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Post by tigacainta on May 29, 2004 19:46:31 GMT 8
Paano po ba mag shift ?....... kapag roller coaster type na down & UP na V or U shaped yun trail both steep siempre....... do you shift to the lowest gear or mid ring- big cogs paano po ba ang tama ? ...... when & how to shift gears po ba ? para di naman malaspag ako o yun drive trains ko......
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Post by gulliver on May 30, 2004 21:08:51 GMT 8
at a recreational level?.... i would say before hitting an uphill section, be in a gear which allows you to spin comfortably enough (not too fast, not too slow or hard...road bikers usually place this at between 80-110 rpm) that will allow you to finish the climb? ...and if your climbs and descents are not too big and are actually close to each other, i would probably be in the middle chainring, and shifting between cogs (smaller on the descents, bigger cogs on the ascents). on my '03 XT drivetrain, the middle chainring allows you to use all your cogs in the rear w/o stressing your drivetrain too much (but the new shimano XT high-bias shifters supposedly teach you to select the proper gears for a particular chainring by allowing you to use only a maximum of 6 cogs for each chainring, but really not sure about that). if the climb is really steep, and your chain is on the middle chainring and on the largest cog, then shift into your smallest chainring (otherwise called the granny gear)... but if you're doing that DURING the climb, you've probably underestimated the climb, and too late for you to do a proper change of gears w/o stressing your drivetrain ;D ;D ;D BUT IF you do need to change to a different chainring or a cog during a climb, let off on the pedals to allow the chain to shift without slamming your chain onto a ring or cog (array!!!) otherwise, with proper gear selection, it becomes only a matter of how much your lungs, heart and legs can take on any climb then on the descents, again if the ups and downs are really close to each other, and short... i won't shift to a smaller cog anymore and instead stay in the cog that will allow me to do the climbs. racers may likely do some very fast gear shifting to keep their momentum at a fast pace through the series of climbs and descents hehehe anyway, am sure the more experienced riders here can share with you their insights into proper gear selection...but you can find out for yourself with some experience and watching the more experienced guys (but just remember that they may be more fit and skilled than you, and using the same gears they're using may not necessarily mean a successful climb for you)
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Post by jr on May 31, 2004 13:08:06 GMT 8
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Post by tigacainta on Jun 4, 2004 15:27:44 GMT 8
Thnx Guys ....sa tip at insight sa shifting at gearing......i've been riding mtb ( mostly road ;D and bmx long as i remember......but trail riding seems to be tough for me......new sets of skills to learn ( handling and spd )........the trail are unpredictable and demanding ......just keeping pace w/ the lead grp adds another challenge.......so every little knowlege helps..... lets ride on !
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rab
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Post by rab on Oct 14, 2004 22:13:49 GMT 8
i'm new to mountain biking and also new to riding bicycles with gears. i'm living in a place where there are a lot of hills. even our house is situated on a hill. lately i've been riding my bike to the top of the hill and i'm still finding out which gear combination will get me to the top. so more often than i would like, i get to hear that sickening grinding sound when i change gears when riding up the hill. what part of my drivetrain is getting the most hurt/damage? my component group is a shimano alivio.
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Post by woofers on Oct 14, 2004 23:35:13 GMT 8
so more often than i would like, i get to hear that sickening grinding sound when i change gears when riding up the hill. what part of my drivetrain is getting the most hurt/damage? my component group is a shimano alivio. That's the derailleur trying to move the chain over. You're putting too much force into your pedals, putting the chain under tension and making it difficult to shift. You can probably still shift the rear cogs, but the front derailleur does not work well under tension. You should be easing up on the pedals just before a shift. Keeping a high cadence also helps, because a high cadence involves less force on the pedals. Finally, be mindful of your gearing combinations. Excessive cross chaining -- e.g. putting the chain on the big ring up front and big sprocket in the back -- leads to unnecessary wear on your drivetrain.
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rab
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Post by rab on Oct 15, 2004 7:05:15 GMT 8
thanks!
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Post by jibber on Oct 15, 2004 8:12:00 GMT 8
hey rab...we have the same compo group....shimano alivio...all of the above suggestions are right & good...let me just add some from personal experience with this groupset. before hitting the climb i usually shift to the lightest gear combo that i can pedal up the slope...this is usually the granny or smallest chainring and the biggest cog at the rear...you can always shift to the next cog at a time if you feel that pedalling is too soft...but remember...shifting back to the bigger cog is difficult and could damage your deraileur if you're already on the slope. this is applicable for long steep ascents. if the hills are rolling and close to each other...do a mid chainring and mid cog combo, just like JR said, then just shift between the mid chainring and granny while you're riding the rolling hills, granny for ascents and mid chainring for descents. but all these techniques are to no avail if your drivetrain is not properly set or aligned
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rab
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Post by rab on Oct 15, 2004 21:00:11 GMT 8
i guess my shifting isn't so smooth because i use the middle chainring at the start of the climb and thereby having trouble shifting later. now i start with the granny at the bottom of the hill. jibber, thanks also for the tips. how long have you been using your shimano alivio? i had my bike assembled at the lbs last month and so far my group set has withstood the punishments of improper shiftings but i'm worried though. besides the rear derailleur could i have also worn out my chainrings and rear cogs faster?
