Chain Rings

On Saturday I took a 45 mile ride with two guys. One of them has hardly ridden in the last two years because of building his investment business. The other recently had a heart attack. So I spent most of the day trying to stay at their pace.

On the way back there is a 600 foot 6% climb that I've been riding up in the small ring at about 6-7 mph. I didn't want to either blow off my friend who hasn't been riding or cause the other to ride harder than he should because before the heart attack he could out-climb a mountain goat. So I left it in the big ring. I completely cross-chained the thing so that I was in a 50-29.

The funny thing is that I was riding up that grade at the same speed I normally did despite trying to ride slowly. I felt almost no effort on the pedals to climb. Near the top I slowed down nearly to a stop to allow them to pass and lead on the way down.

The odd thing is that that gearing is about the same as a 34-20 but I have a hard time turning that gear up hills like that when I would expect it to be easier since that is close to a straight line chain.

This reminded me that I used to ride up hills like that in a 39-23. I used to argue that I was a "lugger" as opposed to "spinners". But everything I read or watched on YouTube or races emphasized that you should spin and that would allow you to go longer before exhaustion.

Finally I succumbed to the standard narrative and have been spinning. But I do not find myself riding longer or harder by spinning. And what I do find is that I am in general more exhausted at the end of a ride than before. I've been passing this off as being partly to blame from my age and from the fact that my blood count is 20% below normal minimums because of the anti-seizure medications.

Now that I've sold off all of my old 53-39 cranks I suppose I will have to get another one to test with.

On 8/10/19 4:17 am, Tom Kunich wrote:
On Saturday I took a 45 mile ride with two guys. One of them has
hardly ridden in the last two years because of building his
investment business. The other recently had a heart attack. So I
spent most of the day trying to stay at their pace.

On the way back there is a 600 foot 6% climb that I've been riding up
in the small ring at about 6-7 mph. I didn't want to either blow off
my friend who hasn't been riding or cause the other to ride harder
than he should because before the heart attack he could out-climb a
mountain goat. So I left it in the big ring. I completely
cross-chained the thing so that I was in a 50-29.

The funny thing is that I was riding up that grade at the same speed
I normally did despite trying to ride slowly. I felt almost no effort
on the pedals to climb. Near the top I slowed down nearly to a stop
to allow them to pass and lead on the way down.

The odd thing is that that gearing is about the same as a 34-20 but I
have a hard time turning that gear up hills like that when I would
expect it to be easier since that is close to a straight line chain.

This reminded me that I used to ride up hills like that in a 39-23. I
used to argue that I was a "lugger" as opposed to "spinners". But
everything I read or watched on YouTube or races emphasized that you
should spin and that would allow you to go longer before exhaustion.

Finally I succumbed to the standard narrative and have been spinning.
But I do not find myself riding longer or harder by spinning. And
what I do find is that I am in general more exhausted at the end of a
ride than before. I've been passing this off as being partly to blame
from my age and from the fact that my blood count is 20% below normal
minimums because of the anti-seizure medications.

Now that I've sold off all of my old 53-39 cranks I suppose I will
have to get another one to test with.


I suspect that because you had been idling along for most of the ride,
you were comparatively fresh for the climb.

--
JS

I'm now 60, and have always been a spinner. I was regularly racing until my mid 50's. I still commute by bike, and tend to keep my cadence around 95. Until very recently I had no problem maintaining a 100 average for long rides. Now I'm seeing that I can't maintain a spin and keep the power up. I do know as you age your cardiovascular capability starts to drop. I remember a recent commute where I decided to drop a few gears and keep my cadence around 80. My average speed was just about the same as when I was spinning, and I felt more fresh when I got home. This sounds about like what you went through with your friends.

If you're older, and haven't done a lot of cadence work, trying to work higher cadences for longer periods will likely be exhausting. Your cardiovascular system isn't trained for that. Throw in an ageing body and you make it that much worse. It sounds as if you've been a "lugger" as you call it for most of your cycling life, so trying to switch now probably won't be a pleasurable experience. It would be beneficial to work in a high-cadence workout on a weekly basis (or so), but only for the purpose of a cardio workout. For general riding you should probably stick with what you know works, and enjoy the ride

On Monday, October 7, 2019 at 1:17:52 PM UTC-4, Tom Kunich wrote:
On Saturday I took a 45 mile ride with two guys. One of them has hardly ridden in the last two years because of building his investment business. The other recently had a heart attack. So I spent most of the day trying to stay at their pace.

On the way back there is a 600 foot 6% climb that I've been riding up in the small ring at about 6-7 mph. I didn't want to either blow off my friend who hasn't been riding or cause the other to ride harder than he should because before the heart attack he could out-climb a mountain goat. So I left it in the big ring. I completely cross-chained the thing so that I was in a 50-29.

The funny thing is that I was riding up that grade at the same speed I normally did despite trying to ride slowly. I felt almost no effort on the pedals to climb. Near the top I slowed down nearly to a stop to allow them to pass and lead on the way down.

The odd thing is that that gearing is about the same as a 34-20 but I have a hard time turning that gear up hills like that when I would expect it to be easier since that is close to a straight line chain.

This reminded me that I used to ride up hills like that in a 39-23. I used to argue that I was a "lugger" as opposed to "spinners". But everything I read or watched on YouTube or races emphasized that you should spin and that would allow you to go longer before exhaustion.

