Are you SHIFTING me?

By Coach Erinne Guthrie I meet with a lot of cyclists on a weekly basis, some during one on one sessions and some during our weekly group rides, and I am always surprised by how little new and even experienced cyclists shift their gears. The gears on the bike are meant to be used and shifted quite often during your rides. They are what allow you to keep pedaling with a smooth consistent pedal stroke whether you are drafting in a group, riding alone or climbing the bridges. By shifting your gears you can keep a given cadence or rpm (revolution per minute) so you can be more efficient (90 rpm) on a long ride or create resistance with a lower RPM (50-70) for a given interval to build leg strength while on the bike.  On your next ride I highly recommend playing around with shifting the gears on your bike.  Which gears help you get faster? Slower? More efficient? Tired?  etc. there is a time to use all the gears on your bike, start shifting today!