Bicycle gears are needed to improve driving efficiency. In other words, gears allow you to ride faster and use less effort than a single-speed bike. There are situations where it is generally impossible to ride on a single-speed bike: sand, steep climbs and other difficult conditions. But it is important and correct to change gears at the same time.
Instructions
Step 1
Shift gears only while driving. At the same time, at the moment of switching, the load on the circuit should be minimal so as not to spoil the switching mechanisms and the circuit itself. When overcoming the rise, select the desired gear and include it in advance. In the absence of the proper skills, you should not switch to several gears at once. And make sure that there are no distortions in the chain. It is not recommended to change gears while descending. The gear must be selected and engaged in advance, otherwise a critical situation may arise during the descent.
Step 2
The most common, "average" bike has 2-3 stars in the front and 8-10 stars in the back.
A large chainring is used to drive on level and good roads in calm weather. Paired with it, small and medium stars on the rear wheel are included.
Step 3
When driving on dirt roads, poor asphalt or shallow sand, the center chainring is used. All rear stars are combined with it.
The same set of gears is convenient when driving in dense city conditions, if necessary, maneuver between obstacles, in a strong headwind.
Step 4
When overcoming steep climbs, loose sand, sticky mud, tall grass, include the small chainring and medium and large chainrings.
Step 5
As your multi-speed cycling experience grows, you should strive for intuitive gear selection. Then the switching process will take place automatically, depending on the situation on the road and the quality of the road surface.
Step 6
It is important to timely monitor, adjust and change spare parts in gearshift mechanisms, parts and drive cables. Avoid contamination of mechanisms and chains. The clarity and reliability of switching depends on this.
Step 7
Tips for athletes and professionals:
- when driving through mud and roots, it is better to choose a higher gear: there is less risk of getting bogged down, less often you need to pedal and not get out of the saddle;
- strive for uniform pedaling;
- before lifting, you should accelerate in a higher gear, and after acceleration, switch to a low one;
- in winter and in unfavorable conditions, it is necessary that the entire cable be covered with a jacket;
- it is necessary to choose the timing of the switch correctly: during the race it is better to switch during the counter-slope in order to quickly pick up speed after exiting it;
- if, when overcoming an uphill, the selected gear turned out to be too heavy, wait for a more or less level area to switch so as not to damage the chain or sprocket.
