shifting gears
Find It or Grind It Bike safety, etiquette, and technique tips from a pro! BY DAVE HARRISON
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yclist of all types, road or mountain, will benefit from a practiced regimen of constant shifting. Shifting is the art of adapting to terrain changes by switching to higher (harder) or lower (easier) gears based on the steepness of any given descent or ascent (downhill or uphill). Don’t be confused by all the new technology. The basics of shifting have not changed since you had your first 10-speed Schwinn. In general, you still use your left shifter to operate the front derailleur (influencing the front chainrings) and the right shifter (influencing the rear cogs). Don’t be discouraged by new twist shifters or thumb- forefinger lever combos; they still change the same gears, there are just more to choose from now. I used to have to walk my bike up the last hill before my driveway on my old 10-speed. Then I learned to traverse up the paved climb using imaginary switchbacks. With today’s technology there is a myriad of gear choices. You can even take your bike into a local bike shop and they can change certain chain rings or cogs, to make it easier for you. For reference, it is interesting to note that the smaller your chainring is up front, the easier (lower) the gear is. Conversely, the larger the cog you use in the back, the easier it is to pedal. Using this formula, all you have to do is move your chain to your smallest chainring up front, using your left shifter. Simultaneously move the chain to the largest cog in the rear using your right shifter. This is the lowest or easiest gear you have,
often referred to as the “granny” gear. If you have an older bike without indicators on the shifters, simply take a brief look down to see what gear you are in. Some of these older indexed shifters require the old art of finesse. Trim the derailleurs yourself, feathering the adjustment, so the chain isn’t rubbing or clanking. Find it or grind it! Here are some shifting tips: 1. Clutching - Anticipate a steep climb and shift ahead of time. I understand this is not always possible. When you are late for a shift, pedal hard for a few pedal strokes to gain momentum, then ease up as you shift, to relieve pressure on the drive train. Master this technique of “clutching” and you will save money on bike parts. 2. Avoid chain slap - After climbing a steep climb, most people forget to shift up to a larger chainring up front of the upcoming downhill. If you remember to shift to a bigger chainring in front, you’ll increase chain tension, decrease annoying chain slap and reduce chances of your chain de-railing on a rough downhill. 3. Momentum is your friend Avoid shifting altogether, simply by looking ahead and reading the terrain. For instance, monopolize on a short downhill by pedaling hard in anticipation of the upcoming “roller” or hill. You can use this momentum to coast up most of the hill, then take a few well-timed pedal stokes to crest the now-tamed menace. Dave Harrison is a professional mountain bike racer with six years of experience on the European World Cup circuit. An Xterra European champion and 3X select National team member, Dave currently leads the 2013 Idaho State Championship series and the Wood River Cup series. tws
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Don Wiseman checks out the key to the city that Ketchum City Councilman Baird Gourlay gave him Sunday.
Wiseman Honored STORY & PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
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on Wiseman was praised Sunday for a “servantstyle leadership” Sunday as the community celebrated the end of his tenure as head of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation. Sun Valley Nordic Coach Rick Kapala told how Wiseman would often drive shuttle vans for races at Lake Creek and help set up and take down tents for the annual Janss Pro-Am. “You can’t help but be inspired when your boss brings his ‘A’ game every day,” Kapala told a few hundred people who gathered to honor Wiseman at Ketchum’s Memory Park. Alpine Coach Ruben Macaya echoed Kapala’s sentiments: “He helped us all be better leaders by himself being a better leader.” Wiseman will hand over the golden ski pole to former Winter
Sports School Headmaster Rob Clayton on July 1 after 13 years as executive director of the Ski Education Foundation. But not before securing the donation of a condo to be used for the foundation’s offices, as the old space at the bottom of Baldy is remodeled to make room for new lockers and exercise space. A capital campaign will also be forthcoming. Wiseman reiterated his oftvoiced enthusiasm for the way the ski program helps build youngsters into productive adults—many of whom return to the community to become doctors, business people, realtors and, yes, ski coaches. “We teach kids to work in groups but be powerful individuals, and that is why they keep coming back, and I hope that we can keep them coming back,” he said. tws
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Th e W e e k l y S u n •
June 26, 2013
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