Key Takeaway: On flat roads, use middle gears (e.g., gears 3–5 on a 7-speed bike) and aim for a cadence of 80–100 RPM to balance comfort, efficiency, and speed.
What bike gear to use on flat roads? If you’re a cyclist navigating level terrain, choosing the right gear can help you maintain a smooth pedal stroke, conserve energy, and ride longer without fatigue.
In this guide, we’ll dive into optimal gear selection, efficient shifting techniques, and common pitfalls.
Here’s the short answer:
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What bike gear to use on flat roads?
The middle gear is recommended for riding on flat terrain. It’s a popular choice among riders since it allows you to relieve pressure from your feet on the pedals.
Statistics and Facts About What Bike Gear to Use on Flat Roads
- Research and cycling guides consistently recommend using middle gears when riding on flat roads, as they allow cyclists to maintain a comfortable cadence and efficient power output.
- For casual riding at 10–15 mph, gears 3–5 on a 7-speed bike provide moderate resistance without overloading muscles or joints.
- Optimal cadence is 80–100 RPM to maximize efficiency and minimize fatigue.
Use of Gears
Gears help you go faster on a bike by providing a mechanical advantage. The gears make it easier to turn the wheels when you’re pedaling. This is especially helpful when riding on flat terrain, where there’s less resistance.
The number of gears on a bike can vary, but most have between 10 and 12. The number of gears you need will depend on the terrain you’re riding. You won’t need as many gears as someone who often rides on hills if you’re mostly riding on flat terrain.
Using different gears has a few benefits, such as:
- Helping you maintain your speed
- Allowing you to pedal more efficiently
- Relieving pressure on your feet and legs
- Helping you conserve energy
Knowing What Gears to Use
To figure out what gear to use, you’ll need to consider a few factors: the terrain, your speed, and your cadence.
The terrain is the most important factor to consider when choosing gear. If you’re riding on flat terrain, you’ll want to use higher gear. This will make it easier to pedal and relieve pressure on your feet. If you’re riding on hills, you’ll want to use lower gear. This will help you maintain your speed and prevent overworking your legs.
Your speed is also a factor to consider when choosing gear. If you’re riding slowly, you’ll want to use lower gear. This will make it easier to pedal and help you conserve energy. If you’re riding downhill, you’ll want to use higher gear. This will help you maintain your speed.
Your cadence is the number of times you pedal per minute, measured in revolutions per minute (RPM). If you’re pedaling slowly, you’ll want to use a lower gear. This will make it easier to pedal and help you conserve energy. If you’re pedaling quickly, you’ll want to use a higher gear. For many, the most comfortable RPM is around 90.
If you’re new to cycling, start with a lower gear and work your way up as you get more comfortable.
Differences Between Low, Middle, and High Gears
The main difference between low, middle, and high gears is the number of teeth on the chainring. The chainring is the large gear that’s attached to the pedals.
A low gear has fewer teeth and is easier to pedal. It’s often used when climbing hills or riding in cold weather.
- Front gear: Small chainring
- Back gear: 1-3 sprockets
A middle gear has a moderate number of teeth and is a popular choice for riding on flat terrain.
- Front gear: Small chainring on double/compact or middle chainring on a triple
- Back gear: 3-6 sprockets
A high gear has more teeth and is typically used for riding downhill or in hot weather.
- Front gear: Big chainring
- Back gear: 4-7 sprockets
Ideal Gear Ratio
The gear ratio is computed by dividing the input gear teeth number (chainring) and output gear teeth number (sprocket).
What is the ideal gear ratio for flat roads?
The ideal gear ratio for flat roads and surfaces is 2.60 to 3.00. This is the most popular and efficient gear ratio for road cyclists. Given a 90 RPM, expect a speed from 30-34 mph.
To know what gear ratio to use, you need to determine what speed you would like to maintain and what range of speeds you’re comfortable pedaling in.
What is the ideal gear ratio for high-speed on flat roads?
If you want to go fast on flats, you should have a higher gear ratio. You’ll need to utilize the large front chainring and a middle cog in the rear.
If you’re pedaling hard, shift to an easier gear to maintain your speed. If you aren’t fast enough, you can change to a larger cog for more power.
Road Bike Gears You Should Have
The most popular combination for road bike gears is a 50/34T compact chainset with an 11-28T cassette. This means that the biggest chainring has 50 teeth and the smallest 34. The cassette is the name we give to the block of sprockets that sits at the back. In this instance, the smallest cog has 11 teeth and the largest 28. This is becoming increasingly popular as it offers a decent range of gears while keeping your cadence high on flatter terrain.
The small front chainring means you can still pedal comfortably at high cadences, while the large rear sprocket gives you easier gear for climbing. Also, the smaller cogs make pedaling harder, while larger cogs make pedaling easier. This is what most road cyclists will use for general riding and training.
A word of caution: if you’re planning on doing a lot of hill climbing, you may want to avoid using a compact chainset as your low gears will be too high and make climbing difficult. In this case, you may be better off with a standard chainset and a cassette with a larger range of gears.
On flat terrains, pros often go for 53/39T chainrings with an 11-21T cassette. This is what most professional road cyclists will use as it offers the widest range of gears for high speeds.
How to Shift Gears
To shift gears, you’ll need to use the shifters on your bike. The shifters are the levers that are located on the handlebars.
The left-hand shifter controls the front derailleur, which moves the chain between the two or three rings on the chainset. The right-hand shifter controls the rear derailleur, which moves the chain between the sprockets on the cassette.
To shift to a lower gear, you’ll need to push the shifter down. To shift to a higher gear, you’ll need to pull the shifter up.
It’s important to shift gears slowly and smoothly. If you shift gears too quickly, you could damage your bike.
When to Shift Gears
You’ll want to shift gears when you’re pedaling too slowly or too quickly for your gear.
For example, if you’re pedaling too slowly in high gear, you’ll want to shift to a lower gear. This will make it easier to pedal and help you maintain your speed. If you’re pedaling too quickly in a low gear, you’ll want to shift to a higher gear. This will make it easier to pedal and help you conserve energy.
You’ll also want to shift gears when you’re changing terrain. For example, if you’re riding on flat terrain and come to a hill, you’ll want to shift to a lower gear. This will make it easier to pedal up the hill. If you’re riding downhill, you’ll want to shift to a higher gear. This will help you maintain your speed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What gears to avoid when biking?
There are a few gears that you’ll want to avoid using.
The first is the large chainring in the front and the largest cog in the rear. This is often referred to as the “big-big” gear. This gear is only used for high speeds and is not suitable for climbing hills.
The second gear to avoid is the small chainring in the front and the smallest cog in the rear. This is often referred to as the “small-small” gear. This gear is only used for low speeds and is unsuitable for flat terrain or descents.
Using these methods may result in your chain slipping, not moving correctly, and straining and damaging the bike chain over time.
Should you change gears while pedaling?
You can, but you don’t have to. You can shift gears while pedaling or while coasting. If you decide to shift gears while pedaling, just be sure to do it slowly and smoothly. You should pedal when you want to shift the bike gear.
Is gear 1 low or high on a bike?
The first gear is a low gear on the bike. The second and third gears are medium, and the fourth, fifth, and sixth gears are high.
Final Thoughts: What Bike Gear to Use on Flat Road
There you have it! That’s everything you need to know about what bike gear to use on flat roads. Just remember to start in low gear and work your way up as you gain speed. And, when in doubt, always pedal smoothly and slowly to avoid damaging your bike.
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