to get in a good gear on the small ring early and keep the options open. Also big/big is the most crossed over gear and powerful riders have been known to fold rings.