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rab
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Post by rab on Nov 21, 2004 10:17:11 GMT 8
i bought a book over at powerplant ang it's called "Mountain Bike Performance Handbook by Lennard Zinn". In one of the many tips in the book it said that as much as possible the ideal time to shift is when your pedals are at the 12 and 6 o'clock positions. I tried it and it works.
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Post by anji on Nov 9, 2005 6:02:03 GMT 8
i bought a book over at powerplant ang it's called "Mountain Bike Performance Handbook by Lennard Zinn". In one of the many tips in the book it said that as much as possible the ideal time to shift is when your pedals are at the 12 and 6 o'clock positions. I tried it and it works. nice tip brad, tried it and voila better shifting, swabe ...
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Post by freelancer on Jan 24, 2006 22:35:46 GMT 8
i bought a book over at powerplant ang it's called "Mountain Bike Performance Handbook by Lennard Zinn". In one of the many tips in the book it said that as much as possible the ideal time to shift is when your pedals are at the 12 and 6 o'clock positions. I tried it and it works. nice tip brad, tried it and voila better shifting, swabe ... thanks brad...tried it last sunday...it works! ;D
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jedi
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Post by jedi on Feb 21, 2006 14:01:03 GMT 8
yep, it's true 12 and 6 o'clock position. proven and tested..... ride safe guys
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Post by rafaeljcordova on Feb 21, 2006 19:29:02 GMT 8
if you're using a rapid rise rear deraillure (high-normal XT or XTR; not sur if it's available with LX) it's easier to shift from small cogs to larger cogs. in effect, when you release your deraillure all the way, it rests on the largest cog, not the smallest. with this set up, you could probably start with a harder gear, then move up to the larger cog if ou can't handle the climb, i think this could help build your "climbing" muscles
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Post by anthrax76 on Feb 23, 2006 11:22:21 GMT 8
i think that's why i switched to rapid rise RD's. yeah, normally i start with a small cog and middle ring, then when the climb starts, and i can't spin properly, i shift to a larger cog. if it's a roller coaster ride, hmm...he he he. naughty for the drivetrain but i mash my pedals, i race through it using the downhill momentum.
but this is a personal experience. i stick to my middle ring and middle cog, no matter the tooth count, o yeah, i'm using 8 speed cassettes. in case i find it easier or more difficult, shifting will be easy.
rule of thumb on my part, if i spin slower than 80 rpm, my drivetrain might suffer if i shift. so i try to keep it at that rate.
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Post by ian_rex on May 28, 2006 5:12:06 GMT 8
this is a nice thread. i'm guilty of abusing my deraileurs. normally, i use it semi-auto style like those in cars. as for the FD, i'm partial to using the middle chain ring most of the time. in low gears specially the lowest one, my FD seem to sense that it should be on the smallest chain ring so it shifts after a fashion- especially on those long ardous climbs.
but most of the time, i use the 3rd or 4th gear going down- on or off road. that way i could control my descent without over-ppedalling.
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Post by bongjumper on Jun 4, 2006 21:26:58 GMT 8
thanks for sharing...Everyone have a good point in Shifting...
Try to avoid the gears that make the chain cross over at an extreme angle. These "criss-cross" gears are bad for the chain and sprockets. Especially bad is to combine the inside (small) front sprocket with the outside (small) rear sprocket. This noisy, inefficient gear causes the chain to wear out prematurely.
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Post by devidbong on Jun 4, 2007 16:01:51 GMT 8
Just happened that a friend (new to mountain biking) has asked me about shifting & braking: Here's what I told him : The basic rule is to keep the chain as straight as possible, meaning if your on the biggest ring (front) your cog (rear) should be the smaller ones, if your on the smallest ring your cog should be the bigger ones. Keep that combination and you’re efficient & not put unwanted pressure on the drivetrain. You have 9-speed di ba thats 27 speed combinations, some are redundant. Don’t use combinations such as Biggest ring-biggest cog or smallest ring-smaller cogs!
Start on the middle ring & middle cogs (4-6) then adjust as needed. Pag mabigat ipedal shift to the next bigger cog, kung mabigat pa din shift to next bigger cog pa…(remember the basic rule above? Adjust ring as needed) and so on. Pag magaan ipedal shift to next smaller cog… and so on. Soon you will find your style and do this almost automatically.
