
                   Gear Sub-Menu F5 Detailed Help Notes

        "List of ... files."
        Allows the user to do a directory of files on the disk.  The
        current mask is displayed which the user may change by typing
        in a new one:  if the "Backspace" key is hit first then the
        string may be deleted and changed one character at a time;
        else if a normal ASCII character is struck the whole string
        will be deleted and the user may input a new string.
        The arrow keys are not implemented in editing this field.
        When the user hits "Enter" then the program will shell out
        to DOS and do a directory if there is memory available in the PC.


        "File to act on."
        This is optional and provided only as a convenience.
        It allows saving and restoring different gear combinations
        fairly quickly.
           This is the file name that this page will use to "View",
        "Read from" or "Write to".  All this menu pick does is
        to change the filename.  The user must then choose
        another menu pick to use the file.  For example to
        "Read" the file into program memory.  These files
        contain information on how many chain rings to use (1..3);
        how many gears in the rear cluster (1..9) and how the
        number of teeth of each gear and the rear wheel diameter.
        Editing this file name is the same as editing the directory
        mask above.

        "View"
        Allows the user to preview what is in the file before
        actually reading it into program memory or overwriting
        it.

        "Diameter (inches) of rear wheel."
        Enter your rear wheel diameter here.  "700C" wheels are
        the same as sew ups and are approximately 26.5 inches.
        (Every one that I have and have measured but you can
        measure your particular tire and rim combination and
        enter it here!)

        "Chain rings(number of)"
        Tell the program how many chainrings you have.  (1..3)

        "Smallest chain ring (# teeth)."
        If all you have is one chain ring then count the number
        of teeth on it and enter it in this menu pick.  If you
        have more than enter the smallest one here.

        "Bigger chain ring."
        Is conditional on "Chain rings" being more than 1.
        Enter the number of teeth on the next chain ring here.

        "Third chain ring."
        Is conditional on "Chain rings" being 3.  Enter the
        number of teeth of the largest chain ring here.

        "Max gears in rear cluster."
        Tells the program how many gears you have in the rear
        cluster (1..9).

        "1st (largest) cluster gear."
        Tells the program how many teeth this gear has.
        The program is set up to expect the largest gear
        here but you can change it around if you want.

        "2..."  to "9.."
        are conditional on the value entered in "Max gears...".
        These menu picks tell the program how many teeth in each
        cog in the rear cluster.

        "Gear text table of ratios in gear inches."
        This is the same as main menu pick "F4".  It displays
        to the screen in text mode to tables of sorted gear
        ratios in "gear inches".  This is (an ancient) standard
        of determining (normalized) gear ratios that dates back
        to the days of the high wheeler, (Ordinary or Penny Farthing).
        In those days it was simply the diameter of the large driving
        wheel.  Modern safety bicycles can be related back to the
        high wheelers by the gear inch which is equal to the number
        of teeth in the front chain ring divided by the number of
        teeth in the rear cog and multiply the result by the diameter
        of the rear wheel.
           The reason two tables are displayed is that the left most
        one if for use in figuring out what clusters to buy and how
        to customize them.  The format of the charts are positionally
        sorted to easily show the shifting pattern.  If they are
        printed in condensed mode then the one on the right can be
        cut apart and taped on to your bike (handlebar stem?) for
        reference.  (Make sure nothing is in front of you before
        looking down and don't study it too long while riding!  Keep
        an eye on the road!)

        "Plot ratios in gear inches"
        This is the same as main menu pick "F3".  It displays
        a graphics mode plot of the same thing as above.  This
        plot may be customized on F1 and F2.  It should work on
        a wide variety of Graphic Display Adapters as the code
        uses Borland's Device Independent Graphics Library.  It
        should work on CGA, Hercules, 8514, EGA, VGA, and AT&T
        machines!  To be honest I have only tried it on EGA
        and VGA machines.  Good luck on yours.  Refer to the
        detailed help notes on F1, F2 and use F6, "Graphics
        hardware parameters", to find out how the program
        identifies your screen display hardware!



