Wheels of Happiness
Rizal Philippines
June 13, 2017
Choose riding on large or small chain ring
Small (39) or
Large Chain Ring (53)
I read an article once of a lady rider, height challenged at 4' 11"but who won a dreaded mountain climb. She was asked what was her training secret. One of these she said was alternating your practice between small and large chain ring day. When you choose either large or small you do not shift the front derailleur.You just shift the rear cogs.Thus at small chain ring, when you want speed and you are at 34 36 or 39, you simple have to pedal faster. When you are at large chain ring, when climbing hills, you shift to your cogs to the biggest if needed.
Yesterday, I rode to Jala jala up to km 73.5 (2 km into the Jalajala town proper, just past the arc and the dragon fruit farm.
I ate lugaw at simples where I met Meong, Ado and Joel. Joel said he was off form yesterday and had hard time chasing me. I climbed Montevideo 53 x23, and same for Callahan, for Baras Pililla 53 x 23 also, 53 21 at Quisao and going back to Malaya power plant was 53 x 28.
I also chased some MTB and road bikers in Tanay. I gave my best shot and even overtook their fastest rider from km 56 to 57 in Tanay. Not bad for 66 y.o . senior
But one thing I observed is that your muscle ache and there is noticeable strain on the calf and thighs. But you feel much stronger
The general idea is variety and getting stronger by varying your practice
P.S.
Prior to this I had only small chain ring day. Reason, I could not shift to large chain ring. Reason? I could not shift to large chain ring. Reason? The cable was loose and I mistakenly loosened a shifting screw which I thought was limiter to the large chain ring shift (it was pala for the small chain ring and by loosening it, the fd stayed farther from the line of the large chain ring and hence it could not be shifted. Thus when I screwed it in, the problem was solved