Many bikes are available in multiple speeds. It is common to have combinations of 21, 24 or even 27 gears that raise or lower the pedal resistance as terrain changes. Shifters are mounted on the handlebars and available in several different styles. Despite the apparent complexity, shifting gears in multispeed bikes is easy to learn with a few simple rules and tips.
Why Multispeed?
It is important to have a good cadence, or pedaling speed, when you are biking. Pedaling at a slow speed with high resistance on the pedals in uncomfortable and will quickly fatigue your legs. If there is low resistance on the pedals and they spin very quickly, your feet may slip off the pedals. Adjusting the gearing on your bicycle allows you to keep your pedaling at a comfortable rate. A cadence of 75 to 90 rotations per minute should be comfortable for most riders.
Different Gears
Multispeed bikes typically have two sets of gears, one inline with the pedals and one on the back wheel. Although the number of gears represents all the possible combinations of gears in these two numbers multiplied together, not all of these gears are effective. The front gears are commonly called chain rings. The rear gears are called freewheels when they only have a few gears and cassettes when they contain many gears.
Shifting Mechanism
The shifting mechanism is mounted on the handlebars of your bike; there are several different styles. The shifting mechanism or shifter controls the derailleur, a mechanism that pushes the bike chain to the next larger or smaller gear. Typically the left shifter controls the front gears and the right shifter controls the rear gears. An indexed shifter has numbered positions corresponding to a preset location for the derauilleur. A trigger shifter has two triggers for each set of gears that shift the derailleur up or down. Older shifters had levels that adjusted the position of the derailleur manually.
Choosing the Right Gear
Change the front chain rings for large adjustments and the rear cassette for small adjustments. The smallest front chain ring is for tough hills, and the largest chain ring is for downhill or fast road cycling when your pedals are spinning very fast. The lower the number, the easier the gear. With the middle chain ring you can use all gears in the rear cassette, but you should not use the larger rear gears with the large chain ring or the smaller rear gears with the smaller chain ring as this bends the chain too far, causing noise and wear.
Shifting Safely and Efficiently
Anticipate the change in gear before you're forced to shift. Only shift the front chain ring in extreme circumstances. While shifting, continue to pedal but pedal softly, not applying great force. Pedaling too hard while shifting can prevent the chain from shifting gears, causing a grinding noise as the chain rubs the derailleur.
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