If the left shifter is at 3 and the right is at 8, then you are in the hardest gear on the bike. So if both the gear indicators show “1” then you are in the easiest gear the bike offers. The lower the number, the easier the gear is. Let’s talk about the shift levers (“shifters”) first…Įach shifter will have numbers on it to indicate which gear you are in (this is the gear indicator.) In this example, our left shifter shows numbers 1-3, while our right shifter shows 1-8. In typical setups, the left shifter is matched to the front derailleur (so it shifts between the chainrings.) The right shifter is matched to the rear derailleur (which shifts between the cogs on the cassette.) When you move one of the shift levers, a cable pulls or releases one of the derailleurs which moves the chain from one gear to another. Shifting starts at the shift levers, which are usually located on the handlebar beside the grips. Having gears won’t do you a bit of good without understanding how the shifting works, so here’s a look at that…
Some people would call this a “24 speed,” but most avid cyclists and bike mechanics refer to this simply as an “8 speed.” Discover How the Shifters and Derailleurs Work (The difference between a freewheel and a cassette makes no difference in this article, so don’t worry about that.)įor this article, our example bicycle will be a modern mountain bike with three chainrings and an 8-speed cassette. Each ring on the cassette is referred to as a cog. If your bike has eight to ten gears on the back, it has a cassette. If your bike has five gears on the back, it probably has a freewheel. The gear cluster on the rear wheel is either a freewheel or a cassette. If you have two chainrings (a big ring and a little ring,) that setup is called a “double.” If you have three chainrings (big, middle, and little,) you have a “triple” chainring setup. The front sprockets that are attached to the crankarm are called chainrings. So to start things off, let’s get the terminology straightened out: (2×5=10, it’s just simple math.)īut once you learn more about gearing, you’ll see that that is actually a confusing way to describe things. For example, a road bike with two chainrings up front and a five-speed freewheel on the back was a “10 speed,” since the five rear sprockets could be matched with either of the two front chainrings. Getting Started (Practice Makes Perfect)Įver since bicycles came with more than one sprocket on the front and back, they were usually referred to as the number of gear combinations that were offered.
Discover How the Shifters and Derailleurs Work.
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