Any Cyclists here?

[ZeferiniX]

What gear do you usually use before mounting and when settled on flat roads?

 

Just got my new MTB and an amateur in biking, my knee hurts like hell right now after 5km more or less using a 3 x 9 and I can't still figure what gear suits me, anything 3 x 7 is too slow and easy for my taste, it feels like carrying my whole legs rather than pedaling. Anyways, I'd like to hear what gears you use. 

[ZeferiniX]

I always leave my bike in 3rd range, and I'll start in 2nd in the back. Just riding around town, but going at a steady pace, Ill hang out in 5th or 6th.

 

Woah, 3rd in the front and 2nd in the rear? aren't you cross chaining? @_@ how many cogs do you have in your rear cassette?

[ofr057]

usally riding up hills i go with 2nd in the front 4th on the back.

I've got steep gearing on mine

 

also remember to use your whole leg when riding

[ZeferiniX]

usally riding up hills i go with 2nd in the front 4th on the back.

I've got steep gearing on mine

 

also remember to use your whole leg when riding

 

Quite heavy here, flat 100kg(220 pounds). When I first rode the bike, I used high gears(3x9 and 3x8) and wrong pedaling technique. Something like what you do when you stand on your pedals by putting your weight to the pedals for speed but the difference is I didn't dance the bike and was just sitting, damn it hurts

[bob345]

I just recently started getting back into biking. I try and get close to 7-10 miles of riding in per day if i have the time. Its much better once you condition yourself for it.

[W-L]

I can't really go biking in the weather we have now but in the summer Iusually vary from riding in forest trails to city streets, I have a 3x8 which works well for slower trails riding and keeping up with traffic in the city. I do find that the ratio is much more important though since I did have a bike that was decent but the ratio for the gears just didn't out for work for me.

[ZeferiniX]

Naw it works fine. Doesn't grind at all on the derailer (or anything else for that matter) in the slightest. Its got 3 in the front and 7 in the back.

 

Oic. Geez, I wonder what do they call this injury. It's right above the knee and hurts when bent. Not sure if patellar tendonitis but that's somewhat below the knee. Used to be both knees but my left has recovered while my right still hurts like heck.. 

[ZeferiniX]

I just recently started getting back into biking. I try and get close to 7-10 miles of riding in per day if i have the time. Its much better once you condition yourself for it.

 

I could hardly reach 4 miles and on the 1st day, I'm already in pain hahahaha, hope I get better

 

I can't really go biking in the weather we have now but in the summer Iusually vary from riding in forest trails to city streets, I have a 3x8 which works well for slower trails riding and keeping up with traffic in the city. I do find that the ratio is much more important though since I did have a bike that was decent but the ratio for the gears just didn't out for work for me.

 

Yeah, still looking for that right ratio. The last time I rode a bike years ago, it had a 2x5 and everything just feels right. When I came back to biking and got a 3x9, I can't find which works for me.. yet.. hopefully

[mr.skyrim_pc]

I ride my bike to school if that counts!

[bob345]

I could hardly reach 4 miles and on the 1st day, I'm already in pain hahahaha, hope I get better

 

 

Yeah, still looking for that right ratio. The last time I rode a bike years ago, it had a 2x5 and everything just feels right. When I came back to biking and got a 3x9, I can't find which works for me.. yet.. hopefully

the more you do it, the better it gets. Just go a bit farther each ride. Also, make sure you stretch before a ride. It really helps.

[W-L]

I could hardly reach 4 miles and on the 1st day, I'm already in pain hahahaha, hope I get better

 

 

Yeah, still looking for that right ratio. The last time I rode a bike years ago, it had a 2x5 and everything just feels right. When I came back to biking and got a 3x9, I can't find which works for me.. yet.. hopefully

 

Yeah it takes some adapting to when you use different bikes, but first time I rode the new bike I was like damn that old one was horrible, start of every spring getting back into biking: my legs I can't feel them! 

 

I ride my bike to school if that counts!

 

 Been a long time since I was able to do that.

[ZeferiniX]

I ride my bike to school if that counts!

 

Sure hahaha I'd like to do that one day   From my house to the university I'm attending is around 5 miles, damn I won't survive hahahaha

[BirdyTheMighty]

lol reading though this post i'm like wat the hell are they talking about with all dem figures :lol: . Yes i do ride my BMX bike, and thats all i know

[ZeferiniX]

the more you do it, the better it gets. Just go a bit farther each ride. Also, make sure you stretch before a ride. It really helps.

 

Was too excited to ride it when a LBS here finished assembling it and forgot to stretch a bit

 

 

Yeah it takes some adapting to when you use different bikes, but first time I rode the new bike I was like damn that old one was horrible, start of every spring getting back into biking: my legs I can't feel them! 

 

 

 Been a long time since I was able to do that.