When approaching uphill road/trail, shift to lower easy gear before the road starts to climb, mahirap na magshift pag me pressure na sa pedals (masyado na mabigat) it will put lots of pressure on the drivetrain and might stall you.
When going downhill, shift your weight at the back, put chain in bigger ring & cog in small rings (1,2,3, or 4 depending on how steep) and pedal if you can, instead of freewheeling (your legs might froze if the downhill is long) also avoid using the front brakes as much as possible, you might enddo. The ratio should be 80% rear brake, 20% front brake. And don’t break full force unless in emergency, just feather the brakes to control speed.
In the trail (technical/rough roads with many obstacles) always stay on easy gear (small ring, larger cogs) for easy control Look ahead, and use peripheral vision to see in front of tire, look at the direction you want to go, pick your line. Maintain speed or you might stall then fall. Most important, don’t hesitate, bend your knees & elbows, let the bike easy & it will track on most anything.
I'll also be sending him all your suggestions/advice.
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Post by anshwa on Jun 5, 2007 21:41:23 GMT 8
I make it a point to keep a constant cadence when downshifting to climb. Think of it as driving your car. Make sure you shift one gear at a time.
For more roller coasteresque type of trails, stay in one gear & just pedal standing up during the uphill spints & gain speed during the downhill portions.
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leflea
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Post by leflea on Jun 6, 2007 17:44:20 GMT 8
very informative thread! good thing i read this before it was too late. thanks for the information guys. take care of your drive train and ride safe!
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Post by sonnydgr8t on Jun 6, 2007 20:56:31 GMT 8
great info guys...so far it been a great help..tnx again bros..
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Post by nell7806 on Jun 11, 2007 9:36:07 GMT 8
Just happened that a friend (new to mountain biking) has asked me about shifting & braking: (remember the basic rule above? Adjust ring as needed) I was once a noob in mountainbiking but being curious as a cat tought why do we have multi-cog and ,multi chainring system... Like our very first vehicle in our garage I wonder why there is a 4speed manual Xmission on a 4K engine... when I observe those geras have task to do mostly when aproaching high bridges and vice-versa... Untill I rode with some amateur roadies... I noticed they seem to shift gears only as, where, just, needed... one thing they told me is to not only to damage your drivetrain but also shifting less helps you develope your legs.
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yoyeebird
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Post by yoyeebird on Jun 15, 2007 18:04:53 GMT 8
IMHO you can shift to any gear combo you like AS LONG AS YOUR DRIVETRAIN ALLOWS YOU TO. Also, AS LONG AS YOUR POCKET ALLOWS YOU TO BUY NEW PARTS if necessary. Hehe. =)
But seriously, there is 1 cardinal rule: DO NOT exert too much pressure on your cranks WHILE shifting. This is hard especially when hitting sudden uphills, I know. But the trick there is to attack the uphill n an angle then shift.
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Post by bikermice on Mar 28, 2008 8:37:57 GMT 8
I read one article that suggest to situate the front and rear gear to the biggest plate when going downhill to avoid chain noise. This seems to work for me, but I am not sure if there are any consequences in doing this.
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Post by bikermice on Mar 28, 2008 8:39:11 GMT 8
I read one article that suggest to situate the front and rear gear to the biggest plate when going downhill to avoid chain noise. This seems to work for me, but I am not sure if there are any consequences in doing this.
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Post by angelobryant on Mar 28, 2008 11:46:12 GMT 8
wow.. this thread is ooooold... but to answer the original question, my technique, shift to a enough for you to complete the uphill then dont shift during the down hill (assuming the hills are relatively short) and just pump your way down to gain additional momentum. upon reaching the bottom, you are already in gear for the next climb, again assuming the climb is similar to the first one.
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leflea
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Post by leflea on Mar 28, 2008 12:17:08 GMT 8
consequences? hmm... if there's a sudden uphill you won't be prepared
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Post by angelobryant on Mar 28, 2008 12:22:32 GMT 8
consequences? hmm... if there's a sudden uphill you won't be prepared if the climb is not too steep, he could immediately drop to the middle ring or granny since the rear is already at the biggest.
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sdny
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Post by sdny on Mar 28, 2008 12:24:51 GMT 8
shifting gear is also like a cars, take note: use always the gradual technique when shifting your rd one at a time.............har-har-har ...all the rest are already said before me.
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leflea
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Post by leflea on Mar 28, 2008 12:35:59 GMT 8
ah... rear on biggest cog? that means the dérailleur is extended all the way down? tama ba? bad if it hits rocks and stuff... == broken hanger or worst, broken dérailleur.
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