Question: What gears are they pushing? They look like they're flying. —Jack G. Pros often use a 55x11-tooth high gear for time trials. On flat or rolling stages they might have 53/39T chainrings with an 11-21T cassette. In moderate mountains they switch to a large cog of 23T or 25T. These days, they've joined the big-gear revolution like many recreational riders. For … [Read more...] about What Gears do Pros Use?
Tech
How to Shift Gears Correctly on a Road Bike
By Jim Langley A couple of weeks ago in this column, RoadBikeRider founder Ed Pavelka explained how easy it was to significantly lower his SRAM eTap gearing. If you missed that, it’s here, After that piece appeared, I thought about Ed’s wireless electric shifting and 22 gears, and it occurred to me that if you were just getting into road riding, you might be mystified … [Read more...] about How to Shift Gears Correctly on a Road Bike
Lowering Gearing Tip for SRAM eTap Roadies
By Jim Langley A few newsletters back, RBR author and contributor Coach Rick Schultz offered tips on expanding your gearing with WolfTooth’s Road Link (his article is in the form of a downloadable PDF, in case you missed it). This week, we’re very pleased to add a related gearing tip from RBR founder Ed Pavelka. While he was recovering from hip replacement surgery, Ed … [Read more...] about Lowering Gearing Tip for SRAM eTap Roadies
How to Add Gearing to Your Bike; WolfTooth Road Link Review
Editor's Note: It's an increasingly common refrain from roadies: I need more gearing. Here's how an RBR Premium Member who wrote me recently put it: "There are more and more of us “mature” cyclists who take our recreational riding seriously and look for high-quality components. We are no longer as strong as the younger crowd. Riders like me want close-ratio gearing but … [Read more...] about How to Add Gearing to Your Bike; WolfTooth Road Link Review
Sometimes, a Frankenstein Approach to Tech Works
By John Marsh, Editor & Publisher This QT is based on my recent experience with – of all things – water bottles. But it brought to mind a conversation I had several years ago at Interbike with a Shimano tech expert (I'll circle back to that in a minute). I came home from this year's Interbike with a couple of new Polar insulated bottles, which … [Read more...] about Sometimes, a Frankenstein Approach to Tech Works