Gears
The gears on your bike are the small, round metal wheels located on your rear
axle and on the crank (pedals) with the teeth all the way around. Your
bike's chain "shifts" between these gears to make pedaling easier or
more difficult. It seems that as time goes on, the number of available
gears increases! I remember when a 10-speed was considered fast!
Now, a 24 speed bike is the norm! How many speeds do you really need?
What gear ratio is best for you? Although these two questions are
different, they do require the same explanation. My advice is to test ride
as many different types of bikes with as many different types of gears.
This is probably the only way to find a gear set that is right for you. Is
the bike comfortable? Do you like how it shifts? Is it easy to pedal
in a lower gear, then build up cadence (pedal speed) and shift to a higher gear? My
Trek is a 24 speed.
Truthfully, I only use 8 of the gears 98% of the time. Only on a monster
hill do I shift down to use the lower gears. I keep the front derailleur
on the largest gear, and shift the rear between the eight available gears.
I start out in a lower gear (1 through 3, depending on the terrain), and shift
up as my speed increases - much like your car does! Listen to your car the
next time you drive. Do you hear the transmission shifting? 1st
gear... 2nd gear... 3rd gear... That's what you need to do on your
bike! When you reach a hill in your car, notice that the transmission will
shift down a gear to climb. You need to do the same thing on your
bike! Of course, your bike has a lot more speeds than your car does, so
you will be doing a lot more shifting! The trick is to keep your cadence
(pedal speed) constant, and shift your gears up or down to continue your
cadence. How fast should you pedal? You should pedal somewhat
fast. Try a few different speeds to see what works best for you. Not
sure? Ride a local bike trail - you're sure to meet other cyclists!
Most are very friendly, and always ready to offer advice. A proper,
constant cadence keeps your heart rate up, and also reduces strain on your leg
muscles - believe it or not! Are you interested only in speed? Then
that's a different story! Buy the FASTEST gears you can find, and TRAIN,
TRAIN, TRAIN!
Derailleurs
Some people spend lots of time... and money... on derailleurs.
Personally, I've always gone with the derailleurs that came with my bikes.
Sure, there are better ones out there, but I'm not THAT hard-core yet!! Shimano
is the most popular brand, and considered the best. They offer derailleurs
in all price ranges, and for all types of bikes. If you're looking to buy
a new derailleur set, visit your local bike shop for expert advice - just be
wary of a salesman trying to sell you what's in stock, if you know what I
mean!! If you know what you want, you can shop at PerformanceBike
or Nashbar. |
