pepperbelly

I finally got out to ride today. The path around a local lake has a lot of up and down, sharp curves and several humped bridges with posts at each end and 90* turned before or after. It isn’t a place for high average speed but it’s close. It’s a good 6 mile loop.
There is a climb near the end no matter which direction you ride but one direction the climb is a little steeper. I did one lap in each direction and save the steep climb for last. I was getting a little tired and wasn’t thinking about anything but getting close to finishing. That climb hit me hard and I had to walk it up the last 50-60 yards. When I got to the top and got on my bike I realized that I had left the front derailleur on the big ring. I have been leaving it in the high range and it’s no problem going the other direction but this direction definitely needs the lower gear range.
Betcha I remember next time. 😎

Iride01 

In a month or so of regular riding, you'll be able to do it with no issue in the big ring. It's supposed to rain here for the next few days.

andrewclaus

Every week I meet a small group of senior men (70 +/-) for two laps of the 8 mile scenic loop at Saguaro NP. There are some 8% grades, one of them long. There's usually one guy who forgets to downshift, and everyone laughs.

One guy just started riding a couple years ago, and he laughs at the hills now. He says he thought they were mountains when he started.

Steve B.

There was a cycling pro in the 80’s, Sean Kelly or Stephen Roche, or somebody, who was known for his climbing skills, was asked his secret to ascending - “I put it in the big ring and spin”. Or something to that effect.

pepperbelly

I sometimes complain about this trail but the more I think about it the more I realize this might be a good training route.

noglider 

Yeah, it's a nice surprise and boost to the ego to realize you've been in a higher gear than you thought. It's happened to me.

pepperbelly

Someone here a while back said I should stay in the big ring most of the time unless climbing. I sorta forgot that last part.
I used to ride in the small ring. Either way I tend to cross chain. The lake trail I ride has me constantly changing gears.

Artmo 

When I were a lad, about 65 years ago, it was considered a bit wimpy to get out of the big 52T ring while riding in hilly SW England. We rode 52/42 with a 6 speed rear cluster (no cassettes then). In winter we converted to fixed, usually 69 gear inches or 82 for 25 mile out and back hilly TTs. I never broke the one hour; best was 65 minutes (with asthma for company&#128522.
Nowadays I’m not ashamed to use a bit of e-assist, usually 50W, to get me and my failing lungs up from 12 mph to 15.

rumrunn6

the only ppl that don't make mistakes are ppl that don't do anything

cyclezen

All fine and dandy if you're riding solo all the time. If at any time you're riding in a more 'sportive' group, versatility in gearing becomes a must.
Adding a sizable distance length to your 'normal' ride distance is always accomplished with less grinding of teeth, with judicious use of all your gearing.
This may not apply in Florida or anything flatter - until you have to bore for miles on end into a 12+ mph headwind...
That said, 'Big Gear' Intervals (note I haven't said Big Ring) are great in the tool bag of a time/mileage constrained rider...
Ride On
Yuri

pepperbelly

The trail I ride often has a lot of small up and down areas plus obstacles requiring me to slow then turn sharply or climb. I am always changing gears. I have been staying in high range, but I generally ride in the opposite direction. I just had a brain fart. You can bet I won’t forget next time.
My bike is a 2013 Specialized Roubaix Comp. I have no idea how it’s gearing compares to other bikes. I do know it has 2 gears that are almost the same.

David_Harris

What day of the week do you do that? I will still be in southern AZ for a couple more months…

Duragrouch

This post belongs in the "Geared bikes or single speed?" thread.

pepperbelly

???

Duragrouch

Not serious. I was referring to the thread debate about merits of single speed. You unknowingly trying to climb on the big ring, is so analogous to a SS having the same difficulty, it's points for the other side.

pepperbelly

Ya got me!😄

andrewclaus

PM sent.

WarrenR

Watching the current Giro. During the time trial, 42 kms with a steep hill at the end, one of the riders had a single 66 tooth chain ring. Wonder what the biggest 11-?? cassette is.

Might make no front derailleur more interesting, maybe.

Biker395 

Like finding a $20 bill in your pocket that you didn't know you had.

Carbonfiberboy 

Our tandem has a 40T in back and of course I can't see the chainrings. Several times that's happened to me, partly because when one is running a big cassette, the g.i. are closer together at the big end of the cassette when in the big ring than when in the middle ring at similar g.i. I expect that is also true for those running 1X.

Cross-chaining hasn't been a big deal for the last couple of decades.

rsbob 

If/when you fitness improves, it is quite satisfying to climb a hill in the big chain ring, where in the past, it had to be small ring. A good feeling of accomplishment and improved fitness.

pepperbelly

It would help if this hill didn’t have a sharp u-turn about halfway up. I can’t carry any momentum.

Trakhak

If it was an Ineos rider (probably Geraint Thomas, because he's a top GC contender and a strong time trial rider and so would get a lot of attention in a TT), he had a two-speed Classified PowerShift rear hub, which gives the rider 1.0 and 0.7 gear ratios with any rear sprocket. It's a wirelessly controlled substitute for a front derailleur setup.

andrewclaus

...Or a nicer bike. I just traded in a heavy aluminum gravel bike for a lighter aluminum gravel bike, identical gearing and geometry, and on its first climb up Lookout Mt in Golden, I was nearly to the top when I noticed I was still in the big ring.

rsbob 

What a fantastic surprise. Lighter bike + more fitness = good times!