I just received my geared 36" and have been trying to figure out how (whether?) I’ll be able to shift gears on the fly.
Currently I have it set up with 150mm cranks, and I’m a US9 shoe, so there’s that. But on my 29" uni, I always shifted with my ankle (I wore hightop sneakers for this reason). I could shift in other shoes, but not with as much reliability.
I’m also concerned that shifting on a 36" can involve nearly 1 foot of ‘slippage’. Sounds scary!
Any advice or suggestions for shifting on a 36"? At what speed do you shift?
Welcome to the schlumpf club.
I would start with the longer cranks until you are comfortable with them before going shorter. Shorter is more difficult. Changing gear is a learnt skill, persist until you get better is the story.
Enjoy the ride
Thanks… but I’ve been a member of the club since, well, they first came out. I’m only asking specifically for help with a 36" and with small feet and long cranks. And it’s possible that there’s no fix. I may eventually switch down to 137s or even 125s. In that case, I’d want a drag brake.
I’m uk size 8
Which is I believe us size 9, also on 150mm cranks.
This initially forced me to ride with a more ball of foot position than arch of the foot. This is something I’m more used to now
I’ve also found shifting with edge of the sole of the shoe works much better (for me) than ankle shifting.
I wouldn’t make a crank change just yet. But yes I think for our shoe sizes 137mm might be the ideal size
I’m using the same 150-127mm spirits on both my g26 and my g36, and I find the extra stability of the 36 makes shifting easier.
Whatever your crank size with a g36 the idea tends to be get it moving, shift up and stay there, while you crank out the miles.
