26. How To Shift Your Gears
Learn how to use your full range of gears: applies to 21, 24, and 27 speed shift systems.
IMPORTANT: Nuts and bolts on your bike should always be tightened to the manufacturer's specifications.
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VIDEO UPDATES
- 02:14 - Never use either the large/large or small/small gear combination!
Most bikes these days come with ‘21 speeds’. However, this doesn’t mean you have 21 useable gears. Actually, on a 21 speed system it’s closer to 13. A lot of people get confused by all of the gear combinations available. I myself didn’t understand it when I first started using a multi-speed bike, so today we’ll learn how to use your gears most effectively.
It’s very important not to shift under pressure, as this will cause shift problems and damage your drivetrain. If you’re going uphill and you need a lower gear, keep pedaling, but ease off and pedal lightly while you shift.
Most systems have three gears on the front, which are controlled by your left shifter. The rear gear cluster usually has 7 gears, with some systems having 8 or 9. Not to worry, the concepts here are the same.
For most everday riding, you’ll want to keep your chain on the middle ring on the front, or number 2 on your left shifter. This allows you to use the full range of rear gears. Number 1 on your right shifter is the easiest gear for climbing hills, as it puts your chain on the largest rear sprocket. Number 7 on your right shifter is the hardest gear for going really fast, and it puts your chain on the smallest rear sprocket.
I find it helps to think of numbers 1 and 3 on your left shifter as options for extreme circumstances.
If you’re climbing a really tough hill and your left 2 and right 1 combination aren’t easy enough, you can shift your front derailleur to number 1 which drops the chain down to the smallest front chainring. While you’re in the smallest front gear you can shift the rear gears between 1 and 3 for a finer range adjustment, but you should always shift the front back to 2, or the middle chainring before using gears 4-7 on the rear.
If you’re going really fast and need a harder gear, and your left 2 and right 7 combination isn’t fast enough, you can shift your front derailleur to number 3 which pulls the chain up to the largest front chainring. While you’re in the largest front chainring you can shift the rear gears between 5 and 7 for a finer range adjustment, but always shift the front back to 2, or the middle chainring before using gears 1-4 on the rear.
Never use the full range of rear gears when you’re in either the small or large front sprockets (number 1 or 3 on the front shifter). This causes too great an angle in your chain line, which can cause noise and shifting problems.
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Recommended Books:
- Zinn & MTB
Mountain Bikes: Maintenance, repair, and troubleshooting. - Zinn & Road
Road Bikes: Maintenance, repair, and troubleshooting. - Sutherland's Manual
Sutherland's handbook for bicycle mechanics on CD-ROM. - Park Blue Book
Hundreds of photos and hundreds of procedures.
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71 Responses to “How To Shift Your Gears”
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and oh, if you have a maintenance/repair question, please ask in the help forums.
Recommended Tools & Lubes:
- Cleaning System
Everything needed to quickly and easily clean the chain. - Cleaning Brush
Curved, toothed-end reaches dirt deep between gears. - X-Country Lube
Recommended for both dry and wet riding conditions. - Phil Wood Oil
Extra-heavy duty chain oil. Also good for older 3-spd hubs. - Starter Tool Kit
11 genuine Park Tool products & a custom Park Tool toolbox. - Advanced Tool Kit
The AK-37 includes all the most frequently used tools.
I am so glad my friend directed me here! I was on one of my forums, asking about a singlespeed MTB style bike becuase I like the handling characteristics of MTB’s better than most other styles,but gearsets have always confused me. One of the guys I was ‘talking to’ made a good case for gears and directed me here because “this guy explains it better than me” He was right, and I’ve gotten over my hatred of gears and bought a regular geared MTB. (although I won’t say what brand, I’m saving up for a ‘real’ MTB) I’ve looked at other vids here and am very impressed
Kudos! Art
Thanks for putting up bicycling for dummies
I’m riding my first geared bicycle and had no clue how to change gears until I watch this video.
Great job.
I have looked at 10 videos on youtube, but this one is the ONLY clear one for beginners. You saved me hours of learning this the difficult way, I could have destroyed my bike.
This is excellent, many thanks. I was getting frustrated with the rattling/problems shifting and now I know why! It can all be rather confusing for someone new to road biking, never mind the fancy levers for doing the actual shifting!
Your video was most helpful. Could you tell me specifically with a system with two gears front and 10 in the rear if your shifting recommendations change any? I have a bike with:
Front Derailleur: Shimano Ultegra
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Dura Ace 7800
Shifters: Shimano Dura Ace 7800 10-Speed
Brakes Levers: Shimano Dura Ace 7800
Crankset: FSA Gossamer Compact 50/34T, (20 total gears) ?
