That guy continues with those upgrades and he’s going to get that bike stolen.
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Thanks for the alternative route…I’m not sure if I would go up that far again with that past experience. Maybe will do one of the other climbs “twice” to get the calorie and leg burn.
I think on that road the dogs turn into wolves as soon as the sun sets.
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Had a fantastic ride today. I was not motivated at all. But then somebody passed me not far from the bottom of the mountain. We both said good morning to each other and I thought that was it. But then I realized he wasn’t pulling away from me as fast as I thought he would. To make a long story short, I stuck close to him all the way up. At the top, we chatted for a good 5 minutes. He was doing way too much grinding and not enough spinning, and I told him as much (in a friendly way). I honestly think it was a big flaw in his ride today as he slowed quite a bit on the last three hills and this old man was able to keep up with him. We are now connected on Strava and I hope to see him again on the mountain. Oh and I thanked him for bringing me up the mountain today. I really needed that extra push.
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Um … I don’t know what that means. Is it something I should be thinking about when I’m riding?
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Ha, ha! Oh man. You know what I mean.
I go straight to first or second gear now (spinning) whenever the gradient gets even halfway serious. This guy was in 3rd - 5th gear way too much (grinding). We both have a 34 in the back.
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If you are riding high(er) gradients on gears that reduce your cadence, so it makes it seem like you are “grinding” away at your pedal strokes.
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Mostly correct, except by the fact that any kind of (positive*) gradient reduces my cadence. Shorter cranks and oval rings have helped, but still no way I can go up a mountain with the same cadence than in the flats.
*Negative gradients usually drop my cadence to 0.
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Oh yeah … cadence is another one of those things I occasionally think I should learn more about.
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I personally don’t think it’s anything requiring analysis. Just aim to keep the cadence high. I have no idea what that means for me in numbers/rpm, but I definitely have a feel for what is high and low.
And of course the best way to figure things out is on a mountain. Your legs will tell you soon enough if you’ve been grinding too much.
On flats I grind a little. It seems to result in a better time without the lactic acid buildup I get on the mountains.
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Anyone who binge watches GCN videos (me) would know what these terms mean. 
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And what is your opinion on spinning versus grinding? On hills, that is.
depends on what bike i’m on. Single speed and fixie both require that!
but even in a road bike i do have a lower cadence than some. i wouldn’t call it grinding but it will certainly never be mistaken for spinning.
i don’t mind. i prefer to ride with high torque for short little ramps, when you can get out of the saddle and crank away for 100 strokes and be done with it.
i guess that betraying many years of single speed riding.
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High cadence, spinning the legs. Someone has probably already responded but technical reasons means i’ll just respond as well
@lostinasia For a beginner. I was told to aim at 90rpm cadence (how fast you spin your legs). For a lot of people this feels like a lot and your legs are out of control but they eventually find their natural level.
Think of pedalling really fast as transferring the fatigue from your legs (road cycling isn’t really about the legs) to your heart and respiratory system. Makes the blood pump faster, better oxygenation, better fitness.
Also if you ride clipless, you aren’t just pushing down on the pedals, but rotating in a circle.
When i started cycling, i immediately rammed the gears into the hardest one and thought ‘oh this hurts my legs, this must be really good exercise’ then had a nap after my 5km flat road ride, and took days for my knees
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Shameless masochism, I approve! Truth be told I like a bit more ‘fight’ too, i enjoy riding the 21kg bike with flat pedals and squishy trainers at 60rpm the most.
Sure, I don’t achieve much, and then I whinge about my perceived lack of performance, but dammit I’m a fool, I say, a fool!
Grinding is never a good idea at my age. 
It’s bad for the knees if you climb and grind. But once in a while, when you want to get up a steep section and don’t want to spin slowly up, I’d stay in the heavy gear and ride standing up out of the saddle. Also when the gradient is gentle enough and when you have enough momentum, it’s a good idea to use a heavier gear to grind thus maximizing climbing efficiency. I’d milk that momentum for all its worth before I switch down to an easier gear. Oh wait, are we talking about gearing now?
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I am exactly the same, if I run into a ramp in the middle of a climb or even after a long flat section, I am immediately out of the saddle. It also gives my bum a nice rest.
Compared to you, I am on granny gearing, it’s a bit tough for me right now to find good gearing between 50/34 and 52/36 with a 11-30 in the back. On one end, I like the extra teeth when doing long climbs in Taipei, but really enjoy the versatility that 52/36 gives me.
Some friends have suggested 52/34 gearing, which I am not completely against, but chain dropping is already a major issue I am having at 52/36. #firstworldproblems
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Install a chain deflector (or catcher) and problem solved. At least in regard of chain dropings, which can be a serious problem with carbon frames. Shifting won’t probably be as good with the 18T difference.
Out of curiosity, do you race in order to need a 52/11? I don’t really see the point for anything bigger than 50 for recreational cyclists. But I am riding with 46/30, so you can call me granny 
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Nope, no serious racing except for those hill climb sportivs here in Taiwan. I just like the gearing as I tend to like to ride a lot out of the saddle.
In all honesty, it’s what came on the bike and I have been too lazy to swap it off, despite having a spare 50/34 chain ring 