Youth Restricted Gears for Road

[stevel]

My son started cycling on the track last year & he is wanting to compete in closed circuit road races this summer.

As new to cycling myself any guidance would be gratefully recieved on how to restrict the gears on a road bike for Youth A in the UK.

Regards

Stevel

 

[fatandfast]

My son started cycling on the track last year & he is wanting to compete in closed circuit road races this summer.

As new to cycling myself any guidance would be gratefully recieved on how to restrict the gears on a road bike for Youth A in the UK.

Regards

Stevel

This is still a great idea and keeping the rule in place will always help Jr's. Regardless of what a Jr may think or look like physically the higher RPMs will lead to a great fundamental skills. Another event that you need to keep in mind when working with a young rider. Young racers will semi-specialize in bike racing, forgoing football or other sports and their confidence will build. Kids from 10-18 (my experience) with no training,improper fit,inexpensive bike will swing their leg over a bike and blow the doors off of a Jr cyclist that has trained sometimes for years.Jr racing is filled with positive experiences,placings.winning smaller fields. The ups and downs can be very extreme. Adult cycling is much more predictable. Time trails are the best way to know how you stack up in your age group and also work at improving your speed while training.7.93 meters@26ft road(52x14) is the UCI standard for 18 and under but check the UK fed rules. With a regular set of wheels and the bike in a 52x14,you turn the crank 1 full revolution. If the bike goes over 26 feet you will need a smaller tire or a larger cog@15. The gear ratios are available online. A compact crankset will be slightly different.

 

[ravens]

This is still a great idea and keeping the rule in place will always help Jr's. Regardless of what a Jr may think or look like physically the higher RPMs will lead to a great fundamental skills. Another event that you need to keep in mind when working with a young rider. Young racers will semi-specialize in bike racing, forgoing football or other sports and their confidence will build. Kids from 10-18 (my experience) with no training,improper fit,inexpensive bike will swing their leg over a bike and blow the doors off of a Jr cyclist that has trained sometimes for years.Jr racing is filled with positive experiences,placings.winning smaller fields. The ups and downs can be very extreme. Adult cycling is much more predictable. Time trails are the best way to know how you stack up in your age group and also work at improving your speed while training.7.93 meters@26ft road(52x14) is the UCI standard for 18 and under but check the UK fed rules. With a regular set of wheels and the bike in a 52x14,you turn the crank 1 full revolution. If the bike goes over 26 feet you will need a smaller tire or a larger cog@15. The gear ratios are available online. A compact crankset will be slightly different.

In this area, the big ring for youth cycling teams is limited to max size of 46 tooth to protect from knee damage incurred by attempting to push too big a gear.

Went riding with my son this weekend for only the 3rd or 4th time since we got the bike at xmas due to the cold, he said he almost is never in the big ring. How do they sell a child's road bike with 52/42 rings!

35cm fuji./650 wheels

Thanks for the post, it reminds me to call the shop to see what smaller combos will fit.

 

[David Suro]

It is a good idea to use restricted gear for training as well as racing. The goal of the gear restrictions is to reduce speeds as well as decrease the strain on the tibial tuberosity, the portion of the shin where the quadriceps insert.

Excessive strain on the tibial tuberosity can lead to Osgood Schlatter's disease.

This link:

http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/front/knee/osgood.htm

does a good job of explaining the machanism, early warning signs, and treatment options of the disease.

That aside, I think bicycle racing is an excellent activity and sport for juniors.

Dr. Suro

 

[fatandfast]

In this area, the big ring for youth cycling teams is limited to max size of 46 tooth to protect from knee damage incurred by attempting to push too big a gear.

Went riding with my son this weekend for only the 3rd or 4th time since we got the bike at xmas due to the cold, he said he almost is never in the big ring. How do they sell a child's road bike with 52/42 rings!

35cm fuji./650 wheels

Thanks for the post, it reminds me to call the shop to see what smaller combos will fit.

