Tip #3: Start in your big ring
2007
Whenever I watch a Cat 5 race start, I always check my teammates to make sure they’re starting in their big ring. Someone gave me this tip early on and I’ve always heeded it.
If a race starts fast, as many criteriums do, there’s a risk you’ll spin out if you start in your small chainring. Suddenly it’s the second turn and you’re off the back and your $20 entry fee is down the drain. Better to start in a big ring and maybe your second-biggest cog and shift to your smaller cogs as you pick up speed.
(The chain rings are the toothed circles by your feet. The cogs are the ones on your rear wheel. Don’t laugh: When I first started racing, I didn’t know the difference.)
Given the flat nature of the races around Chicago, you’re better off sticking in your big ring. It will still let you cruise at a high cadence, but you’ve got enough range there to cover any accelerations. And if you never change rings, you eliminate the risk of dropping your chain. Whenever I hear about someone dropping their chain in a race, I ask, “What were you doing in your small ring in the first place?”
Jul 13
2007
8:18 am
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What is the ideal number of teeth on those “toothed circles” you speak of?