Finally I succumbed to the standard narrative and have been spinning. But I do not find myself riding longer or harder by spinning. And what I do find is that I am in general more exhausted at the end of a ride than before. I've been passing this off as being partly to blame from my age and from the fact that my blood count is 20% below normal minimums because of the anti-seizure medications.

Now that I've sold off all of my old 53-39 cranks I suppose I will have to get another one to test with.

On Monday, October 7, 2019 at 2:24:06 PM UTC-7, James wrote:
On 8/10/19 4:17 am, Tom Kunich wrote:
On Saturday I took a 45 mile ride with two guys. One of them has
hardly ridden in the last two years because of building his
investment business. The other recently had a heart attack. So I
spent most of the day trying to stay at their pace.

On the way back there is a 600 foot 6% climb that I've been riding up
in the small ring at about 6-7 mph. I didn't want to either blow off
my friend who hasn't been riding or cause the other to ride harder
than he should because before the heart attack he could out-climb a
mountain goat. So I left it in the big ring. I completely
cross-chained the thing so that I was in a 50-29.

The funny thing is that I was riding up that grade at the same speed
I normally did despite trying to ride slowly. I felt almost no effort
on the pedals to climb. Near the top I slowed down nearly to a stop
to allow them to pass and lead on the way down.

The odd thing is that that gearing is about the same as a 34-20 but I
have a hard time turning that gear up hills like that when I would
expect it to be easier since that is close to a straight line chain.

This reminded me that I used to ride up hills like that in a 39-23. I
used to argue that I was a "lugger" as opposed to "spinners". But
everything I read or watched on YouTube or races emphasized that you
should spin and that would allow you to go longer before exhaustion.

Finally I succumbed to the standard narrative and have been spinning.
But I do not find myself riding longer or harder by spinning. And
what I do find is that I am in general more exhausted at the end of a
ride than before. I've been passing this off as being partly to blame
from my age and from the fact that my blood count is 20% below normal
minimums because of the anti-seizure medications.

Now that I've sold off all of my old 53-39 cranks I suppose I will
have to get another one to test with.


I suspect that because you had been idling along for most of the ride,
you were comparatively fresh for the climb.

--
JS

That might be the case =. I blasted the hilly ride today and there's no way I could have been on a larger gear. I had the same 10.5 mph average that I always have and I seem to be going the same speeds in the same areas where I have to climb in higher gears for "speed".

My blood tests show real low blood count so next month I'll have to discuss that with the neurologist. That medication seems to be really screwing up my body. But the alternative medicine costs two to three times as much.

On Tuesday, October 8, 2019 at 1:51:15 PM UTC-7, wrote:
I'm now 60, and have always been a spinner. I was regularly racing until my mid 50's. I still commute by bike, and tend to keep my cadence around 95.. Until very recently I had no problem maintaining a 100 average for long rides. Now I'm seeing that I can't maintain a spin and keep the power up. I do know as you age your cardiovascular capability starts to drop. I remember a recent commute where I decided to drop a few gears and keep my cadence around 80. My average speed was just about the same as when I was spinning, and I felt more fresh when I got home. This sounds about like what you went through with your friends.

If you're older, and haven't done a lot of cadence work, trying to work higher cadences for longer periods will likely be exhausting. Your cardiovascular system isn't trained for that. Throw in an ageing body and you make it that much worse. It sounds as if you've been a "lugger" as you call it for most of your cycling life, so trying to switch now probably won't be a pleasurable experience. It would be beneficial to work in a high-cadence workout on a weekly basis (or so), but only for the purpose of a cardio workout.. For general riding you should probably stick with what you know works, and enjoy the ride

On Monday, October 7, 2019 at 1:17:52 PM UTC-4, Tom Kunich wrote:
On Saturday I took a 45 mile ride with two guys. One of them has hardly ridden in the last two years because of building his investment business. The other recently had a heart attack. So I spent most of the day trying to stay at their pace.

On the way back there is a 600 foot 6% climb that I've been riding up in the small ring at about 6-7 mph. I didn't want to either blow off my friend who hasn't been riding or cause the other to ride harder than he should because before the heart attack he could out-climb a mountain goat. So I left it in the big ring. I completely cross-chained the thing so that I was in a 50-29.

The funny thing is that I was riding up that grade at the same speed I normally did despite trying to ride slowly. I felt almost no effort on the pedals to climb. Near the top I slowed down nearly to a stop to allow them to pass and lead on the way down.

The odd thing is that that gearing is about the same as a 34-20 but I have a hard time turning that gear up hills like that when I would expect it to be easier since that is close to a straight line chain.

This reminded me that I used to ride up hills like that in a 39-23. I used to argue that I was a "lugger" as opposed to "spinners". But everything I read or watched on YouTube or races emphasized that you should spin and that would allow you to go longer before exhaustion.

Finally I succumbed to the standard narrative and have been spinning. But I do not find myself riding longer or harder by spinning. And what I do find is that I am in general more exhausted at the end of a ride than before. I've been passing this off as being partly to blame from my age and from the fact that my blood count is 20% below normal minimums because of the anti-seizure medications.

Now that I've sold off all of my old 53-39 cranks I suppose I will have to get another one to test with.

Well, in two weeks I'll be 75 so there's plenty of age in this body. Once in awhile I manage to keep my pace down and get back from a metric not bery tired. (though I just got back from 40 miles and 3,500 feet and dozed off at the keyboard a moment ago.)