A HINT ON GEARING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2862, 20 January 1909, Page 68

A HINT ON GEARING.

Few cycli«ts realise the influence tha suitable gearing Jias on the pieasuis am comfort of ejeimt;. It, does not matte; how good your c>cle i=, the best result, cannot be uerned fioni the use of i machine if the gearing cio-Oo not suit th< special requirements ot tho rider. G. A (Jiley, one ot .England's best road riders ad\ ances tho theory that "age is ths factoi in gearing. He is of the opinion that i youth is better able to pedal rapidly thai: to exert his ur.dev sloped srrength and wil. power in pushing a big- gear, but as year; go on and his strength and wiU power in crease a-s his agility decreases, he will d« better on a higher gear. He says : "] know personally that I could, not possiblj rcpoat my Portsmouth record of 10 yean ago on the 65in gear I used then, the speed averaging, 17 miles an hour." It is true that reaJly fast footwork is better suited to young riders than to those of mature years and experience, especially when the latter are prone to put on flesh and to lose ■=ome of their suppleness of limb and lung lustiness, but it is the younger riders who now seem to find the most attraction in high g-ears.'' Ollsv's penchant for low clears has Keen i-emarkable, for he is no weakling, and has a tremendous thisrh measurement. He holds the view that a low gear can be used to ovon greater advantage on flat roads than on an undulated course. The low gear is useful in petting up the hills, but this advantage is more than counteracted by th^ pace down requiring so much faster pedalling-. In long distance road races in this part of the world 84in and 88in gearing* apears to find most favour, especially in^ Australia's premier road event over the Warrnambool-Melbourna course, but for ordinary touring far greater pleasure will bo derived if a- 72i.n or 74in gearing' k adopted, especially by youthful riders. Cyclists who adopt a. reasonable gearing seldom suffer from that "baked" feeling*o common to cyclists who ride any considerable distance on a high sear. The' tendency at present amongst colonial cyclists generally is to over-gear their machine"!, a practice that does not tend to pleasurable oypl'ng.