Basics - Changing down problems.

[demonboylard]

When out cycling last week for the first time, I would approach a hill and start changing down the gears on my right hand unit, from 7 down to 1 (ok, jumping down a few at a time sometimes) and then shift down the left hand set, from 3 to 1 as it got tougher.
It (it? the front cogs, derrailiuer I think. Can you tell I'm a beginner?) seemed reluctant to shift down to first. I could hear it chattering away as it tried to go over, and the guide was actually 'bending' the chain over that way, but it didn't want to go onto the smallest cog.
Is this because I am still pedalling too hard, 'pulling' the chain onto the middle cog still? Or am I doing something wrong fundamentally? Sometimes if I beck-pedalled a tiny bit it would pop over.
Is there somethng I ought to adjust or should I just take it to my LBS and ask them to do it properly? Or am I just rubbish

Thanks in advance.

M.

 

[colinr]

In totally technical speak, I think if you're ending up in 3 on one side and 7 on the other you're asking your chain to be as tight as possible which makes it harder to change. It might prefer dropping to 2 (on the 1-3 side) then down gears on the 7 side, then 1 (on the 1-3 side).

At least that's what my old hybrid preferred. I might be wrong, I don't even have gears any more

 

[Black Sheep]

too many gears, thats the problem

on a serious note, don't use the largest three gears on the back with the largest cog on the front nor the smallest three cogs with the smallest on the front.

there is a cross over in gear ratio so you don't have to do this as having the chain stretched across increases the rate of wear, you do have to ease up on the pedaling slightly but having to back pedal is excessive.

is the bike new? could be that the cables have stretched (perfectly normal) and just need a slight adjustment

when pedaling you ought to be spinning your legs as comfortably as if you were walking quickly along a road changing the gears to allow you to continue to do this but getting the best speed from your bike.

hope that helps / makes sense.

 

[Randochap]

You don't have to avoid three cogs on either end. Just the top 2. Certainly avoid "cross-chaining" the big to big and small to small.

Take your bike in to have the derailleurs adjusted. If it's new, the cables have probably stretched. This should be covered under a shop warrantee.

You'll figure things out after a while. Are there any friendly clubs around, you can ride with? That's the best way to get advice on gearing.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Conversely, but on a similar note - if the bike is old it sound as though the front and rear mechs need a tune up and a good lube.

You don't have to avoid three cogs on either end. Just the top 2. Certainly avoid "cross-chaining" the big to big and small to small.

Take your bike in to have the derailleurs adjusted. If it's new, the cables have probably stretched. This should be covered under a shop warrantee.

You'll figure things out after a while. Are there any friendly clubs around, you can ride with? That's the best way to get advice on gearing.

 

[killiekosmos]

If your bike has 7 gears at back and 3 chainrings then think of it as having 3 sets of gear ranges, each with seven gears (one set for generally downhill riding, one set for mostly level and the last one for uphill).

So I try to be in the correct chainring whan approaching a hill and then I can use the gears at the back to help as the going gets tougher. generally most changes are at the back, fewer at the front. Many days I spend all day on middle chainring.

 

[summerdays]

If your bike has 7 gears at back and 3 chainrings then think of it as having 3 sets of gear ranges, each with seven gears (one set for generally downhill riding, one set for mostly level and the last one for uphill).

So I try to be in the correct chainring whan approaching a hill and then I can use the gears at the back to help as the going gets tougher. generally most changes are at the back, fewer at the front. Many days I spend all day on middle chainring.

I wouldn't agree with having 3 sets of 7 gears. I was told when I started cycling and bought a 7 speed that I could use

Granny Ring - gears 1-3/4 at the back
Middle Ring - gears 2-6 at the back
Large Ring - gears 4-7 at the back

Certainly that seemed to be what happened in practise - though with me I often forget change into a bad combo... think what's that rattle and then realise my mistake. So if I'm changing down when going uphill I would change from the large ring to the middle when I'm about gear 5 and then again down to the granny ring about 3 unless it looks like I'm almost there then I just remain on the second ring. (Does that make sense?)

Although I agree with what you say each set are for.

Then when I bought my 9 speed, again the advice at the LBS was similar though I found by experimentation which combinations I could use.

 

[Arch]

I wouldn't agree with having 3 sets of 7 gears. I was told when I started cycling and bought a 7 speed that I could use

Granny Ring - gears 1-3/4 at the back
Middle Ring - gears 2-6 at the back
Large Ring - gears 4-7 at the back

That's pretty much my take on it - although I tend to live mostly on the middle ring (big ring doesn't get used really). Rolling along I'll be in middle/5 or 6, as I come to a hill I'll go down as far as middle/2, and then jump down to little/2, giving me one tiny gear in reserve if I really need it. I do find I sometime need to trim the front mech a bit when at the more extreme gears on middle.

One day, I hope to need the big ring. Although it's not so much power (ok, it's power a bit) as speed - going downhill I wimp out before I need to change up.

 

[Sittingduck]

Get it in the smallest chainring (front cogs) early and use say the 4th rear sprocket. Change down to lower rear sprockets as required. I think the problem maybe stems from you trying to change chainrings under heavy load.

Of course getting an LBS to adjust and service your drivechain can't hurt either

Good Luck
SD

 

[PrettyboyTim]

I reckon the really simple advice gearswise is to just stay on the middle ring at the front and just make use of the 7 gears at the back (controlled by your right hand). The gear range will probably go down low enough to get you up most hills and up high enough to get you up to about 20mph.

Yes, yes, I'm sure some people will be shocked at you using gears 1 and 7 on the middle ring, but big deal! It'll wear out a little bit quicker but better that than being put off cycling because the gears a faff to deal with. Once the rear gears are second nature you can use the front gears to adjust the range that your other gears give you.

 

[killiekosmos]

Summerdays/Arch

I agree with your comments about NOT having 3 sets of 7 gears (I was just a little lax with terminology) although I do use all available cogs when on the middle ring, but not or biggest or smallest rings where I avoid extremes.

 

[summerdays]

That's OK, you come across people who do think they have 21 different gears on a bike... I did when I was buying my bike until the bike shop put me straight.

 

[demonboylard]

Thanks very much everyone. It went much better this weekend with all your advice. No problems with popping down to the granny ring and spent most of the rest of the time on the middle one, using 1-7 as required, but really just 3-6.
Thanks for clearing things up...