Getting Comfortable with Bicycle Gears

by Tim Lutz

In 25 years of passion for bicycles and their benefits to mankind and the world, one common theme is the fear of gears and shifting. 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 have proven to be both a blessing and a pain. They allow you to go faster and farther with less effort and up steeper hills than a single-speed bike, but they come with some complexity.

To shift gears, you need to be moving forward and pedaling. Pedaling should be medium or soft to help the chain move smoothly up and down the shift ramps on the chainrings and sprockets.

Sprockets are in the rear, and chainrings are connected to the cranks 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 calculated by multiplying the number of chainrings by the number of sprockets. Just because you have a "21 speed" bike doesn't mean you have 21 different gears; you may only have 12 or 13 as many gears are near duplicates.

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 speed is big in the front and small in the rear, but 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 climbing a steep hill is a small chainring and large sprocket. Beginners may like the idea of putting the chain on the middle chainring and ignoring the left shift lever. The middle will be fine until you face the steepest hill in town or want to go down a decline at 30 mph with the wind behind you.

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 your right knee should come up at least once every second while riding. If you are slower than that, you need to "upshift" or get into a larger rear sprocket. If you are pedaling much faster than 60 RPMs and feel out of control or are bouncing on the saddle, you need to downshift or get into a smaller sprocket.

Decide which way to shift, keep pedaling, and make the shift. If it seems worse, shift the other direction. Try not to look down at the chain for more than a second, as this is when accidents tend to happen. Keep your eyes on the road. Until you get good, just shift until it feels right. 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, which are the combinations of the big chainring and big sprocket or small chainring and small sprocket. This causes extra wear and tear on the gearing system. It's 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 free. We want you to be safe and happy.

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