How To Change Gear On Your Bike | Road Bike Shifting Made Easy

How To Change Gear On Your Bike | Road Bike Shifting Made Easy

Having up to 33 gears on your bike can be a complicated affair. Luckily Simon Richardson is here to let you know what to do with them.

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Let us know your tips for making gear changing easy in the comment below 👇

Ex-Professional Cyclist Simon Richardson is here to explain the range of gears you have and some basic rules around using them.

The left hand brake/gear lever unit controls the front derailleur and choice of chainring at the front. The front derailleur pushes/pulls the chain from one chainring to another depending on the riders action from the gear lever.

The right hand controls the rear derailleur and essentially fine tunes your cadence.

A key tip is change gear before it’s to late, e.g if you have to change from the big chainring to the small chainring when grinding to a halt on a climb, it can go horribly wrong and is to late.

Two gear ratios to avoid are the big chainring and the largest sprocket at the rear, and the opposite, the smallest chainring and the smallest sprocket. The reason being these extreme gear selections put extra strain on the chain and can cause premature failure.

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Watch more on GCN…
How To Change Gear Like A Pro 📹 http://gcn.eu/2i05lFO
How To Index Your Gears – Adjusting Your Rear Derailleur 📹 http://gcn.eu/1BQNQiZ

Music:
J. Solar – Motivation

Photos: © Bettiniphoto / http://www.bettiniphoto.net/ & ©Tim De Waele / http://www.tdwsport.com

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50 Comments

  1. Srinivas Ramamurthi on June 25, 2019 at 6:55 pm

    Gcn is very good at explaining the gear techniques thanks a million 😀



  2. FAautobahn A on June 25, 2019 at 6:56 pm

    Thanks. Wanted to know the correct manner for some time!



  3. Delson Chong on June 25, 2019 at 6:59 pm

    Can I just set my front chain ring to the middle and only focus my attention on changing the rear gear? Since I don’t have a gear indicator, I can’t tell if I am cross chaining.



  4. Jonathan on June 25, 2019 at 6:59 pm

    I only need 3 gears.



  5. Marjus Pelivani on June 25, 2019 at 7:03 pm

    I just change the front chainring and leave the back one on the smallest ring



  6. Shahab Samimi on June 25, 2019 at 7:04 pm

    Best explanation I’ve seen. Looked at a lot of videos before landing on this, very simple and clear and concise



  7. jay Chhabra on June 25, 2019 at 7:05 pm

    I want tip for using gear



  8. OSRS Fiend on June 25, 2019 at 7:06 pm

    I’ve always just fiddled with them until it felt right. Kinda weird when you start pedaling fast but the wheels barely move.



  9. Emmanuel Korli on June 25, 2019 at 7:09 pm

    About ‘cross chaining’ what if you want more speed?



  10. peggy schrabeck on June 25, 2019 at 7:10 pm

    my husband just bought me a bike that has no gear gage or  no way no way to visually see what number I am in, just like riding a bike in braille.  I was I was shocked to find out that all high-end bikes are made for you to ride blindly like that what in the world are bike makers thinking? I would never drive a car without seeing what gear I’m in why would I ride a bike without any way of seeing what your I’m in there. I mean if you think about it feeling your way through the gears really?



  11. Lucas Argandoña on June 25, 2019 at 7:12 pm

    Can you change gears while standing still or does that ruin the bike?



  12. ScalierSpider73 on June 25, 2019 at 7:15 pm

    Si do you mind if I borrow that madone for like forever 🙂 ?



  13. Gcdbnfs Fghbh on June 25, 2019 at 7:16 pm

    To k



  14. RzVids on June 25, 2019 at 7:16 pm

    You’ll never see a big bike without this setup



  15. Ronald Thomas on June 25, 2019 at 7:16 pm

    Great tips Simon. Question. Why are you wearing a hat under your helmet? Fashionable or cold?



  16. Muhammad Abu Rayan on June 25, 2019 at 7:18 pm

    Title should be: when to change/shift your gear.



  17. MrMoxycotton on June 25, 2019 at 7:18 pm

    Kinda dumb question but I can shift whilst I’m still pedaling I don’t have to stop or anything



  18. Paul on June 25, 2019 at 7:20 pm

    I’m new and this helped a lot cause I wasn’t sure if was doing it right thanks videos have helped a lot on 3 week cycling everyone has to learn



  19. Black Wolves on June 25, 2019 at 7:20 pm

    From how much kph should you use the bigger wheel?



