Looking for a comprehensive treatise on Shifting (why & when)

[Bob Ross]

I am looking for an online resource that provides a thorough, comprehensive treatise on maximizing the efficacy of gearing on a road bike; "Why & When To Shift 101" if you will.

Allow me to elaborate: I lead an annual training program that my cycle club hosts where we teach group riding skills. The program aims to convey the fundamental concepts of cooperative group riding: safety, predictability, conservation of energy, uniform effort, paceline techniques, climbing & descending techniques, yadda-yadda-yadda... The program has been in existence for over 25 years, and the curriculum has been in its current form for about 5 years. We've had excellent success taking upwards of 60-80 cyclists a year, many of whom have no group riding experience whatsoever, and typically graduating 50% of those folks...and of the graduates, I'd say that ~50% of them actually retain some of this info and go on to become legitimately good (safe, predictable, smart) group riders. :)

But in recent years we've noticed a lot of the folks that register for the program have very little grasp of how to operate the gears on their newfangled road bikes. Some of them sort of know "if I touch this lever it gets easier" (and some haven't even figured that out) but very few of them have a real handle on the When and the Why to shift gears. So a good portion of our coaching time is taken up with trying to teach that.

Now, we've got some good coaches who are excellent at conveying that info. But we're thinking it would streamline the process if A) we had a single resource to refer to so that all the coaches were on the same page; and B) we could point the Participants towards this resource preemptively, so that they'd all start to get some insight before a coach has to address a particular problem.

And I'm confident that, if I had the time, I could write such a treatise that would work effectively for these purposes. But I don't have the time. And I hate re-inventing the wheel. It seems to me that someone out there has already written such an article.

So I'm picking the collective brain trust of the Paceline Forum: Anyone seen anything like what I'm describing? Not just a remedial intro to bicycle gearing (though that wouldn't hurt) but also something that really delves into the philosophical impetus behind maximizing your biomechanical efficacy via smart use of the drivetrain. Whaddya got?

[malcolm]

Wow I've not seen such a thing in print that I can recall. I've not sure how you would teach it. The biggest problem I've seen with people new to multi geared bikes is not anticipating shifting as in waiting until they almost can't turn the pedals over as the grade increases and then trying to shift.

I would get the ones that don't really understand what happens when you move the lever on flat ground and have the practice shifting through the entire range of gearing in the back and once they have that add in shifting the front.

Good luck you must have the patience of job.

[FlashUNC]

CONI Manual had a bit about this, no?

The equipment is different, but the principles should still be the same.

[firerescuefin]

Good luck you must have the patience of job.

Yes, you are a saint. I'd say it's not necessary, but then I see some folks on nice bikes riding down the road and a voice inside of me yells "SHIFT"

May "The Force" (not to be confused with SRAM Force) be with you. :)

[chengher87]

GCN has a couple good videos for beginners, although they may not be as detailed as you are looking for:

How to change gears like a pro:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B2bu8uHyMc

How to improve gear selection:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEpfyEx0y48

[jdp211]

Nothing to add beyond this conjuring up memories of selling bikes. I can't tell you how many times I was asked, "What's a good gear to ride in around here?" *shudders* You are a saint.

[etu]

Bob,
since you're teaching a technical skill, might be best to avoid a long treatise.
suspect your students will learn better with simple guidelines and some practice.
have them develop a "feel" for their preferred level of resistence and then have them
1) keep cadence @ 90 on flats and a little slower on inclines
2) avoid cross chaining

a great reference - "Inner Game of Tennis"

[EDS]

I am looking for an online resource that provides a thorough, comprehensive treatise on maximizing the efficacy of gearing on a road bike; "Why & When To Shift 101" if you will.

Allow me to elaborate: I lead an annual training program that my cycle club hosts where we teach group riding skills. The program aims to convey the fundamental concepts of cooperative group riding: safety, predictability, conservation of energy, uniform effort, paceline techniques, climbing & descending techniques, yadda-yadda-yadda... The program has been in existence for over 25 years, and the curriculum has been in its current form for about 5 years. We've had excellent success taking upwards of 60-80 cyclists a year, many of whom have no group riding experience whatsoever, and typically graduating 50% of those folks...and of the graduates, I'd say that ~50% of them actually retain some of this info and go on to become legitimately good (safe, predictable, smart) group riders. :)

But in recent years we've noticed a lot of the folks that register for the program have very little grasp of how to operate the gears on their newfangled road bikes. Some of them sort of know "if I touch this lever it gets easier" (and some haven't even figured that out) but very few of them have a real handle on the When and the Why to shift gears. So a good portion of our coaching time is taken up with trying to teach that.

