I have to be honest. In over 25 years in the bike industry I have never seen a gear chart expressed as ratios. Very interesting.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying (or asking), but I find this useful in setting up gearing:

http://www.panix.com/...cycal/cycal.30f.html

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http://irondad06.blogspot.com/

http://irondad.blogspot.com/

I don't think I've ever heard anyone refer to their bike gears as "1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc". I and most folks I know just refer to gears by cog or gear combination; for example "I went up that hill in my 39-23". If you're new to riding, after you cover enough miles you'll always have a pretty good idea of which rear cog you're in.

If you still struggle with that, you can always buy a Shimano Flight Deck computer - it has a graphic that shows what gear you're in.

alt_runner,

I was there and did that a long time ago. You are not alone, even though Tom D's comment might make you think you are.

It is an exercise in futility. Here is why. Practically speaking, one is not going to upshift and downshift from the big ring to the small ring (chainrings) while at the same time shifting two cogs up or down to find the next "gear" in sequence.

On bicycles, gear ratios are expressed in gear inches. Almost any good bicycle maintenance book will have gear tables. Be sure you verify what size wheel the tables are for because wheel diameter makes a difference.

Bicycling Magazine publishes a good book on bicycle maintenance. Another good one is Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance. You can also go to Sheldon Brown's website (just Google Sheldon Brown) and access gear tables. If you are a real "gear geek" the bible is: BICYCLE GEARING: a Practical Guide. Don't ask me how I know, just figure it out.

What you really want to know or learn is when you are in this or that gear gear, what is the next easier or more difficult gear to go to? When your cogs (the gears on your cassette or rear wheel) are one tooth different from each other, shifting to the next cog (moving the chain to the next gear in the back) is the way to go and the next easier or harder gear. Your easiest shifts are the shifts involving the rear derailleur and going up or down one gear. Generally, when you get to the end of the cassette, you back down or up a couple of gears and shift to the other chainring. Your legs will tell you if it is an easier or harder gear.

You generally want to minimize how often you shift from the big chainring to the small chainring and vice versa.

Changing from "5th gear" to "6th gear" when the difference between them is 64.4 gear inches vs 64.7 gear inches is wasted effort, both in shifting to get there and then when you get there your legs not going to be able to tell any difference.

Now you are probably thinking, why do I have all these gears and yet I am suggesting that you don't use them? It is a practical thing. Yes, they (the gears) are there and yes, you could use them. Its just that it won't make the difference you seek and eventually you will get to where I (we) are now. It will just take longer, is all.

The ideal situation is where your gears are one tooth different in size. Look at the gear table and get an idea of how many gear inches of difference each tooth makes. You will notice that as the cogs get smaller, the difference in gear inches between cogs gets greater. Do not be concerned. Generally, effort wise, the relationship between one gear and the next is about the same.

What you are looking for is where you "top out" on the inner chainring, what is the combination on the big chainring that is nearly identical or would be the "next jump up" when you need the neat "gear?"

Bear in mind that you want to avoid the gear combinations that arise with big chainring to biggest cog and small chainring to smallest cog. These combinations create the most extreme chain angles. They also cause the most wear on your chain and gear teeth as well as derailleurs. Often, one cannot tune out the "noise" from the chain rubbing on the front derailleur because the chain angle is so extreme when one is using these combinations. What many don't realize is that the same thing is happening on the rear derailleur as well, they just don't hear it as easily because it is behind them, but the wear in there just the same.

I hope this helps. The best thing you can do to get up this "learning curve" is to just get on your bike and get out there and ride. As you try different gear combinations, you will learn what you are seeking to find out today. Listen to your legs. This is how we all learned this. Even if some of us thought we could start where you have chosen start or that it might help us "learn" faster. It won't. It only confuses us for a while longer and makes it take a little longer to get to where we all end up getting to.

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Ben Cline


Better to aspire to Greatness and fail, than to not challenge one's self at all, and succeed.