DorkDisk

You are clearly a noob at poasting. I am an expert poaster and can tell I am on page 3 just by feel. ;-)

Another reason why I dislike OGDs is ilustrated here:



Im using 3x7 shifters on a 2x5. Since the OGD is not removable, I had to tape over the gears that dont exist so that my wife doesnt get confused. If they were removable, Id get rid of them and tell her to go by feel. Now she keeps asking me what number she should be in :-(

travbikeman

...

ColonelSanders

If there were no OGD's, she probably would refuse to ride the bike.

ColonelSanders

I hope you boys will contribute when I get around to starting a thread on "The Madness of Single Speed & Fixed Gear Bikes".

himespau 

I know which chainring I'm using in the front (there are only 3), unless I try to shift poorly on a hill and it doesn't shift. As far as the back, if I'm worried I might be in crosschaining danger, I'll look down and check, but for the most part, I shift by feel and only worry about it when I run out of gears and there's still more hill to go.

ragnar.jensen 

Your poast is on page 2 in my browser. I wonder if you can feel that?
To my sheer and utter amazement, some people don't change their thread display options, and this is something that I am struggling mightily with to understand.

--
Ragnar

travbikeman

Hey Thanks! Didn't know we could do that...........yes, go ahead and say it............noob............

Hey all, we're back to 2 pages!

one4smoke

I find it hilarious at the reply's saying they pretty much know when to upshift or downshift, so they don't need indicators. It's not about knowing when or when not to shift, it's about having info at a glance.

I have a buddy that only rides about 1/50 of what I ride in frequency. He has a low-cost Schwinn hybrid with gear indicators. When I had a similar bike and he would go riding with me, he would always ask what gear I was in, just to gauge how we compared in cadence styles I supposed. Since getting my Roam 2, which have Acera shifters only showing actual numbers of 1 and 9 and nothing between, I do find it a bit aggravating that I have to really take a couple of seconds now to narrow it down to give a specific gear number when he asks. Used to, it was right there at a quick glance. Now, I have to calculate how many little red bars I am from 1 or 9. LOL

Also, when going down (or up) a long hill, I miss being able to take a quick glance to see exactly how many gears I have left before running dry. I understand the more you ride you essentially "become one" with your bike after much experience. But I really like what two other posters said in particular, when they said: (1)"It's not possible to always know which gear I am in just by feel. Wind, road conditions, and physical fatigue varies way more than my ratio's do." and (2) "anything that gives me more information, and makes it easier for me, gets my vote."

I wonder how often many of those that claim to be so "in tuned" with their bike, goes to grab another gear only to find there isn't one.

Grey.

I have indicators and almost never need to look at them. There's no mystery or conspiracy, that's just how it is.

corrado33

I "think" my mountain bike has them? I'm not sure. I never look at them. If you're looking at an indicator on your mountain bike you're not riding fast enough. HOWEVER, on my commuter I like them. Why? When I'm coming to a stop I always like to downshift to the same gear regardless of which gear I'm currently in. The little indicator lets me know that and I can keep my eyes on the road while coming to a stop. My road bike does not have indicators and I'm fine with that.

corrado33

I've only once "ran dry" on my mountain bike. However, on most bikes with most people of good cycling fitness, the easiest gear should take you up all but something that's neigh unwalkable. (And you'd know if you were approaching that hill.) It's not about running out of gears (on my mountain bike at least), it's about being able to ride slow enough to use the easiest gear (And not pulling a wheelie.)

With that said, I rode an old schwinn up a mountain once. Yeah, that thing was geared HIGH, I struggled getting up the hills.

JonathanGennick 

Some people like to compare. I just answer truthfully that I don't know what gear I'm in. Usually I know the front ring -- I've got only one of them on my primary bike -- but in the back I have only a general idea as to whether I'm high low or middle on the cassette.

Happens to me often on steep hills. It's how I know when I'm in the lowest gear -- when I can't go any lower. Doesn't bother me. What would I do differently if I knew? The hill is the same either way.

I've grown accustomed to not knowing ahead of time when I'm going to run out of gears. It's a tradeoff, right? One that I'm willing to make, but it's fine that others prefer them. Shimano's approach of removable indicators is a nice way to give everyone the option.

one4smoke

There is a trail that I frequently ride that has a monster hill (to me anyway). Normal riding, I use the front middle chain ring most of the time without ever having to drop into the smaller one. But this hill demands otherwise. The highest gear I can climb the hill with is second to the lowest. While I don't use indicators often, right here is where they would come in handy. Why? Because while approaching the hill, I find myself needing to predetermine exactly which gear I'm in, then counting down until I get to that specific gear I know gets the job done effectively. You don't want to be playing around with the shifter while climbing this baby, trust me. Mistakenly going to the lowest gear only to have to upshift while tackling it can disrupt rhythm, and mean not getting it done. Or, be too much a strain on the chain. So, to have an all numbered indicator is very helpful in this situation. At least it would be for me.