Now, we've got some good coaches who are excellent at conveying that info. But we're thinking it would streamline the process if A) we had a single resource to refer to so that all the coaches were on the same page; and B) we could point the Participants towards this resource preemptively, so that they'd all start to get some insight before a coach has to address a particular problem.

And I'm confident that, if I had the time, I could write such a treatise that would work effectively for these purposes. But I don't have the time. And I hate re-inventing the wheel. It seems to me that someone out there has already written such an article.

So I'm picking the collective brain trust of the Paceline Forum: Anyone seen anything like what I'm describing? Not just a remedial intro to bicycle gearing (though that wouldn't hurt) but also something that really delves into the philosophical impetus behind maximizing your biomechanical efficacy via smart use of the drivetrain. Whaddya got?

NYCC SIG? As a graduate (one of my instructors is a poster on this message board, though I doubt he would remember), I think anything too technical would be overkill. If anything, just take them over to Ross Dock and have them cycle through the gears up/down the hill for a more hands on demonstration.

[choke]

I read a simple concept many years ago: "If your legs are hurting, shift to an easier gear; if your lungs are hurting, shift to a harder gear."

[Hindmost]

Wow! How to teach beginners?

If a rider is not accomplished at shifting, they are not ready for group riding skills.

Real experience with hills is the best teacher of shifting and gear choice. So the challenge is to find suitable hills for a beginner and not over-challenge their other skills.

Real experience with moderate downhill speed teaches the whole package of: vision, shifting, steering, balance, braking.

Once a rider has basic solo-riding skills then they are candidates for group riding skills. At this point gear selection becomes: use the same gear the others are using.

[echelon_john]

Eat before you get hungry.
Drink before you get thirsty.
Shift before you need to.

[carpediemracing]

Best wishes with figuring it out.

I always felt that if the rider knows how to drive a stick then they'll get it right away. If they don't, and they've only drive automatics all their life, they probably won't get it for a bit.

Someone that had just learned how to drive claimed to know how to drive stick and that it was "easy" except for the clutch. "When the engine goes to 3 you shift, right?"

[merlinmurph]

Sorry, I have nothing to contribute but have a relevant story.

Two years ago, a female friend of my wife was doing her first triathlon. This tri was for women only and geared for absolute beginners. Our friend had never ridden a bike before (she was from Columbia) which shocked the hell out of me when I saw her ride one for the first time no problem.

So I ride out on the course with a camera hoping to get some pics of her and others we knew that were racing. Less than a mile into the ~14-mile ride was a sizeable hill, probably a half-mile long with some moderate pitches. Definitely a hill that these tri racers would hate. I hung out about halfway up waiting for them to arrive.

The riders started coming, and it was a combination of comical, inspiring, proud, and sad. A lot of bikes were 70's and 80's vintage and pulled out of the garage for the race. I ended up being a mechanic for a number of bikes, fixing dropped chains, jammed chains, crooked wheels, etc.

I was cheering the women on and was yelling "Downshift!!!" a lot. When I told one woman to shift, she stopped right in front of me and said "Teach me about shifting". Too funny.

So we stood there for a few minutes and I gave her a few pointers on how to work her stem shifters. "Leave the left one alone.". I put it in the small ring. "With the right one, back is easier, up is harder. Got it?". She smiled, got on the bike, I pushed her up the hill to get going, and I continued cheering, fixing, and taking pics.

Like someone else mentioned earlier, I don't know how many times I've seen someone on a bike climbing a hill, and I want to yell "SHIFT!!!" out my window. It's painful just watching someone grind away.

So, good luck, and yes, you are definitely a very patient man.

[christian]

Yeah I agree with EDS. As a SIG graduate and former leader...I have no idea.