Cassette: Shimano 105 12-25 10 Speed
Thanks for your help,
Bill
Hey Bill,
The shifting technique would be the same with 2 front sprockets. Basically you have a middle and large sprocket (no small sprocket) up front. Use your smallest front sprocket for most riding, and the large when you need the extra speed.
Just found your site and appreciate the many useful maintenance tips, especially the one explaining why the rear cassette often needs replacing when the chain does. Everyone I ever asked in bike shops agreed this happens, but no-one has ever been able to clearly explain the reason!
As for gear usage, personally I wouldn’t use the full range of sprockets on my 27 speed with the middle chainring – just the middle four or five, with the smallest chainring combining with the largest four sprockets, and the largest chainring with the smallest four sprockets. This means that the fourth largest sprocket gets used with both the smallest and middle chainring sometimes, and the fourth smallest with both the largest and the middle chainring. But I think that’s OK, as the principle is to keep the chain from running diagonally from chainwheel to sprocket, causing wear.
Thanks for the lesson, I finally found something that made sense and helped me understand my gears so I can enjoy riding.
Wow thanks for this! Got a second hand bike and it almost killed me getting it home with such a steep hill.. I didn’t know how gears worked and ended up walking alongside the bike, my legs were like jelly when i got in and couldn’t stand for a while lol.
Weather is really dismal so waiting for a nice break in which I can take it for a proper test drive. It has a bit of rust on a couple of bolts and i don’t want to make things worse lol.
Are there tips on how to remove the rust from bolts and how to patch up light scratches? I heard clear nail varnish does the trick?
Hi Gavin,
Glad to help! Here’s a video about light rust removal. I don’t have a lot of experience with light scratches. Give your local autobody shop a call or post the question in the help forums to see if others have any suggestions.
I’m glad i found this video today, reason being is my bike has been a pain when it came to gear changing, it wouldn’t change into the combination i wanted it to go to and thats because i been using the wrong combinations, i’ve been stretching my gears to far like large to large and small to small but thanks to finding this video and watching it, i can go change my bike back to how it should be =] thanks a lot this is really helpful and very clear, thumbs up from me =]
Very interesting. I will think of after I buy 21-speed bike.
Excellent explanation. After returning to cycling after almost 20 years, the whole notion of “21 gears” was hard to wrap my head around. Just had my first ride today, and my unfamiliarity with the new gearing caused me to try some of the combinations warned about in the video. This resulted in the chain coming off the front/pedal gears… luckily no one was around to see it, and I remembered how to get it back on.
I have a feeling I’ll be visiting this site regularly! Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the video – I just got a new hybrid (electric/human) 27 speed bicycle and it is the first new bike I have had in 30 years and quite a change from my old ten speed racing bike. It has been interesting to learn about how to use the gear combinations and then combine the gearing with the four levels of electric support (when and if required).
Great bicycle tutorials. Thanks a lot.
This is so great. I haven’t had a bike in years and will be picking one up tomorrow, this was a great refresher. Thanks!!
Hey Alex, Thanks for the wonderful tutorial. I’m going to get my first bike with gears. It’s got Shimano 21 Speed gear system and I was having my doubts about how to shift gears properly. This site has a wealth of knowledge in it. Will catch up with you if I have any further doubts.
Thanks,
EbiN
Thank you so much for this amazing & helpful tutorial.
Thanks so much! So clear, to the point, and not too much info all at once. Just bought a new Norco Roma and didn’t want to wreck it first time out. Yours was the first clear, concise, digestible explanation for a beginner, and a senior like me!
Wow! Thank you!
I’m in the “buying allot of stuff I don’t need” mode in my life. Unfortunately I’m also cursed with the “I need to know everything about everything I buy”. This video was a huge help! There should be a link in every bike owners manual to this site. I don’t ever respond to really anything on the web, but I felt compelled to this time.
What kind of coffee do you drink?
Thanks again.
Scott
trek 4300d hard tail purchased from the trek store
Thank god! Someone to explain gear shifting in a clear understandable manner. I have just returned to cycling after 30 years, and have never ridden a bike with gears so I now understand why I was having so much trouble on my first run. There doesn’t seem to be anything out there that explains this as well – all the cycling literature I’ve seen assumes you know how to do it. Thank you! I’ll keep an eye out your other tutorials.