Safe Speed Forums

Now I know seasoned cyclists are au fait with my basic series here – but I am more concerned about those who bought bikes in the aftermath of terrorism hype and newcomers to cycling. I have only briefly touched on the subjkect of gears and am really hoping some old hands (and new chaps who ride bikes) will add with seasoned commuting tips.

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Like everything else ... models change. Gearing change and I have now now lost count of the number of indincents cause by ignorance and complacency.

It goes without saying that if you really understand your car's handilng,bnike's handling, you avoid mishaps. And any good driver, bker, cyclist really understands his/her mode of transport, mechaniscs and handling.

Again - I address the basics and my post is again a combined plagiarism if you like of Durham'sP Bicycling Police handbook and Franklin's Cycle Craft which was "required reading" for us



They do say you never forget to ride a bike....

Um.. in the good old days perhaps

OK - so to the pearls of some wisdom and I know people will chip into this

CHANGING GEAR

Techniques for gear change do depend on whether you have hub or derailleur gears Hub gears can be changed whilst freewheeling but not when applying pressure to pedals. The advantage is that you then have less to worry about in traffic and you do not have to gear down on approach to traffic lights. However, to ensure momentum on hills – you must change down.

Hub gear changes are straightforward enough – you change as you briefly stop pedalling.

Derailleur gears are where we have the problems – or appear to run into problems and a lot of accidents occur because people have not been responsible enough or felt awkward at asking for lessons. This type of gear requires changing whilst you are pedalling and this means you have to be able to anticipate hazards or occasionswhen you need a lower gear. To change gear – you continue to pedal, but ease up on the pressure – to keep it swift and smooth.

I would really recommend a session with a CTC approved instructor to get to know gears. In heavy traffic conditions it is essential to be able to select a new gear quickly, smoothly and quietly.

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

Derailleur gears are what most of us use.
Gears are there to allow you to pedal at more or less constant revolutions regardless of road speed as this is more efficient and easier on your poor muscles and joints.
Shimano or Campagnolo: loads of gears, most of which you don't use. I have a 9-speed cassette with triple chainrings. I virtually never use the largest chainring except downhill with a following wind. The same applies to the top 2 or 3 sprockets on the cassette. For efficiency you need to keep the chain run as straight as possible and anyway lots of the gears overlap. So, for instance, you don't want to be on the smallest chainring and one of the smaller sprockets.
The difference between Shimano and Campag, assuming you use the much more convenient STI levers, is that with Campag you press a thumb lever to change up the cassette for a higher gear or down the chainrings for a lower gear (I might be wrong as I have had Shimano on both bikes for a couple of years) but with Shimano you have a second small lever behind the brake lever. On the right hand side you push the small lever to the left to change up the cassette and push the brake lever to the left to change up the cassette. On the left hand you push the small lever to the right to change down the chainrings and the brake lever to the right to change up.
If you jump from Campag to Shimano or vice versa you get confused!

To get a clean change apart from proper adjustment you need the cassette, chain and chainrings to be clean and in good condition. I generally change the chain every 2000 miles in winter use and 3000 in summer use. Cassettes and chainrings last about twice as long as chains, despite the manufacturers recommending that you change all 3 at once.

A minor but significant point is that the steel cables expand and contract according to the ambient temperature and this can put your adjustment out.

As In Gear says it is important to change gear early and reduce the pressure on the pedals as you do so. If you get into a position on an uphill section where you are hardly turning the pedals, you will stop moving forward and if clipped into pedals with SPD or Look devices will gracefully fall over still attached to the bike.

Nick.. what can I say other than to my attempts to improve cyliung techniques and makedirvers a bit more "au fait" with why SAFE and WISE cyclists do things the numpty brigades don't understand!

Thank you for adding experienced aznd seasoned words of wisdom to my posts - especially as you probably ride in commuting traffic more than I do..

We'd welcome any anecdotes from you (and all cylclists) in effort to learn and improve from all road user point of view.

I know Ted cannot commute by bike given his job,, and his wife Vrenchen can tire suddenly on a long slog because of her past.

She's game, sporty and does not admit defeat as most will discern from the rather feisty and cheeky posts But she does accept her stamina limits as they stand at the moment....


As for rest of us - speaking on behalf of entire family - we work a bit too far away for it to be realistic and job./professions also dictate to us commute-wise

But thank you for some excelllent advice. The forum needs your sensible input and we do need others like you. (hint to lurkers -don't be shy and please do not think that a fair argument against speed cameras means a cavalier and callous attitude. to road safety

We are really concerned about road safety for ALL road users.

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.