Beginner cyclist with speed issues

[xahend]

I've just started to teach myself how to ride a bike and can balance, pedal and stop. My problem is when I cycle at a medium or high speed, it's like the cycle can't keep up with the pedals? Like there's very minimal resistance, which makes it hard for me to coast at a regular speed. I know it's something to do with the gears but I don't really understand!
Unhelpfully, I don't know what the specifics of the bike are as I've borrowed it from a friend before I commit to buying one myself.
Any advice is appreciated!

 

[cyberknight]

Without knowing what bike you have borrowed its hard to say exactly how to change gear , generally the faster you go the higher gear you need , this is achieved by using the big ring by your pedals and a smaller toothed gear nearer the frame of the bike .

 

[Tin Pot]

I've just started to teach myself how to ride a bike and can balance, pedal and stop. My problem is when I cycle at a medium or high speed, it's like the cycle can't keep up with the pedals? Like there's very minimal resistance, which makes it hard for me to coast at a regular speed. I know it's something to do with the gears but I don't really understand!
Unhelpfully, I don't know what the specifics of the bike are as I've borrowed it from a friend before I commit to buying one myself.
Any advice is appreciated!

Take a picture of it on your phone and upload it.

As cyberknight said it's just a matter of changing gears appropriately, it's a little more complicated than gearing in a car but not much.

 

[Dan Morinary]

Thought this was a thread about drug use!
If it helps I'm trying to get my lad to familiarise himself with his first bike with gears. Telling him the bigger the ring at the front (pedals) the harder it is to pedal, but the faster you go. The bigger rings at the back wheel the easier it is to pedal, the smaller rings make it harder, but will get you up to speed.

 

[Markymark]

If you are starting out,assuming you have 3 gears at the front stick it on the middle one. Then use the gears at the back when you cycle. Smaller numbers for up hill. Medium number for flat and higher number for downhill or Mr Speedy. If you get a really big up hill put to the smallest ring at the front but try and change back to middle when it levels off.

When you get fitter, try switching up to the big ring at the front and only use middle ring if getting hilly.

Generally you don't touch the front ring that often. As you go up down hills or pull away use the rear. Only use the front when it's changing for a bit hilly to very hilly.

 

[summerdays]

You normally need to be pedalling when changing gear. If you try changing gear when the bike isn't moving then the gears make quite a crunching sound when you try to set off. However if you change gear whilst not on the bike and then lift the back wheel and turn the pedals by hand it should change into the selected gear without all the crunching noises.

 

[greekonabike]

Thought this was a thread about drug use!
If it helps I'm trying to get my lad to familiarise himself with his first bike with gears. Telling him the bigger the ring at the front (pedals) the harder it is to pedal, but the faster you go. The bigger rings at the back wheel the easier it is to pedal, the smaller rings make it harder, but will get you up to speed.

+2

There's not really much else I can say that isn't exactly the same as other posters have said but I'd also recommend starting in the middle ring (if it's a three chainring bike) and using that as a basis to find out what gears you're comfortable with in which settings.

GOAB

 

[summerdays]

+2

There's not really much else I can say that isn't exactly the same as other posters have said but I'd also recommend starting in the middle ring (if it's a three chainring bike) and using that as a basis to find out what gears you're comfortable with in which settings.

GOAB

Well it depends on the type of shifters. When I first used trigger shifters i didn't realise that you needed to hold down the trigger a second rather than just flicking it, so it would be useful to know which type of shifter to give more specific advice.

 

[greekonabike]

Well it depends on the type of shifters. When I first used trigger shifters i didn't realise that you needed to hold down the trigger a second rather than just flicking it, so it would be useful to know which type of shifter to give more specific advice.

This is very true. I've recently started using trigger shifters having last used gripshifts. I picked it up quickly but for some it may take a while to get used too, especially when they are also getting their head around the gears.

GOAB

 

[vickster]

When you buy a bike, get the shop to show you how the gears work and have a practice. Evans for example allow decent on road test rides

Some bikes have two or three rings at the front (by the pedals) and the number of cogs at the back can vary (usually 7-11)...some bikes have only one ring at the front, some only one cog at the back but I'd assume it wasn't one of these

 

[biggs682]

@xahend we need pics of bike to help us understand and advise

where are you based as there may be Cycle Chat member near by than can help in person?

 

[xahend]

@cyberknight @Tin Pot thanks for the advice, I took some pictures.

@Dan morinary Haha that was poor wording on my part. I kind of panic when I reach what I consider a 'high speed' - I end up not pedalling because of the lack of resistance until I lose momentum and balance, and I'm not sure what to do in that situation. Increase the gear number on the right from 4 so I can keep pedalling?

@Markymark so I should keep the left gear on 2, and only use the right gears to adjust? I'm still learning how to tackle uphill and your advice helped

@summerdays This really helped! And am I supposed to change the gears in small increments? like from 4 to 5 instead of jumping straight to 6? Because sometimes I still hear the crunching sound when I change gears whilst pedalling and I'm not sure why

@greekonabike I think mine are gripshifts? As in I have to turn the handlebar and it clicks when doing so.

@vickster I'm so excited to buy my first bike! I have a lot reading up to do beforehand though I feel.

@biggs682 I've just started to practice at home in Essex where I live, but I'll be in hilly Exeter for most part of the year so I need to master going uphill pretty soon.

Can I also just say thank you so much to everyone who replied and took time to give advice to a total newbie - I even recognise a few of you from my frantic thread surfing so I really do appreciate it guys! Makes me feel less alone and clueless XD

 

[summerdays]

Ah they are trigger shifters, and the smaller the number the faster your legs will have to turn to go a short distance.

The ones on the left - no 2 is normally a good medium pedalling, with 1 used when going up hill and 3 when you are going along at a good pace.

The ones on the left allow you to refine the slow/medium/fast on the other side.

 

[summerdays]

Another thing to point out is that the shifters may say one thing but depending on the adjustment/setup of the bike that might not actually be the gear you are in. So the 1,2,3 refer to the front rings, with 1 being the smallest. The 1-7 refer to the back cogs with the smallest being 7 and the biggest is 1. The gear it is in is the one the chain is resting on.

 

[summerdays]

And yes change gear in jumps of 2 at the most if you are riding it else you will get the crunch noise. It's just it stepping up/down and you are asking it to make big jumps over other rings if you try too many at once.