[Stitcher]

Ok.....<br><br>
I have my trusty mtn bike.<br>
CS will give me (sometimes) gearing to use in the trainer rides.<br><br>
BUT.....<br><br>
I think my gearing is WAY different than what maybe he is thinking of.<br><br>
I counted today.......<br><br>
Does this sound right for what I'd have on a mtn bike (stock...right off the "showroom floor" of the bike store 10 years ago).<br><br>
Front: 42, 35, 21<br>
Back: 11, 13, 30, 36, 42, 48, 55

 

[Tithers]

ummm...did you COUNT the teeth?!?

 

[jroden]

I think you miscounted in the back, maybe a 32 or 36 is the largest. The other consideration is the fact that your 650c size wheels will change the final ratio in any event.<br><br>
You could calculate gear inches with an online gear calculator, but I'm guessing that isn't your cup of tea, so maybe just look at the workouts and infer what he has in mind and modify them a little based on your heartrate. It's one of those things where close enough will be ok in the larger picture.

 

[Stitcher]

YES!!<br>
Even made the 'ZA man wait till I finished with one of the gears to pay him. <img alt="cool.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/cool.gif">

 

[Stitcher]

Jroden...<br><br>
I'll recount them.......<br>
Keeping track of the teeny teeth while I turn the wheel can make ya go blind..... lol

 

[Tithers]

I don't turn the wheel when I count...

 

[Stitcher]

Hmmm....<br>
Do you stand on your head, then...to get to the ones on the bottom?

 

[Tithers]

No...I put my finger on the first one and move my other hand finger around the teeth.

 

[jroden]

The number of teeth is stamped on the chainrings and sprockets, clean them and you can read them. It's pointless though, you may as well just always ride in the largest (or middle)chainring on the trainer and count the number of cogs you are riding up from the smallest. You can't compare against the numbers from sheldon without calculating your gear inches.

 

[Stitcher]

Ok....<br><br>
I DID miscount.....<br><br>
by double...<br><br>
I have:<br>
11, 13, 15, 18, 21, 24, 28 in the back...<br>
does that make more sense?<br><br>
WTH are gear inches?

 

[jroden]

this does gear inches, it's a measure of how far the bike go for each turn of the crank:<br><br><a href="http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/" target="_blank">http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/</a>

 

[Stitcher]

OK...<br>
that's a pretty cool gadget/chart.<br><br>
What's it tell me?<br><br>
Why does knowing how far my bike will go with one turn of the crank help me?<br><br>
REally.....<br>
total newbie here.<br>
If these are "kindergarten questions" I apologize.

 

[jroden]

it matters because if sheldon says to ride a 53 x 17 gear and assumes you are using a bike with a 700c size wheel, you can calculate that he wants you to ride about an 82 inch gear.<br><br>
With your gears and bike using a 650c wheel, that would be around a 42 x 12, which is all the gear you have on that bike.

 

[Stitcher]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh...............<br><br>
It gives equivalents.<br><br>
gotcha!

 

[LeftRightRepeat]

Sheldon Brown Rocks!!!!!!!