on 12/7/08 6:55 PM, Esteban at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > I just wanted to say how great the stock gearing is on the bike. When > I first got it, I was frustrated about having to spin so much on flats > and coast downhill. Now I really appreciate it, especially because > 40x18 gets me up almost any hill, including those on this ride, and > even up Potrero Hill in San Francisco. Actually, mid-grade ascents > seem *easier* on the Quickbeam. I can't explain that. 40x18 also > seems to be a great touring set-up. Its fun to learn to love things > that you might initially shun.
One of the benefits of switching to a single-geared system is that finding that you as the rider possess a number of gears as well. Roughly speaking, when using the Quickbeam, I figure there's roughly four - Cruising on flattish surfaces, Seated Climbing, Climbing using your body weight in a long, lopey cadence (an excellent way to recover on longer climbs, btw), Serious Climbing (which probably has three phases: sweating, cursing, and about to pop). (And, since I run the QB fixed a lot, there's the exponentially-increasing-cadence-while-trying-to-keep-smooth zen state thing...) What's great (if you indulge in the heresy of geared/coastable riding) is that this carries back into geared riding, along with a better sense of maintaining momentum. Catching folks who blew past on the flats while grunting out a 53x11, but climb at at 39x32 is just a happy coincidence. The Quickbeam remains my favorite bike. So simple, yet so danged adaptable. - Jim -- Jim Edgar [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cyclofiend Bicycle Photo Galleries - http://www.cyclofiend.com Current Classics - Cross Bikes Singlespeed - Working Bikes Send In Your Photos! - Here's how: http://www.cyclofiend.com/guidelines "I had to ride slow because I was taking my guerrilla route, the one I follow when I assume that everyone in a car is out to get me." -- Neal Stephenson, "Zodiac" --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
