How do I use all those gears on my bike? That is one of the most asked questions.

I can bore you with a lot of theory but I won’t. I will give you enough information to make it easy for you to shift and be able to ride with the least amount of stress on your body. This next statement is important for you to know.

Some bullet points to know:

You are the engine and the shift manager.
High cadence (80+ pedal rpm) = more efficient riding and shifting.
Too much pressure on the pedal will result in poor shifting.
Always anticipate your shift when approaching a hill.
It’s always better to be in too low a gear early than too high a gear too late.

There are some parts of the bike we need to give names to:

Shifter is located on handlebar,there is a left hand shifter(controls front derailleur) and a right hand shifter (controls rear derailleur)
Crank Arm is the part that the pedal is attached to(there is a right and left)
Pedal is what your foot rest on.
Chain Ring is the part your right crank is attached to(there are sprockets on it)
Front Derailleur controls which range or sprocket you will be riding in(super low, low or high) moves the chain to the different chain rings.
Rear Derailleur moves the chain on gears on the free wheel on the back wheel.
Free Wheel is the gear cluster attached to the rear wheel.

You will be at optimum cadence of 80 to 90 revolutions per minute at the pedals. Your bike has a gear range that allows you to maintain this cadence at virtually any speed, if you are capable of maintaining(5-25mph). Once you learn to develop and maintain a natural cadence of around 80-90 rpm you simply make gear selections to preserve that cadence.

In other words, the impulse to shift will be based on feedback from your legs:
Legs too fast - switch to higher gear(smaller gear on free wheel)
Legs too slow - switch to lower gear(larger gear on free wheel)

When shifting your bike, keep the pedal cadence the same, but momentarily ease the pressure being applied to the pedals until you feel and hear engagement, then re-apply pressure carefully sensing whether chain and sprocket are meshed firmly. Avoid gear combinations that result in the chain being at extreme deflection angles, which increases wear, and results in excess noise.

Happy Cycling...



* Parts taken from article by Brett Flemming, General Service Manager, Bike Gallery, Portland OR