Best Shifting/Pedaling Technique?

[leehop71]

Just wondering IF there was a certain shifting/pedaling technique that was ‘better’ to do it if it mattered at all?

Example:

1. Shift while pedaling

2. Stop pedaling the shift to the gear you want, then continue pedaling

3. Stop pedaling, shift to the next gear, repeat one gear at a time

4. It makes absolutely no difference how you do it concerning wear, tear, or slipping as far as the chain is concerned

 

[fooferdoggie]

I don't stop just let up on the pressure. the bosch system does that but I have done it for so many years it's built in. if I am on a steep hill and need to shift I wish hard then let up and shift so I don't lose my momentum. .

 

[Deacon Blues]

As ffooferdoggie stated, always pedal when shifting and ease off on the power too. If possible avoid shifting on a hill.
This is for a regular derailleur setup

 

[fooferdoggie]

this is one thing I don't like about my mid drive its actually slower to shift on as it does not ease up as fast and it takes less to spin out of that gear. when I had a recumbent I could shift 5 or 6 times crossing the street and hit 20mph. but it just seems the acceleration is so fast you can shift the gears the same. maybe jump two gears instead may work.

 

[leehop71]

this is one thing I don't like about my mid drive its actually slower to shift on as it does not ease up as fast and it takes less to spin out of that gear. when I had a recumbent I could shift 5 or 6 times crossing the street and hit 20mph. but it just seems the acceleration is so fast you can shift the gears the same. maybe jump two gears instead may work.

Because it’s flat everywhere here and I typically start my route heading west, the wind very seldom comes out of the west.

I don’t use electric as much as possible on my Denago as the ride on gears only is surprisingly quite nice.

When I’m on gears only, I’m almost always in gear 3 or 4.

Whenever I turn into a headwind, I ALWAYS shift to gear 7 regardless of what PAS I’m going to.

In THAT scenario, would you shift from 3 to 7 one gear at a time, and then go PAS, or stop pedaling, shift straight to 7, hit PAS and start pedaling again?

 

[fooferdoggie]

you can shift as many gears as the system can handle. but I base it on not loosing momentum. I often shift two gears at a time if I am doing well till I get to speed.

 

[leehop71]

you can shift as many gears as the system can handle. but I base it on not loosing momentum. I often shift two gears at a time if I am doing well till I get to speed.

It has no bearing on way or the other on the chain or shifter wear?

 

[fooferdoggie]

It has no bearing on way or the other on the chain or shifter wear?

from what I heave head its not as big of a deal as it used to be to let off pressure when you shift. though with mid drives it is. but I dont like the clunky feel and noise so I always let up.

 

[leehop71]

from what I heave head its not as big of a deal as it used to be to let off pressure when you shift. though with mid drives it is. but I dont like the clunky feel and noise so I always let up.

Thanks Foofer, appreciate your input!

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

"Cadence" is bike-speak for crank speed in RPM. Most riders find that pedaling feels best in a fairly narrow cadence range that generally changes little with riding conditions. For non-racers, this self-selected cadence is usually just below the cadence for max leg power and not far from the cadence for max metabolic efficiency.

So, not a bad idea to find your own preferred cadence and then use various combinations of gears and assist levels to stay there as conditions change. I strongly recommend giving this a try.

A cadence sensor helps, but you can also apply this approach by feel if you pay attention. If your bike has no built-in cadence sensor, it's easy and cheap enough to add one and monitor it with a phone app like RideWithGPS

My knees strongly prefer a cadence of 80±5 RRM, and my leg muscles are happy there, too. I tend to ride at low assist and maintain cadence first with my gears and then with PAS. But that's just my preference. You'll use more battery and get less exercise the other way around (assist first, then gears), but those may not be concerns on some rides.

Of course, you can also maintain cadence by adjusting gears and assist at roughly the same time. For example, my ebike offers 9 assist levels, and I really like the finer control that provides. When cadence starts to get too high under acceleration, I often go up one gear and one assist level at the same time. Result: Higher yet sustainable speed at preferred cadence.