Your numbers are right 10-12 year olds 5.5 meters,13-17 6m,17-19 6.5 meters. All of the roll out ratios will work with 650c wheels but the gear will look bigger.It's based on the distance the bike will roll after 1 complete revolution of the cranks. When in question the smaller gear is always better. A couple of 13 yo in my area that look like they spin at 120 or better to keep up on men's club ride.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

My son started cycling on the track last year & he is wanting to compete in closed circuit road races this summer.

As new to cycling myself any guidance would be gratefully recieved on how to restrict the gears on a road bike for Youth A in the UK.

Regards

Stevel

Steve,
Hope this link works -

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/nmsruntime/saveasdialog.asp?lID=8258&sID=737

It has all the combinations -Youth A it is listed as 6.93 metres, which appears to be the same size as the Youth A track gear.

If you need more info on how to actually work out the size for your son's bike and how to adjust the rear derailleur let us know and I can post that when I get time later.

Hope your son enjoys the road!

 

[philcrisp]

Steve,
Hope this link works -

It has all the combinations -Youth A it is listed as 6.93 metres, which appears to be the same size as the Youth A track gear.

P55 of the doc below contains the relevant rule. There are gear tables at the end.

http://new.britishcycling.org.uk/zu...2009_handbook_06_rules_general_road_track.pdf

HUGE HUGE caveat with any of the 700c gear combinations that are quoted above. They assume tubular tires which are slightly different from clinchers. Make sure you use the correct table but the only way to be sure is to roll the bike along a tape measure.

When you measure it yourself, try rolling the bike backwards as it turns the pedals for you allowing you to concentrate on rolling the bike in a straight line.

 

[timmers]

how to restrict the gears on a road bike for Youth A in the UK.

To restrict your gears you can lock out the rear derailleur by using the limit screws so you cannot change into the 13/12 or you can have a junior cassette made up that has a 14t sprocket as the smallest tooth.

As previously mentioned a 52 x 14 is likely to be the largest gearing you can run.

I suggest you talk to your club officals as they should be able to help get your son's bike set up correctly.

 

[El Imbatido]

My son started cycling on the track last year & he is wanting to compete in closed circuit road races this summer.

As new to cycling myself any guidance would be gratefully recieved on how to restrict the gears on a road bike for Youth A in the UK.

Regards

Stevel

Hey, try this forum: http://www.bikeradar.com It is the sister site of this one but is completely for the UK. So those guys over there might be able to help you out a bit more.

Cheers

 

[stevel]

Many Thanks, I will try the UK Forum.

Cheers

 

[Dr. Maserati]

Many Thanks, I will try the UK Forum.

Cheers

I would also recommend (if you haven't already) having your son join a local club - if there is one. Childrens licences are inexpensive and usualy cover insurance - which is prudent.

But moreso most local clubs have people with a wealth of information and who are happy to help and encourage someone starting out.

Keep us posted on how your son's journey progresses!

 

[pmcg76]

This thread brings me back, I first started cycling when I was 12 and had a bog-standard old type racer that everybody had before mountain bikes took over, I competed in a a few local races against older boys which were organised by the local club that had just started. There were no gear restrictions and it was never mentioned.

The following year I started to compete in official inter-club races at U-14 level. The first race in which I competed, we were restricted to racing the last 200 metres only, which was common enough. When the time came, BOOM, I left everybody in the dust winning easily. I thought I was going to be the next Sean Kelly it was so easy.

We were still oblivious to the gear restrictions as nobody in the club ever mentioned it to us, I dont think they knew themselves as it was a new club and they didnt have many young cyclists. After the race, still basking in the glory, another parent approached asking about my bike, my heart started to sink almost immediatley. We were then informed of the grear restrictions. My first official race and I cheated, albeit unwittingly.

Needless to say, after we got the gears sorted, I never won after that. Oh, the shame