What are all the cogs for ?

"Tim Henderson" wrote in message
om...
On last Sunday's London to Windsor ride, I arrived late and rode
through the back end of the field.

What surprised me was observing the condition of the bikes being
walked up the hills. (The hills weren't really much to write home
about - at least I could get up them, which isn't saying much.)

About 30% of the pushed bikes had two bigger spare cogs to the left of
the chain position as I slowly chugged past them ; another 40% had one
spare big cog.

Do the panel think this is because

the riders do not know what their gear lever does OR

the bikes are out of adjustment so that the big cogs cannot be
selected OR

riders wanted a rest by pushing their steeds up the hill ?

Regards,
Tim

Sadly answer A. I went through a phase of mentioning to people in a friendly
way that if they changed gear things would be easier but stopped due to the
hosility I got. Most people round here have 21 speed MTB that might as well
be 1 speed. They just stick it in top & leave it there. It is quite funny
though seeing people with a cadence measured in minutes per rev.

Stan Cox.

(Tim Henderson) of http://groups.google.com/ wrote:

On last Sunday's London to Windsor ride, I arrived late and rode
through the back end of the field.

What surprised me was observing the condition of the bikes being
walked up the hills. (The hills weren't really much to write home
about - at least I could get up them, which isn't saying much.)

About 30% of the pushed bikes had two bigger spare cogs to the left of
the chain position as I slowly chugged past them ; another 40% had one
spare big cog.

Do the panel think this is because

the riders do not know what their gear lever does OR

the bikes are out of adjustment so that the big cogs cannot be
selected OR

riders wanted a rest by pushing their steeds up the hill ?

Writing as one who walked up a hill just today, I suggest:
miffed the gear change at the bottom and couldn't be bothered to turn round,
ride down and fix it.
In my case only applies to short hills though.

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"Tim Henderson" wrote in message
om...
On last Sunday's London to Windsor ride, I arrived late and rode
through the back end of the field.

What surprised me was observing the condition of the bikes being
walked up the hills. (The hills weren't really much to write home
about - at least I could get up them, which isn't saying much.)

About 30% of the pushed bikes had two bigger spare cogs to the left of
the chain position as I slowly chugged past them ; another 40% had one
spare big cog.

Do the panel think this is because

the riders do not know what their gear lever does OR

the bikes are out of adjustment so that the big cogs cannot be
selected OR

riders wanted a rest by pushing their steeds up the hill ?

Regards,
Tim

If you own a bike and push it uphill without a very good reason, and I
mean a very good reason then you should be shot ! Bikes are for riding
uphill and down not for walking next to.

Graham

snip
...very good reason then you should be shot !

Am I the only one that has noticed this type of reaction for a lot of
fairly minor transgressions. Maybe I am too much the wooly minded liberal,
but if 'shot' was turned to 'educated', on usenet and the real world, then
everyone would be a lot happier!

Fragg - pacifist

Tim Henderson wrote:
What surprised me was observing the condition of the bikes being
walked up the hills. (The hills weren't really much to write home
about - at least I could get up them, which isn't saying much.)

About 30% of the pushed bikes had two bigger spare cogs to the left of
the chain position as I slowly chugged past them ; another 40% had one
spare big cog.

Do the panel think this is because

/snip
riders wanted a rest by pushing their steeds up the hill ?

That's probably what they're thinking. They just gave up before even
trying bottom gear. I think most cyclists know what their gears are and
have them more or less working these days. Not so true 15 or 20 years ago
when gears on average bikes were rubbish.

Or, to give them the benefit of the doubt, the riders changed up a couple
of gears in advance before dismounting because they prefer starting in
that gear. That's what I like to do with my triple chainset. Bottom gear
is so low, it's hard to get the bike up to enough speed to balance before
getting other foot in the pedal - especially without doing a wheelie on
take off - which is all not nice on a steep hill. I very rarely have to
walk up hills but do sometimes stop on them! Chains are also more likely
to derail in first gear when back-pedalled.

I suppose all that is unlikely - especially with those with double
chainsets, but I'm feeling generous :-)

~PB

(Tim Henderson) wrote in
om:

the riders do not know what their gear lever does OR

Most likely this one. An acquaintance of mine (who will be nameless),
remarked that she couldn't get much speed up - on checking, her front
triple was on the granny ring and she had no idea how to change up.

Toby

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"Clive George" wrote in message ...
"Graham" wrote in message
...

If you own a bike and push it uphill without a very good reason, and I
mean a very good reason then you should be shot !

Perhaps "frowned at" would be an extreme enough punishment in this
case?

Does not being strong enough or running out of traction count as a very good
reason?

There's a fella I occasionally ride with who seems to think the only
macho thing to do is pull the highest gear possible, and this will
make him stronger/fitter/lighter - so its top gear up the hills and
freewheel down the otherside. He thinks that lactic acid burns are
part of the "no pain - no gain" thing.

In article ,
says...

Another sad casualty of time is the rolling mount, which is quicker,
easier and more elegant than all of the getting on, getting the pedals
sorted and then pushing off all as separate actions that 95%+ of the
cycling population seems to do these days.

Not for me it isn't, on all three counts. It is something I have never
mastered. I can't speak fro the other 94.999%

Colin

Peter Clinch wrote:

That's probably what they're thinking. They just gave up before even
trying bottom gear. I think most cyclists know what their gears are
and have them more or less working these days. Not so true 15 or 20
years ago when gears on average bikes were rubbish.

Again the case that you have more faith in the general cluesomeness of
the General Cycling Public than I do.

That's because I actually see the GCP using their gears better than they
used to and modern derailleur systems do work better. It was more common
to see people never changing gear and struggling up hills in too-high
gears those years ago - in London at least.

/snip
Another sad casualty of time is the rolling mount, which is quicker,
easier and more elegant than all of the getting on

I aways found the cowboy mount difficult and poncey. Not good for the
bike either. See: www.sheldonbrown.com/starting.html

, getting the pedals
sorted and then pushing off all as separate actions that 95%+ of the
cycling population seems to do these days. It works fine on all but
daft gradients

I only use my bottom gear on gradients too daft to do a rolling start.

and gets the bike moving as you get on (fast enough to
get your other foot in before you need to pedal anywhere), avoids
wheelies, and since you're climbing from the pedal rather than the
ground you've got a few inches start on getting your leg over[1].

A curb helps a lot with the common method. If no curb then bike can be
leant over to one side a little. Not so good on bikes with high bottom
brackets but no big deal on racers and tourers, IME.

Alternatively, follow Sheldon Brown's advice for the best method of all.

~PB

"Peter Clinch" wrote in message
...

Another sad casualty of time is the rolling mount, which is quicker,
easier and more elegant than all of the getting on, getting the pedals
sorted and then pushing off all as separate actions that 95%+ of the
cycling population seems to do these days.

Seems to have all but vanished. Perhaps clipless pedals and derailleur
gears (with a tendency to slip once in a while) have something to do with
it.

Definitely seems to be associated with 3 speed roadsters, flat caps and a
whippet in the front basket.

T