Gearing question

ilovegrace

I use a 12 - 30 9 speed ali cx bike for winter and a 11 -28 10 speed on my summer carbon.
My winter riding consists of 8 x 13 miles and 1 x 45 on hilly terrrain.
I use the 34 x 30 a lot on the hillier climbs.
My question is should I be using the 34 x 30 gearing when i have 34 x 28 on my summer bike?
My theory was that my with my winter bike been a good bit heavier than my summer the gearing between both bikes would be the same difference . am I right or should I be using the 34 x 27 ratio (mind this would hurt on some of the climbs) .
Or put it another way is a 34x30 on a alicyclo cross bike the same as 34 x 28 on avery light weight bike.
regards
ILG

DiscoBoy

Use whichever gear is most efficient for you at the time, having two bikes is irrelevant to this.

For gear calculations, use this:
http://sheldonbrown.com/gears/

earthvspace4XTuUWcX

You are thinking too deeply about this. Just ride in whatever gear feels right at the time, whatever bike you are on. In general it makes sense to have a slightly lower gearing on a winter compared with a summer bike because, they tend to be heavier, you are more likely to encounter strong head winds, and you may not be quite so fit. I would leave your set up as it is.

rolf_f

xdoc wrote:

You are thinking too deeply about this. Just ride in whatever gear feels right at the time, whatever bike you are on. In general it makes sense to have a slightly lower gearing on a winter compared with a summer bike because, they tend to be heavier, you are more likely to encounter strong head winds, and you may not be quite so fit. I would leave your set up as it is.

In addition to this, the cold air is denser and reduces your speed. You could make a case for putting the lower gears on your summer bike if you were using it at this time of year let alone the winter one.

But basically, as above, if the gears feel right then they are right.

ilovegrace

Many thanks chaps.
I am probably overthinking as I do in most things.
Just want to improve in my cycling knowledge and understand what is happening when I ride.
After runing for 25 years I didnt need a watch or HRM I new what effort I was putting in.
Do not get me wrong ,I still know when I am blowing out of my A**e on the bike .
regards
Mark

simon_e

xdoc wrote:

You are thinking too deeply about this.

That could apply to nearly every question on this whole forum. People love to overcomplicate things when really the answer is often simple.

Mark, whatever gearing you have you need only worry when it's not working for you. I have a triple on my normal bike, MTB triple on the winter hack and a 52/39 double on the race bike, but I just find a gear that works (without cross-chaining).

I'd recommend you think about your pedalling style and cadence. Try to make it smooth and efficient, most of the time the noise of the tyre on the road should be steady rather than a louder swish on each downstroke (mashing). A smooth, efficient pedalling style while keeping your upper body still is worth working at. Gadgets are nice but they aren't entirely necessary. You should also be able to get a feel for how hard you're working, there are times when RPE can be more useful than watching a HRM.

Lots of useful articles on this very website, and I think GCN's "How To" series are excellent:
http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/
http://www.youtube.com/user/globalcyclingnetwork/videos