I dont understand why I have two gear shifters on my bike

[ainzy]

Hi all - It says on the forum info "no question too stupid" - so here goes...
I have just bought a Claud Butler Urban 100
It is fitted with Shimano TX30 21 speed with STI shifters.

I dont understand these gear shifters at all, or maybe its just that I`m thick. I have never had a cycle before.
Why is there a selector on the left ( that goes from 1-3), and one on right (that goes from 1-6). I only want to use this bike for general easy cycling, canal etc.

 

[rustychisel]

left one changes from chainrings (bigger = harder pedalling)
right one changes cogs on back wheel (smaller = harder pedalling)

have a look down at chain position as you change gears, work out the right gear for you (in the middle somewhere) and go from there. There's generally no right or wrong answer, just what suits you and your riding style

 

[Black Sheep]

your bike has two separate sets of gears, as such you need two gear shifters, one for each set.

the set on the left is for the three gears on the front, located near the pedals

the set on the right is for the set of six gears on the rear, located on the wheel itself.

while you get used to them, left hand shifter gives you three sets of gears to use 1- hills, 2- general moving about the place, 3 - high speed / downhill

within those three sets, you adjust to what is comfortable by using the right hand shifter, here you go with what feels comfortable, pedaling should be as easy as walking or a brisk jog, you use the gears to achieve this.



I'll try an example - you're riding along a flat road that starts to come up hill, so you change with the right hand shifter from 4, down to 3, down to 2.
the hill gets a bit steeper so you now change with the left shifter down from 2 to 1
now you're pedaling is a bit too easy for the hill, so you adjust with the right hand shifter from 2 back up to 3 and continue up the hill
you get to the top, the road flattens out and so you change with the left shifter up from 1 into 2 and continue on your way.


hope this helps, if not keep asking

 

[NormanD]

Maybe THIS will explain it better than reading about it

 

[ainzy]

Thanks guys for your speedy replies. I think I`d best get on it and start experimenting. Thanks again

 

[tyred]

Just consider the front three chainwheels as a high (large), medium (middle) and low (small) range. This isn't strictly true as there will be overlap and probably duplicate gears but don't worry about that for now, it's an easy way to think about it.

Selecting a large front chainring and small sprocket on the back block will give you a high gear, suitable for charging down a hill or if you have one of the mythical tail winds. Selecting the small front chainwheel with a large rear sprocket will give a low gear, suitable for climbing steep hills without over-stressing your knees. For everything else, use something somewhere in the middle.

As a general rule, you can use the entire rear block of gears in the middle chainring, but you should not use the big chainwheel with the largest rear sprocket and definitely don't use the small front chainwheel with the smallest rear sprockets.

Some people like to spin low gears, others like to push a high gear, as a general rule you should probably aim to spin the pedals at 70-90 rpm and use which ever gear allows you to comfortably do that. There is a tendency for beginners to mash the pedals in a high gear, this is more tiring and you will often find you can go further, faster by pedalling faster in a lower gear. If you feel you are struggling to maintain momentum, or feel the need to stand up on the flat, change down. Get used to dropping a few gears for controlled stops at junctions or whatever as it will make it easier to accelerate away from a standing start. As you get the miles in, you will probably find you will use higher gears than what is comfortable now.

The other important point to consider is saddle position. If you have it set too low, it will be harder and likely cause pain. As a good starting point, prop yourself up against a wall, sit on the bike with your foot on the pedal at the bottom of the pedal stroke and your leg should be almost straight.