Do we now have too many gears ?

For discussions about bikes and equipment.
reohn2
Posts: 45158
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Do we now have too many gears ?

Post by reohn2 »

kwackers wrote:I'd put money on it the pressure drops as your cadence increases.
We use higher cadence to increase power, since power is a function of the pressure (torque) and RPM then increasing RPM increases power, but there's a drop in pressure - probably non-linear and becoming much more pronounced at the top end of your cadence. At some point there'll be no increase in power because the pressure drops off faster than the rpm increases - theoretically that cut off point is your optimum power delivery.

I'll go along with that and add that OC differs from person to person.
But MickF's 30rpm cadence will have to increase as the gradient does to ease pressure.30rpm cannot be maintained(seated)on say a 20% gradient.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
User avatar
Mick F
Spambuster
Posts: 56359
Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 11:24am
Location: Tamar Valley, Cornwall

Re: Do we now have too many gears ?

Post by Mick F »

kwackers wrote:
Mick F wrote:What pressure on each of the pedals?

3.7
Is that the answer to the ultimate question?
Shouldn't it be 42? :lol:

Is that 3.7Kg?
How did you get that figure?
Mick F. Cornwall
User avatar
Mick F
Spambuster
Posts: 56359
Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 11:24am
Location: Tamar Valley, Cornwall

Re: Do we now have too many gears ?

Post by Mick F »

reohn2 wrote:
kwackers wrote:I'd put money on it the pressure drops as your cadence increases.
We use higher cadence to increase power, since power is a function of the pressure (torque) and RPM then increasing RPM increases power, but there's a drop in pressure - probably non-linear and becoming much more pronounced at the top end of your cadence. At some point there'll be no increase in power because the pressure drops off faster than the rpm increases - theoretically that cut off point is your optimum power delivery.

I'll go along with that and add that OC differs from person to person.
But MickF's 30rpm cadence will have to increase as the gradient does to ease pressure.30rpm cannot be maintained(seated)on say a 20% gradient.
30rpm is probably all I can manage on a 20% gradient even in bottom gear. Maybe 3 or 4mph.
To have a bottom gear to keep up to (say) 70rpm would require a very low gear - maybe 15"?

3mph in bottom gear for me on Bike would be 38rpm. I never get out of the saddle, so I would remain seated. I also climb hills steeper than 20% and maybe maintain 2mph - 25rpm still seated!
10mph in top gear would be 29rpm.

My point was that at 10mph on the flat, my cadence would be low because it's relaxing and I would select that gear deliberately.
Mick F. Cornwall
kwackers
Posts: 15643
Joined: 4 Jun 2008, 9:29pm
Location: Warrington

Re: Do we now have too many gears ?

Post by kwackers »

Mick F wrote:
kwackers wrote:
Mick F wrote:What pressure on each of the pedals?

3.7
Is that the answer to the ultimate question?
Shouldn't it be 42? :lol:

Is that 3.7Kg?
How did you get that figure?

I thought about having 42 - in fact we can have that, I just need to change the units.

At the moment it's 3.7 Newton Monkeys, but if we go with 42 then it's 42 Submonkey Newtons.

I need to calculate the conversion to Kg - that's the tricky bit, I may be some time... ;)
reohn2
Posts: 45158
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Do we now have too many gears ?

Post by reohn2 »

Mick F wrote:
reohn2 wrote:
kwackers wrote:I'd put money on it the pressure drops as your cadence increases.
We use higher cadence to increase power, since power is a function of the pressure (torque) and RPM then increasing RPM increases power, but there's a drop in pressure - probably non-linear and becoming much more pronounced at the top end of your cadence. At some point there'll be no increase in power because the pressure drops off faster than the rpm increases - theoretically that cut off point is your optimum power delivery.

I'll go along with that and add that OC differs from person to person.
But MickF's 30rpm cadence will have to increase as the gradient does to ease pressure.30rpm cannot be maintained(seated)on say a 20% gradient.
30rpm is probably all I can manage on a 20% gradient even in bottom gear. Maybe 3 or 4mph.
To have a bottom gear to keep up to (say) 70rpm would require a very low gear - maybe 15"?

3mph in bottom gear for me on Bike would be 38rpm. I never get out of the saddle, so I would remain seated. I also climb hills steeper than 20% and maybe maintain 2mph - 25rpm still seated!
10mph in top gear would be 29rpm.

My point was that at 10mph on the flat, my cadence would be low because it's relaxing and I would select that gear deliberately.

Rather your knees than mine :? .
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
Brucey
Posts: 44518
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Do we now have too many gears ?

Post by Brucey »

kwackers wrote: ....At the moment it's 3.7 Newton Monkeys, but if we go with 42 then it's 42 Submonkey Newtons.

I need to calculate the conversion to Kg - that's the tricky bit, I may be some time... ;)


Do you have a conversion factor between the Submonkey Newton and the (Non S.I.) Chimp-Pound unit? Twelve gross Chimp-Pounds is of course (as any fule kno) a Gorilla-Tonne. The latter is a little large for bicycle usage.

Image
an early (and presumably uncalibrated) usage of the chimp-lb unit

cheers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
reohn2
Posts: 45158
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Do we now have too many gears ?

Post by reohn2 »

Is that a BMX(Bicycle Monkey Cross)he's riding,or a forerunner of the MTB(Monkey Top Bicycle) :shock:
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
User avatar
Sum
Posts: 331
Joined: 17 Jul 2010, 9:13am

Re: Do we now have too many gears ?

Post by Sum »

Lol! Perhaps it's one of the original members of the Chimpanzee Touring Club, back in the day?
pete75
Posts: 16370
Joined: 24 Jul 2007, 2:37pm

Re: Do we now have too many gears ?

Post by pete75 »

It's this chap's grandad....



Image
'Give me my bike, a bit of sunshine - and a stop-off for a lunchtime pint - and I'm a happy man.' - Reg Baker
reohn2
Posts: 45158
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Do we now have too many gears ?

Post by reohn2 »

Don't mean ''this Chimp's granddad''
Last edited by reohn2 on 13 Apr 2014, 5:31pm, edited 1 time in total.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
User avatar
Mick F
Spambuster
Posts: 56359
Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 11:24am
Location: Tamar Valley, Cornwall

Re: Do we now have too many gears ?

Post by Mick F »

The spelling is "granddad", not "grandad".

:wink:
Mick F. Cornwall
reohn2
Posts: 45158
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Do we now have too many gears ?

Post by reohn2 »

Mick F wrote:The spelling is "granddad", not "grandad".

:wink:

FIFY :wink:
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
User avatar
Mick F
Spambuster
Posts: 56359
Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 11:24am
Location: Tamar Valley, Cornwall

Re: Do we now have too many gears ?

Post by Mick F »

:lol: :lol:
Mick F. Cornwall
Post Reply