The reason why I don't just keep shifting until I'm in the lowest and climb it that way? Because I like knowing I don't have to.

JonathanGennick 

Have a hill like that near my house. Hate it. Go out to start a ride and the first thing is that hill. I don't even get warmed up, and wham! The hill.

I downshift by feel as the hill goes upward and becomes steeper and the pedals become harder to press. When I hit the steepest part of the hill I'm in the easiest gear.

That's a pretty good reason, actually. Works for me. Most of what I do with my bikes is "because I want to". . Some of my friends think I'm nuts for rocking an 11-year-old frame when I have newer and nicer bikes hanging on hooks. It's because I want to. I like the frame that I like, and that's all the reasoning I need. (Although I can in fact articulate why I like that particular bike).

OK. I'm straying off topic. Back to indicators....

practical

I agree with you. I also have those shifters and I made marks for gears 3, 5 and 7 so that I knew precisely which gear I was in. I use a system for shifting that works with "feel". I designate rear gears 5-9 to the high range; gears 3-7 to the middle range; and gears 1-5 to the low range. My experience and feel tell me that the ranges are roughly 2 gears apart so that "high-5" is the same as "mid-7". By knowing exactly which gear I'm in, I'm more efficient in my shifting

CliffordK

I usually know when I'm at the extremes. High/Low on front, or top 2 or low 2 on the rear. Anything else hits at somewhere mid-cassette which is just fine. Then it is simply bumping it to the appropriate gear for the moment.

I do occasionally notice my speed has fallen, and then look down and notice that I had dropped to the low sprocket on front sometime, probably over the last small rise somewhere.

Jarrettsin

I like having them it's information, as quicktrigger said just like the information from your bike computer. Helps me set up and get ready for certain hills also.

funbikerchick

I am relatively new to cycling (funbikerchick comes from my motorcycling) and am curious what your system is and how it is beneficial.

As far as indicators - I have a Sirrus Sport Disc. It has the indicators like someone else described with just top and bottom numbers. I really can't tell what gear I am in, but it does provide a hint as I am approaching the top or bottom cog so I know if I ought to consider changing rings. Otherwise, I really do shift by feel and not by gear number. However, I do love the Orange indicator on my black matt bike. lol

practical

My system is based on the following assumptions: 1. The more straight the chain, the more efficient the pedaling. 2. Each smart shift can increase your pedaling efficiency, but each poor shift can ruin it. I run a triple front with a 9-speed cassette. I know there is overlap between the gears when shifting the front derailleur, so I need to map where it make sense to shift from high to mid, mid to low and vice versa. I have a 48-38-28 front with an 11-34 rear. Here is how I designate my shifting: When in my high range front, I must be in gears 5-9 in the rear. In mid-range, I must be in gears 3-7; and in low range, I must be in gears 1-5. I know that when I shift my front derailleur, I am making a two-gear rear change. For example, if I'm in high range 7 and I shift into mid-range, then it feels like a two gear drop. I use this knowledge (and knowing exactly which gear I'm in, to make smart shifts. For example. let's say I'm approaching a hill and I'm in high range 7. I will probably downshift to high-six and if the hill is going to increase or is long, then I will probably downshift the front to mid-range 6. This will feel like a two-gear drop, but if the hill is increasing, that's probably good. As the hill steepens, I can stay in mid-range and shift down from there. If I get down to mid-range 3, then I might consider downshifting the front again to go into the low range. At this point I can shift into very low or shift up if that hill calls for that.
I hope this helps. The bottom line to me is to designate which rear gears to assign to the front gears and know that which are the "cross-over" gears. This systems keeps me in the best gear possible. I hope this helps.

funbikerchick

This is funny. I didn't even know this was an option I have now changed mine! This thread has been quite beneficial. :-)

bigjer2

Ok.....after reading a lot of opinions.....here is mine.....like it or not...
Gear Indicators are like "Training wheels". You need them until you learn how to ride. PERIOD!!!

bigjer2

How many NASCAR drivers do you think need to have the gear pattern embossed on the shift knob??

travbikeman

HA! I was kind of waiting for someone to ask this!

Nascar is racing.........like road racing bikes, neither have gear shift indicators. They go by feel of course, you have to get know your machinery personally.

Normal cars, SUV's Trucks and vehicles in general for the population much like our hybrids as compared to cars, do have shift indicators on both the knobs and on the dash telling us what gears we are in.

The general population of us, likes to see and feel things. Where as the professional cyclists and drivers do very well by feel.

retlod

Stick drivers get big hints from the tachometer, the sound of the engine, and the feedback they get from a flick of the throttle, not to mention their hand position on the shift knob. It's waaaaay easier to tell what gear a car is in.

one4smoke

No, there's not a "gear pattern" on the knob ...but there is a shift indicator on the dash. For the same purpose of the rev limiter.