Went out on the bike again. It was better this time. I didn't fall down.
I'm still getting use to the clips. I finally figured out what was going on. The pedals help hold up your weight, with the clips, your feet don't have a solid base and you are kind of on your own for holding your self up. Never realized that. Probably wouldn't since I always had pedals before. So it makes things not so steady when I stand up. But this trip was a lot better than the last time. I stayed out longer and started using the gears more. I'm still trying to get use to when to shift and how the shifting on this bike works. All in all it was a good day. I went up and down a few hills around my house. I think I overdid it a bit cuz I was shaking when I finally decided to go home. A banana got me back to normal. Was sucking wind a bit on the hills but other than that it was a pretty good ride. Next time I will cross the main street and take on the big hill. (I think :-) )
2 comments:
Every biker I know has their own preference about shifting, but what works for me is to keep it at a level where I am just feeling some resistance when I pedal. If I feel like I'm pedaling hard and am not gaining noticeable momentum, I shift down. If I feel like I'm free-pedaling, I shift up.
The only real trick is to learn the right point to downshift when going up a steep hill. Since the act of shifting will cause you to lose momentum, you have to look ahead a little.
It also depends a little on what you are trying to get out of your rides. Freepedaling is more aerobic so if you want an aerobic workout, you'll probably want to keep it in a lower gear than I do.
Anyway, like I said, if you ask 6 bikers for their opinion on when to shift, you'll probably get 6 different answers. But once you figure out what feels best to you, it'll come naturally and you won't even consciously think about shifting.
I have some pedals that are a flat base so that you don't actually have to clip in and then the part you clip into. I always wondered if I was cheating. And, now based on your description of just having that little tiny part that you clip into, I know that I am cheating. Oh well!!
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