I still prefer to avoid shifting (up or down) at the high chain tensions encountered when pedaling up steep hills, into stiff headwinds, or under heavy accelerations. Easing up on the pedals for a moment is one way to reduce chain tension for a shift. How much drivetrain wear and tear you'd actually save during gentle accelerations in your flat terrain is debatable, but it's still a good habit to develop.

If you have a rear hub-drive with a throttle, you can also reduce chain tension for shifts by blipping the throttle instead of easing up on the pedals. This approach minimizes shift-related momentum loss on hills and in headwinds. (NB: On a mid-drive, this increases chain tension.)

 

[Roamers]

My knees strongly prefer a cadence of 80±5 RRM, and my leg muscles are happy there, too. I tend to ride at low assist and maintain cadence first with my gears and then with PAS.

I use cadence sensor to maintain ~90. My wife starts commenting on knee ache, I pace her to find she is under 60. When she gets to between 70 and 80, knee ache goes away. She still refuses to accept "cadence sensor is good."

 

[fooferdoggie]

I wish I could get closer to 80 but too many years at 80. Plus on our tandem 90 feels weird.

 

[leehop71]

So is the only way to track cadence is through an app?

 

[fooferdoggie]

So is the only way to track cadence is through an app?

no you can get a simple bike computer to do it. wired or wireless.

 

[leehop71]

no you can get a simple bike computer to do it. wired or wireless.

Looking at them on Amazon!

So the main benefit is to find a comfort level for your legs?

 

[fooferdoggie]

Looking at them on Amazon!

So the main benefit is to find a comfort level for your legs?

its easier on your knees. but Also you can put out more torque with less effort. like when I can do 450 watts at 80 rpms it feels easier then if its at 40 rpm.

 

[Roamers]

Looking at them on Amazon!

So the main benefit is to find a comfort level for your legs?

I use this one with free Wahoo app that also displays my heart rate.

Amazon.com

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

So the main benefit is to find a comfort level for your legs?

Pretty much, but part of the reason it's comfortable is that you're operating near the peak of your body's power vs. cadence curve. Which also makes your pedaling more effective.

Granted, you'll learn your optimal cadence and how best to stay there faster when you can see your cadence in real time. But you don't need that to reap some benefit. Just pay attention to your knees and leg muscles as you vary your cadence. They'll tell you where the sweet spot is and when you're way off. Learn what it feels like and then use gears or assist to stay in the ballpark. Doesn't have to be exact.

Now that I know what my optimal cadence feels like, I don't need to monitor cadence on a screen.

Enough talk. Just try it and see.

 

[leehop71]

Pretty much, but part of the reason it's comfortable is that you're operating near the peak of your body's power vs. cadence curve. Which also makes your pedaling more effective.

Granted, you'll learn your optimal cadence and how best to stay there faster when you can see your cadence in real time. But you don't need that to reap some benefit. Just pay attention to your knees and leg muscles as you vary your cadence. They'll tell you where the sweet spot is and when you're way off. Learn what it feels like and then use gears or assist to stay in the ballpark. Doesn't have to be exact.

Now that I know what my optimal cadence feels like, I don't need to monitor cadence on a screen.

Enough talk. Just try it and see.

Thanks JM!

 

[PedalUma]

certain shifting/pedaling technique that was ‘better’

It depends on what type of system you are using that day. A mid-drive would be very different if it had a derailleur than if it had an internal hub of gears. With a derailleur you need to pedal while shifting but also need to back off on pedaling pressure. With something such as a Alfine or Nexus hub of gears you would need to coast while shifting. But can go from say gear 11 to gear 1 while stopped at a light. There are videos on how to pedal like a pro. Motor controllers do not like rapid spikes. They do like a smooth power draw. They also work better at higher rpms. Pros ride at a cadence of 80 to 100 rpm and use their ankles. No pounding side to side, it is all about quickly spinning.