  20. ByteCrescent on June 25, 2019 at 7:22 pm

    Talking while riding an mtb!
    Respect



  21. The Real Hal Jordan on June 25, 2019 at 7:23 pm

    100% wrong. Terrible advice. I could’ve done a much better video, I am the smartest man in the world. But instead I’ll just leave am asinine comment. Gday



  22. Trixie Loise Icaza on June 25, 2019 at 7:23 pm

    i have a question. I am newbie in cycling. I still dont know how to change gears so i use it by using the same gear and theres something that flicks on my chains. is it bad for my bike?



  23. MrC2See on June 25, 2019 at 7:25 pm

    if you’re riding on the big chainring in the front, at what point on the casette does it constitute crosschaining? same question for the small chainring in regards to the cogs. ive got a 50/34 compact, and a 11-32 ten speed cassette



  24. Global Cycling Network on June 25, 2019 at 7:25 pm

    We want to know your tips and bits of advice for gear shifting.



  25. Clingan1234 on June 25, 2019 at 7:25 pm

    He looks like an absolute nonce



  26. Willard Dean on June 25, 2019 at 7:25 pm

    A.L.Y.



  27. Rejick Mukherjee on June 25, 2019 at 7:25 pm

    Do people ever use the hardest ones in road bikes? Like 52/11?



  28. Jaytex 47 on June 25, 2019 at 7:30 pm

    U fucken nob head roadi



  29. David the gamer on June 25, 2019 at 7:30 pm

    Your right hand will be much busier 😏



  30. kiyonexus on June 25, 2019 at 7:31 pm

    This video is lazy and horrible explanation to a total beginner… This is a typical "elitist" cyclist just shortcutitng the topic



  31. Binod Basmutary on June 25, 2019 at 7:32 pm

    U son of a bitch stop making videos u can’t make fuck🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕



  32. Alana Weaver on June 25, 2019 at 7:33 pm

    So when should you use the cogs in the back verses the largest gear on the chain wheel or ring in the front? If I’m mostly riding on flat city streets what should the front chain wheel be set on if I have three ring chain wheel in the front verses the 7 cogs in the back? If I’m going up a wheel that more than 15 degrees what should my gears be set on before I go up the wheel so that I’m not on the doing as many pedal revolutions?



  33. Fawn on June 25, 2019 at 7:33 pm

    I actually needed this because I’m completely new to it so thank you!



  34. Jose Smenroza on June 25, 2019 at 7:34 pm

    Cog these nuts.



  35. Worldwide Ghosts on June 25, 2019 at 7:34 pm

    I like a simple 1×9 set.



  36. Katherine Langford on June 25, 2019 at 7:35 pm

    Thank you. You explained that super easy to just get out and go. I’ve watched a few vids of yours and you’ve officially got a new subscriber.



  37. Karina on June 25, 2019 at 7:35 pm

    Nice accent 😉



  38. BIG CHUNGUS on June 25, 2019 at 7:36 pm

    I’ve 10, that’s all you need.



  39. Lea Anacion on June 25, 2019 at 7:36 pm

    Can I shift gears while rocking my bike?



  40. Emmanuel Korli on June 25, 2019 at 7:37 pm

    About ‘cross chaining’ what if you want more speed?



  41. Calin on June 25, 2019 at 7:37 pm

    I wanna know… Should I accelerate when changing gears? In a car u dont accelerate when changing gears.



  42. Dalmain J on June 25, 2019 at 7:39 pm

    Last time I changed gears my chain came off. And it kept slipping off until I found the right combination of gears. Never again.



  43. myshots101 on June 25, 2019 at 7:45 pm

    I couldn’t go up small inclines without dying until I learned to use the gears. Specially if you’re out of shape, it makes a world of difference.



  44. us gearbest on June 25, 2019 at 7:47 pm


  45. saquib ahmed on June 25, 2019 at 7:47 pm

    *switch from normal paddling to a geared one…I meant



  46. Debajyoto i like it Debajyoto on June 25, 2019 at 7:47 pm

    i like it yeah



  47. George Forsythe on June 25, 2019 at 7:47 pm

    Is it best just to use the small cog on flats, and forget about the large cog.



  48. Cool Picks on June 25, 2019 at 7:48 pm

    The simple rule which Im usually doing for most of roads and rides is to put the gear shift in the middle, usually 3, with 5 shifts



  49. frank000333 on June 25, 2019 at 7:50 pm

    Thanks for the info, just ordered a bike and needed info on shifting. Doctor said I need to lose weight and lower my cholesterol and bike riding seemed like a fun way to stay fit. Will subscribe since i’m sure i’ll have more questions.



  50. Bow Hunter on June 25, 2019 at 7:52 pm

    you people suck ,i had sex with all of your mothers