Someone care to enlighten me on how to use bicycle gears?

1. 88

   IzzyMposted 13 years ago

   Someone care to enlighten me on how to use bicycle gears?
   
   Would someone like to tell me how to use the gears on a bicycle? I've got 16 and  gear changers on both sides of the handlebars, but don't know how to use them. The man in the shop did try to tell me but I didn't understand (I'm a Brit in Spain). I know I can try them out and see, but I believe the bike has to be moving and I am still at the stage of concentrating on not falling off! Do the low numbers mean it's easier to pedal uphill, or the other way round? I've read loads of hubs but everyone it seems knows what the gears do and so don't explain what I need to know.

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2. 70

   Micky Deeposted 13 years ago

   Hi. I can't see your bike but- the lowest number is the lowest gear. But a better way to see what's happening is to verify those numbers with those gears and at the same time- know what other bikes do.
   If the chain is in the large sprocket in the rear (most inside sprocket) and your chain is on the smallest sprocket in the front (most inside sprocket)- you are in your lowest gear and this is your easiest gear to turn UP a hill.
   Just the opposite - If the chain is in the small sprocket in the rear (most outside sprocket) and your chain is on the Largest sprocket in the front (most outside sprocket)- you are in your highest gear- you are in your highest gear and that is the hardest to push but the fastest for flat ground or down a hill.
   You may have a mountain bike or all terrain or a bike with three sprockets on the front. In that case, The middle would be a good all around gear to use on moderate or somewhat level terrain and you could start with just changing the rear sprockets until you're familiar.
   Keep your bike in a "pleasant gear most of the time - and I mean a gear that is not hard. You want to SPIN more than MASH.
   Look at films of great riders like Lance Armstrong and other racers. They will all maintain a fairly good spin (revolutions of the pedals). Most riding should be done with 80 revolutions of the crank-arms or pedals. 80 RPM or 90 RPM is great. There are practicing techniques such as going up hill in a bigger gear than necessary just to do a little strength training - but - for LONGEVITY - keep higher RPMs. Happy trails, Micky Dee

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3. 66

   MikeNVposted 13 years ago

   Put your bicycle in the lowest gear possible.  That would be the smallest front sprocket and the largest rear sprocket.
   
   This is your LOWEST Gear possible and will allow you to climb hills.  Spinning your pedals in this gear should be easy and it will take many revolutions to go forward to gain speed.
   
   Now you have a shifter on your left and right side.  The one on your left should shift the chain on the FRONT and the one on the right should shift the chain on the BACK.
   
   That's it.  You shift gears to go faster and to find the right balance of pedaling effort and forward propulsion (speed).

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4. 43

   BigL_Lawrenceposted 11 years ago

   I answered this question in this hub, please take a look,
   
   http://bigllawrence.hubpages.com/hub/Un … ycle-Gears

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   1. 88

      IzzyMposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks!

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