Galen Mittermann
I can't help but toss in my $0.02. I am not a junior not the parent of juniors, but the logic of the whole debate strikes me as a bit funny.
How is restricting big gears going to teach a kid how to spin? Yes, they may be obligated to ride a higher cadence at 25mph than they would self select, but a 52x14 is going to be a grind any other time. Like, when the road goes up. Or there is wind. Or a TT. Or anything other than a flat, fast road (how many races around here have nothing but that?). If you want to make them spin, mandate cadences and hand out time penalities if they slip below 85rpm. Or let parents yell at them "Spin, Junior!" from the back of an official's car until they do it. Give coaches remote control gear shifters to remove self selection of gears from the equation. Making somebody run out of gear at 25mph+ isnt going to prevent them from being way overgeared at 10mph, is it? The gotta learn to shift to the right gear before they spin that gear!
All kidding aside, wouldn't it be better to mandate the presence of lower gears to at least know a spin is possible in most circumstances? Something equivalent to, say, a 34-48 with a 14-27 ought to work. Are we worried about limited top end speed to equalize sprints or teaching them to spin on Oregon roads? Give them a low enough gear to spin with, and maybe they will use it. Maybe they shouldn't be allowed to race hills with a 38x23 as their lowest gear. I know I wouldn't! (I run 36-50 with 12-25 for everything in the 3's and never spin out)
Still, while a 34x27 would give lovely spin on a 7% grade, 48x27 or 34x14 wouldnt. So as long as there are shifters on the bikes, I really don't see the logic in claiming that limited big gears is going teach kids to spin. A coach, parent, teammate, or mentor has to do that.
And I'm done stirring this pot.
Galen
____________________________________________________________________________________
Be a PS3 game guru.
Get your game face on with the latest PS3 news and previews at Yahoo! Games.
http://videogames.yahoo.com/platform?platform=120121