Really dumb question about changing gear on a bike!

Billy-no-Money

Re the cable - that makes sense. Modern cables don't really stretch, but might need re-adjusting a few weeks after fitting. Once that's done it may well not need to be touched again.

I'm not going to try to recommend a bike as I know nothing about the 'classic' styles, especially Pashley - something to bear in mind with the more affordable Pashleys is that they only have a three-speed hub. If it's just the style you want, there are alternatives such as the Dawes Duchess.

Weight is only an issue for hill climbing and acceleration - once you're rolling it doesn't make much difference. I'd suggest sticking with your current bike for a while until you build up your basic cycling fitness, and only then test riding new bikes.

PasturesNew

I'm glad you asked.... gears confuse me too as I had a trigger-gear bike in the 70s and now have something with confusing gears.... that don't "clunk" so I am never sure what I'm doing or why .... it'd be easy if one handlebar did one thing and the other did another ... instead, they both "click" in 1000 tiny clicks all the way round.

I just randomly spin the handlebars round on both sides .... and have no idea what I'm doing .... and it's all a bit cr4p.

What I'd like is somebody to go out with me to explain them - and cycle beside me to see what I'm doing and explain what I should be doing. As that won't happen, I'll be just randomly twisting both handlebars back/forth until "something happens that I can live with" as usual

silverwhistle

Talking of changing gears...:D .. I've been trying to adjust the indexed Shimano rear mech on a second hand bike I recently bought, and failed, partly due to general incompetence and ignorance but also a generally rusted mech including screws and adjusters.

Can anyone recommend a reasonable supplier/model for bits; doesn't have to be high-end as the bike is just used for local transport.

The_ICT_Engineer

Try the http://www.woollyhatshop.com/
Good prices, fast delivery

Techno_Mystic

HurdyGurdy wrote: »

There is one particular hill I encounter on my way to work, which most people would just sail up. But being old, fat and unfit, it is taking a bit of a major effort for me to get up it.

I wouldn't over-do it on a six geared bicycle myself. It would be a struggle to get up anything but the shallowest hill with only six gears. You need at least 18 gears to climb a hill.

I know that somebody said that lots of gears doesn't really make any difference, but you definitely get a few more lower gears. I recently changed from an 8 geared to a 21 geared bike and I can get up hills that I used to walk up now.

Just my opinion from my experience anyway.

ceredigion

Techno_Mystic wrote: »

I wouldn't over-do it on a six geared bicycle myself. It would be a struggle to get up anything but the shallowest hill with only six gears. You need at least 18 gears to climb a hill.

I know that somebody said that lots of gears doesn't really make any difference, but you definitely get a few more lower gears. I recently changed from an 8 geared to a 21 geared bike and I can get up hills that I used to walk up now.

Just my opinion from my experience anyway.

complete tosh
you only need one gear as long as its the right one. Having 21 just means your more likely to have the one you need. My personal best for a 25 mile tt was done on a bike with a fixed wheel, one gear.

BillJones

ceredigion wrote: »

complete tosh
you only need one gear as long as its the right one. Having 21 just means your more likely to have the one you need. My personal best for a 25 mile tt was done on a bike with a fixed wheel, one gear.

Which is why the cyclists in the Tour de France all have fixed gear bikes...

The "right" gear depends on the gradient of the road. You do not want the same gear foor going up Rosedale Chimney as you do going down it.

Even when I ride on the velodrome, and so have no choice but to have a single gear and fiixed wheel, I still understand that I could be far faster with a choice of gears. YOu cannot accelerate very well in the same gear that lets you hit your maximum possible sprint speed.

Marco_Panettone

Techno_Mystic wrote: »

I wouldn't over-do it on a six geared bicycle myself. It would be a struggle to get up anything but the shallowest hill with only six gears. You need at least 18 gears to climb a hill.

I know that somebody said that lots of gears doesn't really make any difference, but you definitely get a few more lower gears. I recently changed from an 8 geared to a 21 geared bike and I can get up hills that I used to walk up now.

Just my opinion from my experience anyway.

Just because you have 'more' gears it doesn't mean that they are the right ones - you need to look at the top and bottom end of the choices. Having more in between just means smaller jumps from one gear to the next.


It's perfectly possible to have 6 gears with a wider range than you could have with 21+ tightly-packed gears.

Marco_Panettone

BillJones wrote: »

Which is why the cyclists in the Tour de France all have fixed gear bikes...

The "right" gear depends on the gradient of the road. You do not want the same gear foor going up Rosedale Chimney as you do going down it.

Even when I ride on the velodrome, and so have no choice but to have a single gear and fiixed wheel, I still understand that I could be far faster with a choice of gears. YOu cannot accelerate very well in the same gear that lets you hit your maximum possible sprint speed.

Which is why you'd use a different gear for sprint races and endurance races. Just because you can't change gear on the bike it doesn't mean you can't change THE gear on the bike. It's the same for the pros - they'll ride with different gears on the bike through the Alps than they would on sprint stages. Horses for courses.

missprice

While this is at the top of the forum, can I also ask a dumb question about cycling.

Am about to move further from work and thinking about using the bike to get there and back instead of walking. So

My OH tells me that I ride the bike wrong. I put my feet too far on to the pedals and push the pedals with the wrong part of my foot. I should be using the ball of my feet to pedal and I don't. I also prefer the seat a bit lower so when I am stopped I can put my feet flat to the floor. This too seems to be a terrible cycling sin.

My point is that its not a race I am in, simply a 2 1/2 mile to work and same back. What difference can it possibly make to me to push with the correct part of my foot and have the seat a bit higher?