Gears: Use, Mechanics, ranks & history.
Ever wondered how some people make climbing this apparently impossible hill look effortless? Or how someone, no fitter than you, is able to move like a seasoned athlete on the flats? You can thank the gears for that!
Why does my bicycle have gears?
Increased efficiency: Using the appropriate gear allows you to pedal at an optimal cadence, which can increase your efficiency and reduce fatigue. If you pedal too fast or too slowly, you may waste energy or strain your muscles.
Improved speed: With the ability to adjust your gearing, you can maintain a consistent speed on various terrains, including uphill, downhill, and flat.
Greater control: By shifting to a lower gear, you can slow down and control your speed more effectively, especially when descending steep hills.
Reduced stress on your joints: Using a lower gear can reduce the stress on your knees and other joints, especially when climbing hills or carrying heavy loads.
Overall, gears on a bicycle give you more control over your ride, make it easier to navigate different types of terrain, and allow you to ride farther and more efficiently with less fatigue.
USING THE GEARS:
Expanding and contracting the derailleur switches the chains location on the cassette.
LOW: If the chain is on a bigger ring, more chain is required to rotate the wheel, resulting in more power per revolution of the crank. You’re limited on road speed but have lots of power, suitable for pulling heavy loads or steep inclines.
HIGH: If the chain is on a smaller ring, you need far less chain to rotate the wheel. As a result, the wheel turns faster, meaning a higher road speed but you’ll be limited on torque, suitable for declines and flats.
Use the lower gears to get up to speed and use those smaller cogs.
MAINTENANCE:
Components will wear over time as they are metal parts coming into contact with each other to transfer power from your crank to the rear wheel. Lubrication & proper adjustment will reduce the wear of your parts but the time to replace bits and bobs is inevitable. Chains are designed to wear faster than other components, they are the most cost effective component to replace.
Signs of wear include: Gears clicking, not wanting to sit in the correct gear, jumping when power is applied and the chain coming off the sprocket and getting caught in the frame. Often, minor adjustments can mitigate these faults.
LUBRICATION:
"Wet lube" and "dry lube" are terms commonly used to describe the type of lubrication used on bicycles, but they can also apply to other machinery and equipment. Here is a brief explanation of each:
Wet lube: Wet lube is a type of lubricant that is designed to be used in wet and muddy conditions. It is typically thicker and more viscous than dry lube, and is applied to the chain, derailleur, and other moving parts of a bike. Wet lube is designed to cling to the bike's components, providing a protective barrier against water and mud, which can cause rust and corrosion. However, wet lube can attract dirt and grit, which can cause excess wear and tear on the components if not cleaned properly.
Dry lube: Dry lube is a type of lubricant that is designed to be used in dry and dusty conditions. It is typically thinner and less viscous than wet lube, and is applied to the chain, derailleur, and other moving parts of a bike. Dry lube is designed to dry quickly and form a dry film on the bike's components, which provides a protective barrier against dust and dirt. Unlike wet lube, dry lube does not attract dirt and grit, which helps to keep the bike's components clean. However, dry lube may not provide the same level of protection against water and mud as wet lube and needs applying more often.
MECHANICS:
Internal gears are housed inside the hub of the bike's wheel, and are typically found on commuter and city bikes. They are low maintenance and easy to use, as they can be shifted while the bike is stationary or in motion. Internal gears are also protected from the elements, making them ideal for riding in wet or dirty conditions.
External gears, (much more common in the UK) also known as derailleur gears, are mounted on the outside of the bike and use the effective lengthening and shorting the contact area of the chain and wheel to transfer varied power between the pedals and the ground. External gears offer a wide range of gear ratios, anywhere between 10 and 27, allowing the rider to tackle steep climbs and fast descents with ease.
Bicycle gears are typically controlled by shifters, which can be located on the handlebars or the frame of the bike. Shifters come in different types, including thumb shifters, trigger shifters, and twist shifters. Riders can use the shifters to adjust the gears while riding, allowing them to maintain an optimal pedaling cadence and control the bike's speed and resistance
MTB:
We all know someone that loves to tell us all just how much their bike cost. PAY NO ATTENTION TO THIS, many well know ‘premium’ brands love slapping basic spec’d equipment on their bikes, having their name all over it and charging far more than it cost to build worth so that customers can rep the branding. I am constantly biting my tongue when I overhear someone brag about their bike retailing at £2,500 but being equipped with Deore or SLX.
The real way to determine the quality of a bike is what components it’s using. Shimano and SRAM are two of the leading manufacturers and here are their respective ranks. For general commuting & family rides, Altus or x4 are reliable and shift perfectly well.
ROAD BIKES:
Same story with road bikes, Shimano and SRAM are leading the way here too.
Bare in mind that modern Shimano 105, for example, is superior to that of a higher ranking component like an ultegra from a previous era.
The higher up the hierarchy you go, the lighter, stiffer and more precise the overall drivetrain becomes. Any Shimano or SRAM product tends to work very well assuming they’re serviced properly.
SOME HISTORY:
The history of bike gears can be traced back to the late 1800s, when bicycles were first gaining popularity. The earliest bicycles had just one fixed gear, which limited their speed and versatility.
In 1891, the French inventor Paul de Vivie, also known as "Velocio," invented the first multi-speed derailleur system. This system used a chain tensioner and a simple mechanism to move the chain between different-sized sprockets on the rear wheel, allowing the rider to adjust the gear ratio to match the terrain.
In the early 1900s, various companies began experimenting with different types of gearing systems. One popular system was the epicyclic gear, which used a planetary gearset to achieve multiple gear ratios. Another was the two-speed coaster brake, which used a mechanism inside the rear hub to switch between two different-sized sprockets.
In the 1930s, the derailleur system was further developed and became more widely used, especially in Europe. The Campagnolo company, founded in Italy in 1933, introduced a range of innovative components, including the first quick-release skewer and the first indexed shifting system. These developments helped to make cycling more efficient and enjoyable, and paved the way for the modern bicycle.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the popularity of cycling surged in the United States and other parts of the world, thanks in part to the development of lightweight, high-performance bicycles with multiple gears. The introduction of the Shimano Dura-Ace groupset in 1973 set a new standard for quality and performance, and paved the way for further advances in bike gearing technology.
Today, bikes are equipped with a wide range of gearing options, from simple single-speed setups to advanced electronic shifting systems (Shimano Di2 & SRAM eTap). These systems are designed to provide riders with maximum efficiency, speed, and versatility, making cycling a popular and enjoyable activity for people of all ages and abilities. In recent times, manufactures have increased the amount of gears on the back, up to 12! This means reducing the crank from 3, down to 2 and as seen on lots of MTB set ups, 1 single ring on the front.
