Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Group?

What is a group?
A group is parts on a bike.
Cassette: The rear gear set. On my bike there are 10 gears in the rear and 2 up front. Making it a 20 speed bicycle.
Cranks: The part your pedal is attached to at one end, and has either 2 or 3 gears on it. The actual INPUT of power into your bike.
Derailers: The mechanical part that actually MOVES the chain from one gear to another. You have both a front and rear derailer.
Brakes: Simple as they sound they are the things that slow you down :)
Shifters: The part you push with your hand to switch gears.
Double: A bike with 2 gears on the cranks.
Triple: A bike with 3 gears on the cranks.
The "group" on the Dolce Elite is the brand new SRAM APEX group!

The gear combination in the rear is called an 11 - 32, meaning the small gear is an 11 tooth, and the biggest ring is a 32 tooth. Before this group came out, the biggest (easiest) gear you could get on a bike with a "double" front gear set up was a 28 tooth. This made it hard for new cyclists, and specifically cyclists in mountainous regions to have an easy enough gear to make it up the steep hills. Where I live is VERY steep and hilly! So this totally saves me. Thus they had to go to a "triple," or 3 gears up front to have an easy enough gear. With Sram Apex though, the combination of the 32 tooth rear gear, and the 34 tooth small gear up front, it is actually as easy, if not easier than most "triple" equipped bikes. However it is still not an easy thing to do by any means my body is SO SORE from Mondays ride.

Was this over your head???
I will tell you it was over my head but learning it and knowing it is making me feel better about knowing my bike and understanding how to handle it.

13 comments:

MissHaneefa said...

Wow, thanks for the info, do I see a triathalon in your future?

Laura said...

I am not a cyclist but my hubs is so this was helpful as I never have any idea what he is talking about.

teacherwoman said...

great post!

Christina said...

that was actually really interesting!! good for you for learning all that :)

Mrs Furious said...

I just wanted to tell you that I find your willingness to push yourself out of your comfort zone so inspiring!

Betsy said...

Love the SRAM grouppo! I have shimano on 2 of my bikes and went with SRAM Force on my newest addition! I don't have the triple but I am riding a compact which gives me what I need. It survived a ride around Lake Tahoe. Good for you for understanding the parts and how your bike works. I HATE the mechanical part of bikes and the fact that you can have malfunctions. It makes running seem so much simpler. Knowing your away around a bike will definetly save you at some point I guarantee it! Next post...how to change your tube...in 60 seconds or less? :)

happy trails!

Kathleen @ ForgingAhead said...

Nice to meet you! And thanks for visiting my blog :-)

Congrats on all of your accomplishments and you will LOVE cycling. I started 2 years ago and am totally hooked.

Just this morning I had my first fall and it was from not clipping out fast enough - mental error.

Good luck on your half! I ran my first one a couple of weeks ago and it's amazing. My big tip is definitely take an ice bath afterwards - my quads were super sore for 3 days and they wouldn't have been if I'd iced.

Karen R said...

Thanks for the post! I got my first bike this year and it is a beach bike. I'm having a good time and trying to learn about it and riding. I like learning about new things and expanding my mind :)

Bring Pretty Back said...

What good info! I am in the need of a new bike! I have been trying to decide if I want to get a recumbant bike or real bike.
Have a pretty night!
Kristin

Julie Lost and Found said...

great post!! I think I'm quite a ways away from riding a bike again, but I can't wait to do it one day! I'm so impressed! sounds like you're really enjoying it!

M said...

Thanks for sharing! There is a lot I don't know about my own bike!

Skye-Lynn said...

Thanks for teaching me something new today! ( :

MJ said...

thanks for the lesson! I feel smarter (and can teach my hobby-cyclist husband something now!)