How To Use Bike Gears - Completely Explained

The gearing system of your bike decides how much muscle effort you are going to put in for each pedal stroke. If you know how to shift gears properly and everything else related to this, you will be able to shift gears efficiently. And yes, you can also make riding easier for you.

This article is specially designed to help you completely understand how to use bike gear. So, without further ado, let's get started.

Why Need Gears On A Bike?

You need gears on a bike to make riding easier and more efficient; in fact, gearing helps you to run cycle for a long time without irritating. 

Here are the core reasons behind why you need gears on a bike and how they will be essential.

To Drive More

Yes, gearing helps you drive more because you avoid putting extra muscle energy. You will save energy and consistently use it to drive more and more for a long time. 

According to the experts, the gearing system has made it possible to run a cycle on hills. Because without gears, a person couldn't climb a mountain by using muscles power for pedaling.

Avoid Muscle Stress

We also need gears on a bike to avoid muscle stress. As you know, gears allow you to move cycle smoothly and steadily, so you avoid putting muscle energy into pedaling and avoid stressing them.

Comfortable Pedaling Speed

Gears allow us to enjoy comfortable pedaling regardless of terrain and gradient. You can smoothly run your cycle without getting stuck anywhere. Expert cyclists have said that gears always play an essential role in helping them enjoy a comfortable ride, even on mountain hills.

How Do The Bike Gears Work? 

To understand how bike gears work, you need to get aware of two terms:  upshifting of gears and downshifting of gears. As shown by name, upshifting means you are going to chase a higher bike gear, while downshifting means you are going to chase a lower gear.

You need to slide the shifter present on the handlebars smoothly sliding the shifter. Here you can choose up or down. When you slide the shifter, the chain will be shifted to another sized ring called gear change.

Pay attention on three-speed bikes, the procedure is a bit different in that you can't see the chain because it is covered by the hub of the wheel of your cycle.
You should know that gears work the same regardless of how many gears are there in your bike. Some bikes contain two, three, or four, while some control between 7 - 12 gears depending upon the model.

How To Shift Gears On A Bike?

So, you have two gear shifters on the handle: right and left. The right one will help you shift smaller gears and move the chain on the back cassette. In contrast, the left-handed will help you move the chain on the front chainrings, making large gear changes.

A short one-click push on the right shifter will shift gear to the smaller. While a long push with two clicks shifts the larger gear and moves the chain to the front chainrings. This is how you can shift smaller and larger gears one by one as per the situation.

Pay attention - move your cycle gear to the largest chainring, so you make pedaling harder when you are going downhills.

Tips And Tricks For Proper Shifting Bike Gears

• Before climbing too high, shift right and start applying pressure to the pedals. When you reach the highest point and climb, remove pressure on the pedals and shift one gear for smooth driving. This will help your gearing system to avoid noise and damage.
• During downhills, you can shift more than one gear at a time. But we recommend you move gear to the largest front chainring, which will make it harder for you to pedal smoothly. This way, you can smoothly go down to the hills.
• Do not use both shifters at a time to avoid any kind of stress on your drivetrain. Shifting both front and rear shifters at once can cause damage to your drivetrain suddenly.
• Maintain a steady cadence (pedaling rhythm) by shifting gears gradually. Finding your sweet spot will enhance efficiency and reduce strain on your knees.
• When shifting gears, ease off the pedals momentarily. This relieves pressure on the drivetrain and helps gears engage seamlessly.

By following these tricks, you can ensure better gear shifting.

Conclusion

This article was specially designed to help you understand everything about the gearing system and how you can efficiently use it. No matter if you are a beginner or an expert, scratch the above article for better knowledge about shifting gears.