# Gearing for Half Monty and avoiding the ERG death cycle

**URL:** <https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/gearing-for-half-monty-and-avoiding-the-erg-death-cycle/16151>\
**Category:** Training\
**Created:** [January 18, 2022, 11:10pm UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/gearing-for-half-monty-and-avoiding-the-erg-death-cycle/16151 "2022-01-18T23:10:31Z")\
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**Author:** ![Coach.Andy.T](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/coach.andy.t/32/6821_2.png) [@Coach.Andy.T](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/Coach.Andy.T)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2022, 4:22pm UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/gearing-for-half-monty-and-avoiding-the-erg-death-cycle/16151/4 "2022-01-19T16:22:20Z")

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Another small cause for a drop in power when using a smaller chainring is greater chain articulation. It’s why track riders often use a huge outer ring and a larger rear sprocket. They get the same effective gear but there is less chain articulation and a small watt saving (single percentages or less). It can be exacerbated by a not perfectly clean drivetrain though. As for pedalling up hills, I did a study on the effect of gradient on muscular activation while pedalling, you can read it [here](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/an-uphill-battle/12262)

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