The Schwinn Mesa Runner is a 24-speed mountain bike featuring SunTour shifters. The bike features eight gears on the rear wheel and three gears on the front sprockets near where the pedals are. The combinations made from the two gears provide 24 possibilities. To shift gears on your Mesa Runner properly, you must understand how these gears work and how to appropriately change gears using the controls on your handlebars. Practice shifting several times while cycling in a small area to get accustomed to your bike's individual performance.
Step 1
Begin to ride your bike. A bicycle that features a derailleur as a Mesa Runner does must be in motion for the gears to shift properly. This is because the derailleur physically moves the bike chain from one gear to the next. If the wheels are not in motion, the derailleur will not have the momentum necessary to switch the chain to a different gear.
Step 2
Find a comfortable pedaling cadence. Your cadence is the number of rotations your pedals make in a specific unit of time. A typical comfortable cadence is 70 to 90 pedal rotations per minute. You do not need to calculate your precise cadence; simply keep pedaling until you find a pedaling speed that is comfortable to you.
Step 3
Shift your bike into a higher gear by pulling the top lever of the right shifter closer to you until you hear a click. A higher gear is appropriate when you notice your pedaling cadence is faster than is comfortable.
Step 4
Shift your bike into a lower gear by pushing the bottom lever of the right shifter away from you until you hear a click. A lower gear is appropriate when you notice your pedaling cadence is slower or more laborious than is comfortable.
Step 5
Use the shifters on the left side of your handlebars when you need a particularly large gear change, such as when pedaling up or down a very steep hill. Leave this gear in 2 for most flat riding, then shift into 3 when you are going downhill or into 1 when you are going uphill. Note that the levers on the left shifter are reversed; pulling the top lever closer to you will shift your bike into a lower gear while pushing the bottom lever away from you will shift into a higher gear.
Step 6
Shift into a very low gear when you are preparing to come to a stop. It is easier to start a bike moving again when it is in a low gear.
Tips and Warnings
- Gear ratios appropriate for one rider in a specific situation may not be appropriate for a different rider in the same situation. A comfortable gear ratio is a matter of personal preference and riding strength. Rather than focusing on the specific gear you are in, concentrate instead on shifting when your pedaling cadence speeds or slows outside of your comfortable range. Continue to pedal when you shift. You should pedal in your personally comfortable cadence at all times, using your shifters to change the gears to match your cadence.
Member Comments