I've been practicing racing a lot and find that first is easier for sharp turns. I have yet to master second gear in Chicago style but first is terrible for that far as I can see. For freestyle I mainly stay in first because second causes me to flip every two seconds. Also if I get into trouble it's easier for me to save it in first. This is one thing I really like about this game, everyone has their own way of running it and the're all probably as competitave as the others who are running it their way. It's not like other racing games where there is a certain way to run it to be good. It's just what works best for you. I see this as the same as RC car racing, which ever way keeps you on the track is the way to go.