Gears
sarahb193
Posts: 11
in General Chat
congrats on taking the plunge, Sarah! As a newbie myself, I was told when I bought my bike to take it back 4-6 weeks later for re-tightening of cables, which stretch naturally, so need resetting. Could be that?
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I would get the shop to check that the gears are set up properly; with todays mechanisms they should just jump to the next gear with only a thunk[:)] The only time you could make it grind is if you are moving to a bigger sprocket of chainring and push the lever slowly or not far enough.
David
thanks.
- Any firm Do Nots with the bike, anyway? - Anything stupid I should avoid doing? Teach yourself biking's a lonely business...
thanks! great to have somewhere to help navigate these obstacles!
The biggest DO NOT with cycling is Do not fall off[8D]
Talk to some of the guys on here about clipless pedals[:D] Try always to release your foot before the bike stops moving[:)]
David
I think a couple of copies ago 220 mag had a good article about gear shifts that could be worth a read,but it I dont remember it recalling the actual how, just the when (hills and corners etc).
Thanks, BonusB. Useful advice, and I'll work on it. - Will see if I can dig out that copy of 220 mag, and build more technique work in.
Just scouting about here, it also sounds as though it might just be bad combinations of gears, front to back. Guess I need to play around with it all. - Difficult, at the moment, to tell what's just New and Strange, and what's Wrong...
Maybe off the bike and then inadvertently kicked out of the clipless once I hit the ground [:-]
Think the guys have got it spot on so far, I would hazard a guess that if you're new to cycling & tri that you're almost definitley pedalling too slowly in too hard a gear.
Get yourself in the gym & find a cadence between 90-100rpm, you'll drop naturally into a rythm & then try and take that out on the road with you.
When on the road, try to keep that cadence steady by using the gears & learn to change up before the effort kick in when hit by wind or hills.
Overall tho' it's all practice, but also get those gears checked in a shop!
General advice I've heard is if your in the small ring on the front then avoid the last two (smallest rings) on the back.
When your in the big ring on the front avoid the first two gears on the back (largest).
Some micro management of the shifters is possible to reduce rattling and thus wear and tear.
Needless to say I'm now hooked and will be back for more.
S
I've just signed up to do the South Coast Sprint distance in a few weeks. any tips for that?
South Coast does laps for the bike and run so you can use them to gauge your speed and work out if you are set to get your target times and alter accordingly. I'm racing down there too so good luck with it.
Ed
I actually went swimming at Seaford where the swim will be for the South Coast, the water was pleasantly warm, the only challenege you will have is with the waves, swimming out there is cimpletely different. It was quiet choppy when I went out, meaning you had to climb up waves then got to surf down them, huge fun, but you do get slapped around physcially by some of the bigger rollers out there. And you'll have to contend with other swimmners. The long and short of it is that you shouldn't be suprised to find that getting into a rythm is quiet difficult. Great fun though! Oh and depending on which way the tide is running be prepared to find one leg of the swim harder than the other; find out before hand so you can adjust your pacing accordingly. I found the swim in easier, though I was swimming when there was no tide (Or rather noticable current).
Most of all have fun! Wish i could be there for it as it looks like a great place for a race. I'll be off dragon boat racing!
The bike and run look like they will be quite flat (I'd guess flatter than London) but outside of that I cant tell you much I'm afraid.