Bicycle gear shifting may be a bit complicated to some or most riders. And the fact that some bikes have back and front gears, made the matter made more complicated. This blog post tackles important concerns about the rear and front gears of bicycles:
Shifting Bike’s Rear Gears
Most geared bicycles have 5 t0 9 gears in the back. We’re talking about the rear gears first because they’re the most vital to riders and where most bicycle gear shifting takes place. The shifter for the rear gears is often at the right hand. Make it a habit to use these first.
The shifter on the left hand changes the front chainrings, which is for major shifting that does not occur often; but the back sprockets are what you use almost always for tiny adjustment as you ride along. It is just common to make a number of shifts over several hundred yards as the road goes up and down.
In the rear, the biggest sprocket, the one closest to the inside of the wheel, generates your easiest pedaling. The smallest sprocket on the back wheel, the one at the outermost, enables you to ride fastest. However, pedaling is not going to be easy, unless you are already moving pretty good.
The key to efficient bicycle gear shifting is to shift when you feel that your pedaling is becoming more difficult or easier as it happens. You do this so you can maintain a smooth and comfortable pedaling spot.
Imagine this: the pedaling starts to get a little harder because of a tiny rise in your path, and you instantly shift into an easier gear to keep your cadence, or your pedaling rhythm. Or, the terrain starts to get flat and even and then go downhill in front of you, and your pace increases, so you quickly shift into a higher gear, and enable yourself to ride even faster with the same amount of effort.
When you’re starting to do all of these without even thinking about it, then you have gotten the hang of bicycle gear shifting.
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