So Now You Have A New Bike… Which Gear to Use?

Shifting to Make Biking More Fun!

By Jeanne Marshall

On your handlebars you have shifters and brakes on each side. For lever shifters (the kind where the brake handles are divided into two levers), the larger lever causes the chain to move to a larger gear while the smaller lever causes the chain to move to smaller gears. However, the impact of moving to a larger gear on the crankset is different than moving to a larger gear among the many gears in the rear cassette or freewheel mounted on your rear axle.

The shifter on the left side controls the front dérailleur and determines where your chain will sit on the crankset (gears) connected to the pedals. Remember the large lever on the left shifter moves the chain to the larger chainring and makes it harder to pedal (it can also make you go farther and faster if you can maintain the same pedal speed, or cadence). Likewise the smaller lever moves the chain to the smaller gears and makes it easier to pedal. That seems pretty simple!

Let's talk about the right shifter which controls the rear dérailleur and moves your chain up and down that whole pile of gears mounted on your rear axle. Remember what we said about moving the big lever to shift to a bigger gear and pressing the smaller lever means you are shifting to a smaller gear. However when you shift to a smaller gear in the rear cassette you will notice that it is harder to turn the pedals over. Likewise if you shift to a larger gear among your many choices on your freewheel, the pedaling gets easier.

If you have a three ring crankset, large, medium and granny gears, you have many more options than a rider with just a two ring crankset. However the principles of shifting are still the same. If you need to make a big change in how hard or easy it is to pedal change the position of the chain on the crankset in the front. If you want to make a smaller change in the difficulty of moving the pedals then shift the chain from one cog to the next within the rear cassette. If you have a car mounted bike rack, you can put your bike on the rack and move the shift levers while turning one pedal with your other hand. That way you can better visualize what happens when you are shifting. Most important of all make sure you are pedaling when shifting as the chain needs to be in motion in order to move from one gear to another.

Squeezing the brake handle on the left stops the front wheel while the brake handle on the right stops the rear wheel. Most of the time you can use your front brake only. If stopping on a steep downhill, it is much better to apply pressure to both brake handles, so that the rear wheel does not lose traction.

Get to a training ride and one of the ride leaders can help you understand when to shift in relationship to the terrain, uphills, downhills, flats and corners. With a better understanding of how your bike works, you will have a great time on the ACT Ride. Remember all the training ride leaders are there to help you become a more confident and efficient rider. GO RIDERS!

For good information on understanding your bike better, check out How Stuff Works' article on bikes.