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Re: Bicyclists!
When you are using a higher gear, the chain is one a larger sprocket (the circle with the teeth). I hope i'm not insulting your intelligence with that. When it's on the larger sprocket, one rotation of your feet on the pedals is going to move the chain farther. Example
Small sprocket- you move your feet around once and the sprocket turns and moves the chain, which in turn makes your tire rotate a certain amount. It doesn't take too much effort, but you don't go very far. That's good for uphill because you aren't killing you self to fight gravity.
Larger sprocket- you move your feet once around and the sprocket turns and moves the chain, which in turn makes the tire rotate. This time, more chain is being moved because it's going around a larger diameter circle. So now you're making the tire turn a lot more but with some more effort. That's why you'd "upshift" while going down-hill.
It's like driving a standard transmission car.
http://bicycleuniverse.info/eqp/gears.html
When you are using a higher gear, the chain is one a larger sprocket (the circle with the teeth). I hope i'm not insulting your intelligence with that. When it's on the larger sprocket, one rotation of your feet on the pedals is going to move the chain farther. Example
Small sprocket- you move your feet around once and the sprocket turns and moves the chain, which in turn makes your tire rotate a certain amount. It doesn't take too much effort, but you don't go very far. That's good for uphill because you aren't killing you self to fight gravity.
Larger sprocket- you move your feet once around and the sprocket turns and moves the chain, which in turn makes the tire rotate. This time, more chain is being moved because it's going around a larger diameter circle. So now you're making the tire turn a lot more but with some more effort. That's why you'd "upshift" while going down-hill.
It's like driving a standard transmission car.
http://bicycleuniverse.info/eqp/gears.html
Here's pretty much all you need to know about shifting gears:
Here it is with more detail:
Let's say you're on a three-speed bike, in second speed. You start to go up a hill, and suddenly your legs can't spin the pedals as fast. You're barely turning the pedals, pushing hard on them, and you're going so slowly you think you might fall over. The solution? Downshift to first gear.
How does that solve the problem? First gear moves you a shorter distance for each spin of the pedals, which makes it easier to pedal.
Now let's say you've reached the top of the hill, and you start going downhill slightly. Soon you find there's no resistance in the pedals -- you can spin them as fast as you want and you're not really getting anywhere. Solution? Upshift back to 2, and if it's still too easy, then upshift to 3.
This works because the higher gears move you farther for each spin of the pedals, making you do more "work", and making it less "easy".
Advanced gearing
- If you're going uphill and it's too difficult, shift down.
- If your legs are spinning the pedals way too fast (it's too "easy") then shift up.
Here it is with more detail:
Let's say you're on a three-speed bike, in second speed. You start to go up a hill, and suddenly your legs can't spin the pedals as fast. You're barely turning the pedals, pushing hard on them, and you're going so slowly you think you might fall over. The solution? Downshift to first gear.
How does that solve the problem? First gear moves you a shorter distance for each spin of the pedals, which makes it easier to pedal.
Now let's say you've reached the top of the hill, and you start going downhill slightly. Soon you find there's no resistance in the pedals -- you can spin them as fast as you want and you're not really getting anywhere. Solution? Upshift back to 2, and if it's still too easy, then upshift to 3.
This works because the higher gears move you farther for each spin of the pedals, making you do more "work", and making it less "easy".
So you've learned the basics: Uphill = shift down, Downhill = shift up. But you have an 18-speed bike and you're wondering which shifter to use, the left one or the right one? The answer depends on how much change you need. If you need a big change, use your left shifter. If you need a small change, use the right one. As you ride you'll get a feel for whether you need a big change or a small change.
Another thing: Try to keep the chain in a sort-of straight line between the front and rear sets, rather than going at an angle from left to right. For example, in the very lowest gear the chain will be all the way on the left on both sets. In the very highest gear the chain will be all the way on the right. What you don't want to do is to use the left-hand ring in the front and the right-hand ring in the back, which makes the chain go diagonally -- that stretches the chain and wears it out. You also don't want to use the right-hand ring in the front and the left-hand ring in the back. Same thing.
If you're in the easiest gear (left-hand on both rings) and you need to upshift, and you've moved the chain on the rear set to the middle, and that's not enough and you still need to upshift, don't keep shifting the rear set. Instead, shift the front set from the left to the middle (1 to 2). That keeps your chain nice and straight.
Let's have another look at our gearing chart. The green boxes are the combinations you'll use, and the gray ones are the combos you'll avoid.
So yes, you won't use every gear available to you. You're not supposed to. When you get an 18-speed bike vs. a 15-speed bike, the point isn't really that you get more gears to use, it's to give you a wider range -- the lower gears will be lower (easier to pedal up hills) and the higher gears will be higher (take you farther on one spin when you're going downhill).
Another thing: Try to keep the chain in a sort-of straight line between the front and rear sets, rather than going at an angle from left to right. For example, in the very lowest gear the chain will be all the way on the left on both sets. In the very highest gear the chain will be all the way on the right. What you don't want to do is to use the left-hand ring in the front and the right-hand ring in the back, which makes the chain go diagonally -- that stretches the chain and wears it out. You also don't want to use the right-hand ring in the front and the left-hand ring in the back. Same thing.
If you're in the easiest gear (left-hand on both rings) and you need to upshift, and you've moved the chain on the rear set to the middle, and that's not enough and you still need to upshift, don't keep shifting the rear set. Instead, shift the front set from the left to the middle (1 to 2). That keeps your chain nice and straight.
Let's have another look at our gearing chart. The green boxes are the combinations you'll use, and the gray ones are the combos you'll avoid.
So yes, you won't use every gear available to you. You're not supposed to. When you get an 18-speed bike vs. a 15-speed bike, the point isn't really that you get more gears to use, it's to give you a wider range -- the lower gears will be lower (easier to pedal up hills) and the higher gears will be higher (take you farther on one spin when you're going downhill).
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