Changing Gears

[blowin mud]

If I'm riding into a hill in my 52/15 or lower I usually progressively shift down staying in my 52 until I find a comfortable gear in the rear. If I find the climb steep enough I will go to my 39 in the front. I find going from 52/23 to a 39/23 I begin spinning and lose momentum. To combat this I've been shifting the front and rear at the same time. So I go from a 52/23 to a 39/15 in one sychronized shift. Will doing this harm anything? Is this the proper way to shift going into a climb or is there a better way?

 

[Jakey]

Originally posted by blowin mud
If I'm riding into a hill in my 52/15 or lower I usually progressively shift down staying in my 52 until I find a comfortable gear in the rear. If I find the climb steep enough I will go to my 39 in the front. I find going from 52/23 to a 39/23 I begin spinning and lose momentum. To combat this I've been shifting the front and rear at the same time. So I go from a 52/23 to a 39/15 in one sychronized shift. Will doing this harm anything? Is this the proper way to shift going into a climb or is there a better way?

Biggest thing to worry about is shifting from your big ring when there is alot of tension on it... it can bend teeth... Just try to shift down before it gets too hard...

 

[rek]

I shift the front and rear (near) simultaneously all the time without a problem. But, I'm a bit of a fusspot of making sure my drivetrain is well lubed and dialed in just perfect, and I tend to spin at a high cadence (avg of 102-105rpm.)

If your components are old or low-spec, or you try it when mashing the pedals, there's a chance your chain might get messed up and fall off (or something nasty like that.)

In climbing, though, I'll always shift into the appropriate front ring before getting to the ascent. When there's significant load on the drivetrain, the last thing you want to do is try and shift the front.

 

[dwj444]

I've never tried shifting both front and back at the same time. The only wisdom I've ever heard on shifting is the same as what's been said here: don't shift under a lot of stress (front or back).

I usually try to think of all my gears as a staircase. I try to go as smoothly as I can through them and progress gradually as much as I can when I begin to hit an incline. I've got a double on the front, so I have fewer choices than some, but I find if I keep my head up and work quickly, I can avoid shifting while I'm mashing.

I spin around 95-100 RPM most of the time, too, and I find that more progressive shifting (trying not to jump between big and small on the front when I can avoid it) helps to preserve my cadence.

Cheers.

 

[dwj444]

I've never tried shifting both front and back at the same time. The only wisdom I've ever heard on shifting is the same as what's been said here: don't shift under a lot of stress (front or back).

I usually try to think of all my gears as a staircase. I try to go as smoothly as I can through them and progress gradually as much as I can when I begin to hit an incline. I've got a double on the front, so I have fewer choices than some, but I find if I keep my head up and work quickly, I can avoid shifting while I'm mashing.

I spin around 95-100 RPM most of the time, too, and I find that more progressive shifting (trying not to jump between big and small on the front when I can avoid it) helps to preserve my cadence.

Cheers.