What gear do you leave your bike in?

[sergen]

I read an interview with Cofidis rider Maxime Monfort who said that he always leaves his bike in 39x25 when not using it because this gear produces the least tension on the rear derailleur.

But in my LBS the other day I noticed that all the road bikes were in 39x12 and the guy told me he always leaves bikes in this extreme gear ratio because it creates the least tension on the cables?!?!

Who's right then?

 

[Powerful Pete]

I usually forget to check. But you should leave it in the small ring up front and large cog in the back. That will produce the least tension in the derailleur (more complex to fix than tension in the cables, after all).

Having said that, I am not anal about it at all and I cannot say that I have noticed a real decline in derailleur performance over the last five odd years that I have my current Chorus set-up.

 

[Scotty_Dog]

To relieve tension, I take it a step further and simply remove the chain altogether after each ride. Then I disengage the brake cables, flip the QR skewers, deflate the tires, and loosen each spoke.

Seriously though, being on the receiving end of a quality BJ relieves much more tension than any of methods listed above.

 

[alienator]

To relieve tension, I take it a step further and simply remove the chain altogether after each ride. Then I disengage the brake cables, flip the QR skewers, deflate the tires, and loosen each spoke.

Seriously though, being on the receiving end of a quality BJ relieves much more tension than any of methods listed above.

Yup. It's right up there with continuing to age tubular tires.

OP, don't worry about it.

 

[knonfs]

I read an interview with Cofidis rider Maxime Monfort who said that he always leaves his bike in 39x25 when not using it because this gear produces the least tension on the rear derailleur.

But in my LBS the other day I noticed that all the road bikes were in 39x12 and the guy told me he always leaves bikes in this extreme gear ratio because it creates the least tension on the cables?!?!

Who's right then?

39/23 makes it easier for me to just go, rather than shift all the way down to after a ride, and shift all the way up before one.

 

[Powerful Pete]

Seriously though, being on the receiving end of a quality BJ relieves much more tension than any of methods listed above.

LOL, no doubt about that...

 

[kdelong]

What ever gear it is in when I stop pedalling !

 

[TheDarkLord]

What ever gear it is in when I stop pedalling !

Same for me! Usually this is the middle ring and middle cog.

 

[Camilo]

What ever gear it is in when I stop pedalling !

Same here, unless I'm smart enough to downshift into a gear that will be good for starting next time I ride.

As for the advice on gears and "tension"..... Ooookay.

 

[artemidorus]

39x12 (or 39x11 if you have it) would leave the least tension on the RD and cables.
Irrelevant point, however, as leaving a steel spring loaded does not fatigue it or cause it to lose its tension. Loaded cables are not fatiguing.
I leave my bike in 39x25 because that's the gear I want to take off in when I get back on.

 

[mikesbytes]

Don't you love these meaningless threads. If it's a signficant concern buy a fixie

 

[Camilo]

Don't you love these meaningless threads. If it's a signficant concern buy a fixie

Ah, but what gear?

 

[threaded]

Same here, unless I'm smart enough to downshift into a gear that will be good for starting next time I ride.

I do the same. Quicker warm up and getting back up to cruising cadence too.

 

[dgregory57]

I have never heard of either derailleur springs or cables wearing prematurely due to the bike being parked in the wrong gear.

The amount of pressure on either is negligibly different between the lowest gear and the highest gear. If there was an actual issue, I would hope that the bicycle manual would say.

I would say to check Sheldon Brown's site, but if it has anything to say about the topic, I think it would be a page dated April 1st.

 

[Powerful Pete]

Don't you love these meaningless threads.

True, not very worthwhile, but it still gets a dozen or so responses. We are all such geeks...

 

[dhk2]

True, not very worthwhile, but it still gets a dozen or so responses. We are all such geeks...

OK, this may sound geeky, but I always leave mind in first gear. That way, I figure just in case the brake cable fails, it's not going to roll away on me

 

[kdelong]

OK, this may sound geeky, but I always leave mind in first gear. That way, I figure just in case the brake cable fails, it's not going to roll away on me

It's more reliable just to nail the tires to the ground.

 

[alienator]

I leave it where ever it was when the previous ride or chain lubing session ended. I always find, on the next ride, that the shift levers allow me to change gears quickly if I'm not up to the current gear.

 

[Crankyfeet]

Don't you love these meaningless threads. If it's a signficant concern buy a fixie

Don't make light of a very serious and risky situation Mike. Have you ever been in an LBS showroom when all the bike's rear derailleurs have exploded like firecrackers, domino style, because the bikes have been left, tensioned like mouse traps, in the wrong gear? Obviously not...

 

[Bigbananabike]

Does that mean you DON'T take the frame tubes apart as well?!
How lax is that?

To relieve tension, I take it a step further and simply remove the chain altogether after each ride. Then I disengage the brake cables, flip the QR skewers, deflate the tires, and loosen each spoke.

Seriously though, being on the receiving end of a quality BJ relieves much more tension than any of methods listed above.