High or Low gearing?

notlongnow

Find what's comfortable for you

simon_masterson

Lower gears with higher cadence (90rpm is the magic number, apparently) is generally thought to be more efficient (I'm not an expert and can't quote any studies), but not too high. For a road racer changing speed frequently, that matters. For a time triallist on a short, flat course, lower cadence and bigger gears may be preferable; TT bikes very often have bigger chainrings and smaller rear cogs to facilitate closer ratios. If the course isn't hilly then the climbs may be out of the saddle; short climbs are manageable on 42x18-21.

But as said above, find what works for you: your terrain, your pace and the duration of your rides.

dav1d1

Is the smaller gears, small front big back? Am a total newbie and just learning about the gears and the best ones to be in and not cross chaining etc

Monty Dog

If you're planning on riding longer distance, then spinning a low gear fast is more economical, plus it doesn't put as much stress on the muscles and therefore reduces muscle fatigue. Spinning gears also works your cardio-vascular systems harder, so better if you're working on fitness. Pushing a big gear too hard will simply tire you out quicker.

jgsi

Spinning over 110 - 120 plus is surprising the amount of watts you can actually turn out .. at least on the turbo.
I get untidy at 135 revs.
If I grind then there is a significant risk of flooding the leg muscles and I wont be able to respond to any accelerations.

markhewitt1978

Dav1d1 wrote:

Is the smaller gears, small front big back? Am a total newbie and just learning about the gears and the best ones to be in and not cross chaining etc

That's exactly right.

sloppyschleckonds

JGSI wrote:

Spinning over 110 - 120 plus is surprising the amount of watts you can actually turn out .. at least on the turbo.
I get untidy at 135 revs.
If I grind then there is a significant risk of flooding the leg muscles and I wont be able to respond to any accelerations.

So would it be better to train within the 60-140rpm range?

jgsi

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

JGSI wrote:

Spinning over 110 - 120 plus is surprising the amount of watts you can actually turn out .. at least on the turbo.
I get untidy at 135 revs.
If I grind then there is a significant risk of flooding the leg muscles and I wont be able to respond to any accelerations.

So would it be better to train within the 60-140rpm range?

Thats entirely down as to how you respond to higher or lower cadences.
Again, it has been said that a proficient cyclist should be able to go from 50 to 100 ++ cadences as a matter of skillset.
Personally I may go down to a low cadence when pushing as big gear as I can on a flat timetrial but in road races it is all about being on the button should an acceleration occur.
yes, if you try on turbo with a power meter attached, it is sometimes eyeopening as to how many watts you can push in a seemingly innocuous gear but really revving it.

Sprool

Since I got a cycle computer with cadence I've found what works best for me, it feels most efficient and sustainable when cruising on the flat or gentle uphill at 85-90, so I now set cadence display all the time on the computer and choose the gear that allows me to stay in that range and effort load. For long steep climbs I have to drop to about 70-75. ONe guy I ride with regularly is much stronger in the legs than me and his natural cadence is way slower than mine. Another guy who is a lot fitter and faster than me rides at around 95 all the time. Depends on your build and your fitness.