Getting Comfortable with Bicycle Gears

by Tim Lutz

In 25 years of passion in the worship of the bicycle and its benefits to mankind and the world, one common theme seems to be the fear of gears and shifting on your bicycle. I first thought about naming this "Understanding Bicycle Gears and Shifting", but if you are reading this you probably want some basic information. In 25 years of selling, fixing and racing bicycles, gears are a blessing and a pain in the behind. They allow you to go faster and farther with less effort and up steeper hills than if you just had a single speed. But there is some complexity for its added benefits.

You need to make the shifts while you are moving forward and pedaling. Pedaling should be a medium or soft-pedaling effort when making shifts, this helps the chain up and down the shift ramps on the chainrings and sprockets.

Sprockets are in the rear, and chainrings are connected to the cranks and are in the front. The rear shifter (rear derailleur) is controlled by the right shift controller on the handlebars. The front shifter (front derailleur) is controlled by the left shift controller on the handlebars. Remember right =rear. Don't be afraid to shift, as long as you are pedaling you will be OK, shift to your heart's delight.

Most bikes have 3 chainrings in the front and 5 to 10 sprockets in the rear. The number of gears on your bike is figured by multiplying the number of chainrings by the number of sprockets. Just because you have a "21 speed" doesn't mean you have 21 different gears, but rather you may only have 12 or 13 as many gears are near duplications.

The biggest chainring on your cranks will make you go fast. The smallest sprocket in the rear will make you go fast. So the gear ratio for the most amount of speed will be big in the front and small in the rear. This will be hard to pedal.

The smallest chainring in the front will make you go slow but give more leverage for going up hills. The large sprocket in the rear will make you go slow but give you more leverage for going up hills. So the gear ratio for going slow, but going up a really steep hill will be small chainring and large sprocket. Beginners may like the idea of putting the chain on the middle chainring and just forget that you have a left shift lever. The middle will be just fine until you get to the steepest hill in town or the opposite, the wind is behind you and you want to go down a decline at 30 mph.

So ride along in the middle chainring, pick any gear in the rear and start pedaling, a good cadence (the number of times your pedal goes around in a minute) is at least 60 RPMs, This means when you are riding your right knee should come up at least once every second. If you are slower than that, you need to "upshift" or get into a larger rear sprocket. If you are pedaling a lot faster than 60 RPMs, and if you feel not in control or bouncing on the saddle, you need to downshift or get into smaller sprocket.

Just decide which way you need to go in your future shift, keep pedaling, and make the shift. If it seems worse just shift the other direction. Try not to look down at the chain for more than a second, as this is when a nasty accident tends to happen. Eyes on the road, until you get good, just shift until it feels good. If you hear or feel scraping or grinding, you may need to pick another gear.

There are 2 combinations of gears you need to try to avoid. They are called "crossover" gears. They are the combination of Big Chainring and big sprocket or small chainring and small sprocket. This causes extra wear and tear on the gearing system. Not life or death, but a good habit, and will make you look less like a rookie.

Still making noise? Go to a repair shop for their expert opinion, it should be for free, we want you to be safe and happy.

Go ride, get some exercise and fresh air, shift often, enjoy technology, wear a helmet.