Beginner cyclist with speed issues

[gavroche]

And then, there is also "crossing the chain" , but that's for later.

 

[Jody]

On a gripshift (right hand side, rear gears), gear 1 is the lowest gear which corresponds to the largest cog at the back.

You have it the wrong way round. 1 is the smallest and 7 is the largest on the rear gears. As you twist the shifter back towards you it winds the cable in and goes up the rear cassette or front chainset

View: https://youtu.be/InRzlEuxxF0

 

[Markymark]

You have it the wrong way round. 1 is the smallest and 7 is the largest on the rear gears. As you twist the shifter back towards you it winds the cable in and goes up the rear cassette or front chainset

View: https://youtu.be/InRzlEuxxF0

So 1 is the fastest gear in the rear? Really?

 

[Jody]

So 1 is the fastest gear in the rear? Really?

Foget the numbers and how they normally relate i.e first being easiest but look at the operation. Twisting back which would shorten the cable length will put you in 7th as listed on the shifter. So 3 on the left (twisting forward and dropping you into the small chainring) and 7 on the right (twisting back and putting you into the large cog on the cassette) will put you in the easiest gear (21st as SRAM sees it). The opposite will be both on number 1 which will be the hardest gear.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

@xahend ; I think Cycle Chat could overcomplicate a game of snap at times, we've managed to make something pretty simple sound awfully complicated with debates around numbers and whether 1 or 7 are higher. It's not important.

@boydj gave the answer a page ago. Get on, go somewhere quiet and flat, change gear lots of times, one at a time, and get a good feel for what happens. You'll have the idea in 5 minutes.

 

[gavroche]

it is very simple really, use your legs as an indicator: if pedalling becomes harder, go on a bigger gear at the back. For the front rings, big ring means harder to push pedals. Experiment on a level road and you will soon know which gear suits you best.

 

[xahend]

Think I've got a hang of the gears now - only time I struggle is finding the best gear to tackle uphill parts but that's probably more to do with a lack of leg strength than the bike itself

 

[summerdays]

Using the gears gradually becomes more instinctive over time, but when you see a hill coming up or before you start to struggle in a gear you can change down to a lower number.

Are you ready for some more complications in gears..... there are bad combinations of front and rear gears?

 

[xahend]

@summerdays Thanks for that, I keep forgetting to change gears in advance and just expect it to change automatically when I shift - had to walk the bike uphill at one point because I'd lost momentum

I've barely understood the basics but sure, if you're willing to explain lol - I think I came across these forbidden combinations online at some point

 

[summerdays]

Basically you want to keep the line from front to back cogs fairly straight. So 1 front and 1 back, or 3 front and 7 back are good, but 1 at the front going diagonally to 7 at the back is bad and the reverse).

When I first got my 7 speed bike the guy in the shop told me it was approximately 1 front with 1-4 at the back (uphill), 2 at the front with 2-5 at the back (normal), and 3 front with 4-7 at the back(going fast not expecting to stop). And when you are intending to stop you shouldn't stop in those "fast" gears as it is hard to get started in them.

Honestly I struggled myself when I first started.

 

[xahend]

Basically you want to keep the line from front to back cogs fairly straight. So 1 front and 1 back, or 3 front and 7 back are good, but 1 at the front going diagonally to 7 at the back is bad and the reverse).

When I first got my 7 speed bike the guy in the shop told me it was approximately 1 front with 1-4 at the back (uphill), 2 at the front with 2-5 at the back (normal), and 3 front with 4-7 at the back(going fast not expecting to stop). And when you are intending to stop you shouldn't stop in those "fast" gears as it is hard to get started in them.

Honestly I struggled myself when I first started.

That's really helpful - I think I did make the mistake of using one of the forbidden combinations when going uphill. Not ending on a fast gear is such a stupidly obvious thing to do omg, I keep having to change the gear and push the pedal by hand before every cycling venture haha

 

[User16625]

@xahend

Basically you want to keep the line from front to back cogs fairly straight. So 1 front and 1 back, or 3 front and 7 back are good, but 1 at the front going diagonally to 7 at the back is bad and the reverse).

When I first got my 7 speed bike the guy in the shop told me it was approximately 1 front with 1-4 at the back (uphill), 2 at the front with 2-5 at the back (normal), and 3 front with 4-7 at the back(going fast not expecting to stop). And when you are intending to stop you shouldn't stop in those "fast" gears as it is hard to get started in them.

Honestly I struggled myself when I first started.

What he said.
Avoid doing this:

Ideally your chain would be doing this:

But in practice there will usually be some bend. A poor chain line will increase the wear rate on the sprockets, and it is less efficient apparently. Also some gear combinations will replicate (near enough) other gears anyway.

With regards to changing gears, forward pedaling is required. However while changing gears, reduce how hard you push on the pedals for a nice smooth change. All this will come naturally after a while, just keep practicing.

 

[summerdays]

What he said.

You said it better though!