 

Wish I could say the same but the last time I rode one was around 2006 or 2007? Became quite overweight so I thought of cycling before I get heavier, the doctors said the same also. They wouldn't advise gym or jogging because my knees would suffer. I hope this knee pain goes away before saturday, my PE class luckily is Mountain Biking every Saturday so I guess this is a good start. 

[Biased Opinion]

You want to maintain a high cadence, around 80-90rpm. If you sit in a high gear and push hard you will just destroy your knees. Drop in down to the middle of the cassette and spin faster.

[Trik'Stari]

I understand the whole exercise aspect to biking, but are the hotpants and sperm shaped helmet really necessary? And must you clog up the roads so much?

 

I live in a rural area with small roads, cyclists are something of a problem around here because they think they own the road.

[Biased Opinion]

Also as far as how often I used to ride is concerned, 3 years of riding to school, 12km there and 12 back 5 days a week. Then throw in racing bmx each week. I used to ride a lot. Have not done any real riding in over a year though. I need to rebuild my MTB

[Biased Opinion]

I understand the whole exercise aspect to biking, but are the hotpants and sperm shaped helmet really necessary? And must you clog up the roads so much?

I live in a rural area with small roads, cyclists are something of a problem around here because they think they own the road.

The Lycra and helmets make you go faster and this is a spot where things are won or lost by tenths of a second. Cyclists who don't move over when there is a car behind them are idiots

[Trik'Stari]

The Lycra and helmets make you go faster and this is a spot where things are won or lost by tenths of a second. Cyclists who don't move over when there is a car behind them are idiots

Yeah it seems like most of then around here think they have the right of way. While the law may or may not agree, you do not outclass a 2 ton piece of metal moving at 45+ mph, move the hell over. I get so tired of articles where some cyclist gets hit and people are like "OMG, HE WAS ON THE ROAD NOT IN A CAR AND GOT HIT? HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?!" pretty fucking obvious what happened...

 

And those outfits look ridiculous when you're just riding around on the roads and not actually in a race, just saying.

[Biased Opinion]

Yeah it seems like most of then around here think they have the right of way. While the law may or may not agree, you do not outclass a 2 ton piece of metal moving at 45+ mph, move the hell over.

And those outfits look ridiculous when you're just riding around on the roads and not actually in a race, just saying.

We have had this conversation about the idiots riding around where you live before.

Train in the gear you race in. Also the shirt breaths a hell of a lot better than anything else and the pants have padding in them to stop your ass getting destroyed by the seat on a ride.

[bcredeur97]

i tried cycling when I was younger... I had a lovely bike too. It was a specialized Allez sport something I cant remmeber... it had 9 gears in the back, and three up front. I put about 1000 miles on it and then I had to sell it. I was young (only 12 years old) and my parents never let me ride very far on it(unlike what I thought they would.. tough when u are wrong) ... so i spent a lot of time doing laps.

 

I did love that thing though... it was so perfect to ride. I would definetly buy another bike like it when I have extra money for one. Maybe get into cycling again. I enjoyed trying to go as fast as possible on it... even got a little dangerous sometimes like doing 35 (about as fast as I could go as a 12 year old lol) on a bicycle in a neighborhood

 

But as of now im broke. so just making do with what I have

[Thorium19]

Howdy there, lycra wearing road cyclist here.

As I have a couple of bikes, my normal commuter which I use when going to school is generally left in 3rd at the front, and 3rd at the rear. It's the easiest for me to use when I've got heavy panniers on my bike and I'm in my battered and baggy clothes.

On my road bike, it's generally left in 3rd at the front, and 5th at the rear. Before any other road cyclist wonders why I have 3 gears at the front, it's the campagnolo veloce 3 speed groupset, which is very useful for hill-climbing I find.

I do have a mountain bike, but I never use it as I hate going mountain biking unless it's the summer, plus I don't need it for commuting or road cycling.

My best suggestion for gearing, which road cycling pros do, is to ride in a lower gear at a higher cadence (higher rpm of the pedals) as it saves your energy a hell of a lot, meaning you can go faster for longer. Just because you can go into top gear, doesn't mean you should, as you'll only tire earlier. I've done it when mountain biking as well and it really is the best thing you'll ever do when you get used to riding with your feet doing 60rpm.

[xox]

Yeah, I cycle occasionally, recently spent a bunch on a bike but then realised it's winter and it's fucking cold outside.

 

Plus, it's scary when you have cars moving at 40-70MPH straight past the end of your driveway. Being side swiped is not a funny matter.

[cae]

[ZeferiniX]

You want to maintain a high cadence, around 80-90rpm. If you sit in a high gear and push hard you will just destroy your knees. Drop in down to the middle of the cassette and spin faster.

 

I'll try to experiment the rear cogs w/ the ring in the front fixed at the middle and try to get 90rpm early morning tomorrow and see what works for me, hopefully my knees will recover fully tomorrow, doesn't hurt that much anymore compared last 2 days where I could hardly go up any stairs, I think I really did some damage to my knees last 2 days