Hi AKB 8
Jim is correct. Your cohort, as you quoted, is not but we can consider what he may have been alluding to. If you are in a big tooth gear in the front and a small tooth gear in the rear you will ride at a slower cadence than if you are in an "easier gear" such as a "39" in the front and a 25 in the back. Generally speaking, I advise all riders, new or not, to try to learn to pedal at a higher cadence. That means an easier gear ratio. Many runners who take up the sport are strong from their running but tend to push too hard a gear because of the leg strength that they've gained from their running history. The fact is correct that by
forcing too hard a gear they may hurt their knees or specifically their tendons. In the Springtime, experienced riders make an extra effort to re-find their cycling legs and pedal at a higher cadence. A slow cadence tends to emphasize the quads pushing down on the pedal. An efficient pedaling stroke is a more complete stroke that includes pushing the pedal across the top by, in effect, rolling the heal down a bit at the start of the stroke and getting the pedal over the top and emphasizing the calf muscles too. This is particularly useful when on a gradual slope that leads to a long climb. If you use your quads in the approach to the hill then they will fatigue sooner than if you've been using your calves and, in effect, saving your quads till you really need them.
I've been particularly aware of triathletes who come from a running background who push too hard a gear. They are using their running legs to pedal. So, what is going to be left to them when they get off the bike and have to now run a marathon to finish that IRONMAN race? If you watch a pro race you will note that the racers are generally stroking at a cadence most recreational riders, including good club racers can't touch. They are able to maximize their efficiency by putting energy through the maximum portion of the stroke. I've referred to the over the top portion of the stroke as 10 to 2. On the right pedal think about accentuating the stroke from the 10 o'clock position to the 2 o'clock position. I will specifically focus on this on terrain that rolls upward slightly and I'll avoid an easier shift to try to maximize the power over the top. Your quads will naturally do the rest,
Three teeth of a gear in the front is about equal to one gear tooth in the rear. You probably have a 39 smaller ring in the front unless you have a triple up there. So, shifting to the smaller tooth gear in the front is probably four gears, at least, different in the back, depending on the cassette set up. If you shift to the easier ring in the front, you may find that you'll have to shift to a slightly harder gear or two in the rear to find the right cadence. The bottom line is that you should try to spin faster. Faster than what is comfortable if you want to improve, but faster is a longer lever in effect and if you have a long enough lever you can move the world!
Try to avoid the dreaded cross over! This is when you are in a small gear in the front and the smallest gear in the rear and the reverse, which would be the biggest gear in the front and the biggest gear in the rear. Here I am writing of the size of the gear itself and not how hard or easy it is. If you look at the chain from the back of the bike to the front, if the chain is in the two biggest by size gears, the big front, your 53 in this case and the big tooth gear in the rear, probably a 25 I'd bet, the chain, you may notice is on an angle. If you shift to a more centered ring the chain is in effect straighter from a side to side vantage. It will wear longer if you don't cross over. Most riders will say you can go to the second from the extreme but if you can avoid the most extreme crossover position. Cassettes come in different sizes and this leads to another discussion that differnt riders have differnt takes on or different habits but keep your drive chan clean and pedal with a comfortable but "faster" cadence and you will feel stronger and faster at the end of the ride.
EJ
