Shifting gears on a bicycle, alongside braking, is a core cycling skill. While seemingly simple, mastering efficient gear shifting can significantly enhance your riding experience. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced cyclist, understanding how to shift gears effectively is crucial for improving speed, comfort, and endurance, especially on longer rides.
Decoding Bike Gear Terminology
Navigating the jargon around bike gears can be initially confusing. Terms like Low/High, Big/Small, Easy/Hard, Fast/Slow, Front/Rear, One-by, Two-by, and Three-by are common. Let’s clarify these terms to build a solid understanding of bike gearing:
Low Gear (Easy Gear, Climbing Gear): This gear combination pairs the smallest chainring at the front with the largest cog on the rear cassette. Low gears make pedaling easier, ideal for uphill climbs where you need less resistance. Shifting to a lower gear is known as “downshifting.”
High Gear (Hard Gear, Descending Gear): Conversely, high gear uses the largest front chainring and the smallest rear cog. This makes pedaling harder, allowing you to accelerate quickly, especially when going downhill. Shifting to a higher gear is called “upshifting.”
Understanding Bike “Speeds”: The “speed” of your bike, like 7-speed, 18-speed, or 21-speed, refers to the total number of gear combinations available. It’s calculated by multiplying the number of front chainrings by the number of rear cogs (cassette). For example, a bike with 2 chainrings and an 11-cog cassette is often called a 22-speed bike. However, in modern cycling, particularly for adult bikes, this “speed” number is less emphasized. More gears don’t always equate to a better riding experience.
One-by, Two-by, Three-by Drivetrains: These terms describe the number of chainrings at the front of your bike. A “one-by” drivetrain has a single chainring, “two-by” has two, and “three-by” has three. The current trend favors fewer chainrings to achieve the same gear range. This is accomplished with wider-range cassettes (rear gears with more cogs and larger cogs). One-by and two-by drivetrains are popular on high-end bikes because they are generally lighter, more efficient, and simpler to operate and maintain. You’ll frequently see one-by systems on mountain bikes and two-by systems on road bikes.
Basic Gear Shifting Techniques
Now that you understand the terminology, let’s dive into the mechanics of shifting. Shifter types vary depending on your bike style.
Road Bike Shifters (Drop Bar Bikes): Road bikes, and bikes with drop handlebars, often integrate shifters into the brake levers. You shift by pushing the lever sideways until you hear a click.
Mountain and Hybrid Bike Shifters (Flat Bar Bikes): These bikes typically use paddle shifters operated by your thumb.
Grip Shifters: Some bikes utilize grip shifters, which are dials located near your hand grips. You change gears by twisting the dial forward or backward.
Regardless of the shifter type, they all work by adjusting a cable within a housing. As you shift, the cable tightens or loosens, applying force to the derailleurs. Derailleurs are mechanisms that move the chain across the chainrings (front derailleur) and cassette cogs (rear derailleur). Here’s a breakdown of lever functions:
Left Shifter (Front Derailleur): Controls the front gears and derailleur, shifting the chain between chainrings. These shifts result in significant gear changes, best used for major changes in terrain, like steep inclines or declines.
Right Shifter (Rear Derailleur): Controls the rear gears and derailleur, moving the chain across the cassette cogs. These shifters make subtle gear adjustments, ideal for fine-tuning your pedaling effort on slight terrain variations.
Lever Logic – Big vs. Small:
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Larger Lever: Generally, the larger lever shifts the chain to a larger ring (either front or rear). Remember: Big = Big.
- Right-hand (rear) larger lever: Shifts to an easier gear.
- Left-hand (front) larger lever: Shifts to a harder gear.
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Smaller Lever: The smaller lever typically moves the chain to a smaller ring. Remember: Small = Small.
- Right-hand (rear) smaller lever: Shifts to a harder gear.
- Left-hand (front) smaller lever: Shifts to an easier gear.
Special Shifter Types:
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SRAM DoubleTap (Road): Some SRAM road groupsets use a “DoubleTap” system with a single lever behind the brake lever. A long push (two clicks) shifts to an easier gear (rear) or harder gear (front). A short push (one click) shifts to a harder gear (rear) or easier gear (front).
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Grip Shift: Twisting forward (away from you) usually shifts to a harder gear (rear) or easier gear (front). Twisting backward (towards you) shifts to an easier gear (rear) or harder gear (front).
Understanding and Avoiding Cross-Chaining
Cross-chaining refers to specific gear combinations that put excessive strain on your drivetrain. These combinations are:
Big-Big: Using the largest front chainring and the largest rear cog (easiest rear, hardest front).
Small-Small: Using the smallest front chainring and the smallest rear cog (hardest rear, easiest front).
Cross-chaining creates a sharp angle in the chain line, which can lead to:
- Increased wear and tear on the chain, cassette, and chainrings.
- Reduced shifting efficiency and potential for chain slippage.
- Noisy operation and potential front derailleur malfunction.
Utilizing the Front Derailleur Trim Feature
Many road bikes feature a “trim” function on the front derailleur. Trim allows for微调整ments to the front derailleur position without fully shifting to a different chainring. This is particularly useful to prevent chain rub, especially as you approach cross-chaining combinations.
For example, if you’re in the largest chainring and shift towards the larger cogs on the rear cassette, you might hear chain rub against the front derailleur. A single click of the smaller left shifter lever can slightly move the derailleur outwards, eliminating the rub without shifting to the smaller chainring. Similarly, when in the smallest chainring and shifting towards smaller rear cogs, trim can prevent rub by slightly moving the derailleur inwards with a click of the larger left shifter lever.
Effective and Efficient Gear Shifting Practices
The most important principle of gear shifting is: THERE IS NO PERFECT GEAR – SHIFT FREQUENTLY!
Many cyclists make the mistake of pushing too hard in a high gear uphill or spinning excessively fast in too low a gear downhill. The goal is to maintain a consistent cadence (pedal rotation speed) as much as possible. This is achieved by either shifting gears or increasing power output. However, sustained high power output is tiring. Therefore, frequent gear shifting is key to efficient riding.
Pro Tip for Smooth Shifting: Shift to easier gears using your right shifter early when approaching inclines to maintain a steady cadence. Remember, the right shifter is for minor adjustments. If your pedaling rate drastically slows, you’ll likely need to downshift with the left shifter (front derailleur) for a significantly easier gear for steeper climbs.
Shifting Under Load – How to Avoid Grinding: Attempting to shift the front derailleur under heavy pedal pressure, especially uphill, can lead to grinding noises and failed shifts. The chain may not move, and you might even stall.
To shift smoothly, especially the front derailleur, momentarily reduce pressure on the pedals just before shifting, then resume normal pedaling once the shift is complete. By easing pressure, you allow the derailleur to move the chain more easily between chainrings.
By understanding these techniques and practicing regularly, you’ll become a more efficient and comfortable cyclist, able to tackle varying terrains with ease. Happy shifting, and enjoy the ride!
