RE: Motorcycle Travel Series by @velimir 'Riding steep downhill curves' (Part #191)
Beautiful one @velimir. You are a skilled writer. I totally understood your mindset and the angles you came from. It was easy to comprehend with the humour.
I really love the woods. I could only imagine how sound fades in the woods, making trees a popular natural noise barrier. The muffling effect is largely due to rustling leaves — plus other woodland white noise, like bird songs — and just a few well-placed trees can cut background sound by 5 to 10 decibels, or about 50 percent as heard by human ears. Its would have been refreshing to ride past the woods. But i can just imagine. Too bad people don't see anything but $ when they see trees. Here where i live, it looks like a war torn area. Things deterioate and deterioate. Where's the pierra club? Why can't they select cut? Our state will be a state of Pines instead of Black Walnut, Maple, Pecans, Hickory's. Water run off is awful during rains, animals are displaced. Do people ever think before they destroy?
Very unfortunate loss for so many at the gain of a few who are taking advantage of the opportunity to make quick easy money. I must say that you have a great environment around you and i am glad you explore it from time to time.
But getting back to the post, i have a question to ask @velimir
I dont know if you know much about cycling, but When riding a bike, is it more efficient to pedal more slowly while using more strength per push, or faster with an easier gear?
Thanks. Its also open to any other friend here to talk about. :)
I dont think @velimir is much into cycling :) He has a nice and cool bike. I will upgrade to his level soon :)
Really is finding that perfect balance. Slower revs at higher power (it helps to have a power meter when you do this) and a lower heart rate will tend to burn your legs out much more quickly than a higher cadence at lower power and higher heart rate. How where exactly this balance is can be very different for different people. Also a lot depends upon how much load your heart can take before burning that out as well. Another huge piece is how far and how long you have to ride. You will find that your heart can take a long, sustained effort better than your legs in most cases, so I usually opt for a higher cadence, higher heart rate with a little less power. However, if I need a short burst of speed, I will go to that higher gear and let me cadence drop to increase the power, but only for as long as I need to. I ride between 5000 and 7500 miles a year out in Colorado where we have a few rather large hills and have found over time that a higher cadence works much better for letting me ride longer rides, especially when going uphill. So this is what i think
Depends on the gradient too. (:
But i realise no matter how much brute force you pedal your bike, if your bike's gears are not optimized for the path, you will be lacking behind those whose gears are.
So having better gears in a bike improves speed and definitely, way more efficient.
Very nice comment there.
I can't really speak to efficiency, but I know that if you constantly mash higher gears, your knees will eventually complain quite bitterly (even permanently). Some riders seem to do well at a lower rpm, and their physiology can tolerate it, but in general your best bet is to spin between 90-120 rpm.
Hahaha guys, you are right, Velimir is not much into cycling anymore. I did my share of pedalling but not anymore. What makes me think... what if...mmm? ;)
Thank you for this awesome advice for cycling, I am sure many will appreciate! :)