Tips for changing marching properly in road cycling

Using the correct way by choosing the right development for each type of land is essential if what you want is to improve your performance with the road bike. In addition to having the right relationship for your most common level and type of routes you must apply these simple but practical tricks so as not to truncated the pedaling and make the most of your energy. Change both the dish and the crowns of the cassette of your road bike has its own technique. It depends on a good use of the energy you transmit to the bicycle from the pedals to move it with speed. Good management management, together with frequent transmission maintenance, can give you that extra help you need to overcome the toughest ports or to maintain a good average speed in the plain. With the following tricks and recommendations you will soon see improvements in your performance and save strength for the most demanding field.

Do not abuse the change of dish

The most widespread relationship in road cycling is that of double or 2x plate, accompanied by cassettes of 10, 11 and 12 speeds (although in the oldest and lowest range groups, 8 and 9 crowns are still used). The dish completely changes pedaling cadence to adapt to the ground or the slope. Changing too much dish, even for the same type of land, will cut the progression of pedaling cadence and will force you to spend more strength to adapt it again. As a general rule, and in intermediate -level amateur cyclists, a comfortable pedaling cadence for any land will be between 80 and 90 pedaling per minute. It is advisable, as a general rule is to change the dish only at the time of the change of land, from plain to climb or rise to plain, and to play then with the crowns to adapt the cadence.

You must manage the changes correctly and maintain a linear pedaling cadence during as long as possible.

Avoid crossing the chain too much

In double -plate transmissions it is common that, sometimes, and sometimes without being aware of it, you cross the chain too much, rolling for example on one of the largest crowns in the cassette and with the large plate, or with small crowns and plate little. This has two important inconveniences:

It will cost more to complete a pedal: The chain crossing generates more friction in this and in the teeth of plate and crown. This will force you to spend more watts of the really necessary. In Triathlon planet They have come to calculate that up to 1.5 watts per pedalada can be spent.
You will accelerate the transmission wear: In addition to the greatest energy expenditure, which will cause an early appearance of fatigue, the biggest friction of the chain with the surface of dishes and crowns will wear more quickly the pieces. This will cause the chain not to move smoothly and quickly, cause jumps and also affect the change of gears or cause faults.

Large dish, always with small crowns

There are simple rules that you can apply so as not to make unnecessary chain crossings and always have an adequate combination. For example, if you have a 10 -speed cassette transmission, use the large dish always with the five smaller crowns. And ViceCersa: the 5 largest crowns in the cassette, always with the small dish. For the rest of the relationships (2x9, 2x11 or 2x12) mentally divides the cassette into two groups of crowns, higher or lower, always leaving, in the case of cassettes with odd crowns, one more crown in the lower group.

Do not stop pedaling when changing march

A beginner error is to act the buttons when we are not pedaling, which can cause chain jumps or mismatches when we pedal again. Therefore you must always be moving the connecting rods at the time of change. And do it smoothly. Printing too much power can cause some chain jump or exit. In this sense, maintaining the cadence in linear parameters, without major rhythm changes, will favor a more efficient and fast gearshift

Do not abuse change. Try to stay in the same development as long as possible

Use the buttons with criteria

There are road cyclists that abuse change, especially that of crowns. And this, in addition to cutting the rhythm or cadence of pedaling, generates greater physical wear and also transmission. Both in climb and in Llano tries to extend everything you can a specific relationship, while maintaining a comfortable pedaling that does not end up getting through you.

Act the change gently

On the other hand, there is a certain technique so that the change of crown or dish is perfection. In high-end transmissions, such as the Ultegra Shimano, Dura-Ace or Super Record Campagnolo, with a soft finger pressure the crown will change quickly. It will not be necessary to act strongly, since we can activate the multiple change and climb two or three crowns, without needing it. In mid -range or low groups, it will have to be tightened with some more strength, and during a somewhat greater period of time, the button of the button, to achieve an effective change without friction or jumps. In this sense, we invite you to make a brief way out and test the button of the button, to get used to it and know the exact point in which the crown or the plate changes. In addition, you can identify mismatches, weaning of the cable, etc.

Get a cadence sensor

Maybe they sound to devices for professionals, but nothing further from reality. A cadence sensor also helps the amateur cyclist, or the beginner, to know his cadence data. These will allow you to improve pedaling on the bicycle and better manage your strength. Currently, in the market there are economic and reliable options, from 20 euros, compatible (thanks to its Bluetooth connection) with the most used cycling training apps and cadence measurement, such as Wahoo Fitness or Ride with GPS.