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Submitted By vamshi23
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What are Gears and how are they useful?

In walking up a hill, your pace will become shorter and your forward movement slower, while in walking down a hill, your pace will become longer and your movement quicker. If you tried walking up a steep hill without slowing down, you would rapidly become exhausted. However, on a bicycle, you don't slow down the speed of your legs, but you gear down to reduce the amount of pressure you have to apply to the pedals. So a cyclist going up a hill and down a hill may be spinning his legs at the same pace and making the same effort, but the bike travels a shorter distance with every turn of the crank while going uphill and a longer distance with every turn of the crank while going down. The cyclist on the uphill gives up speed to save effort, the same as the person walking up a hill. The cyclist even has an advantage over the walker: because his legs are moving faster, the blood flow is better, and thus he doesn't have as much fatigue.

Multi-speed gears allow you to climb hills comfortably that might force you to stand up and "pump" or even get off and push if you were riding a one-speed. They also allow you to go faster downhill or with the wind at your back.

Pedaling Speed Every cyclist has an ideal pedaling speed, and an ideal amount of resistance from the pedals. When you are pedaling at your ideal pedaling speed, you are putting out the greatest amount of power that you are able to sustain efficiently. You select pedaling speed by shifting gears. The gear needed to allow your "ideal" pedaling speed will depend on the slope of the road, the wind conditions, and your own condition at any given time.

High or Low?

"Higher" gears put more resistance on the pedals. If you select a gear that is too high for the conditions, it will force you into a slower pedaling speed.

Pedaling slower than your ideal cadence is wasteful of energy. You also run a higher risk of muscle strains and joint damage, particularly to the knees and hips.

"Lower" gears make the pedals easy to turn, so it becomes easier to spin to a fast pedaling speed.

Pedaling faster than your ideal cadence can allow you to generate an extra burst of speed, but you will tire yourself out too soon if you try to maintain an excessively fast cadence.

Inexperienced cyclists often pedal at a cadence that is too slow, (too high a gear.) They sometimes think that this is better exercise, because they have to push harder on the pedals. This is an illusion.

"Pushing" vs. "Spinning"

"Pushing" a high gear at a slow pedaling speed is like power lifting. It is good for building up muscle mass and bulking up your legs, but it does little for your heart or lungs, and you can hurt yourself if you overdo it.

"Spinning" a lower gear at a rapid pedaling speed is more like swimming. The rapid motion, with many repetitions makes the legs supple and flexible, it is highly aerobic, and the light pressure that goes with this style reduces wear and tear on the joints. With practice "spinning" becomes easier and more comfortable.

Securing your feet Toe clips or "clipless" pedals make it easier to spin effectively. They also enhance safety, because they keep your feet from slipping off of the pedals. They take a bit of getting used to, but experienced cyclists find them invaluable.

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