Road Cycling for Beginners: Explaining Gear Shifting

Bike gears are designed to add more or less resistance when pedalling, making cycling more efficient on all varieties of terrain and incline. Single speed bikes are more popular for cycling in flat areas or where racers want a simplified process and less weight to carry. However, learning to shift gears can ensure that the cycling experience provides a much broader scope of options for the types of landscape that can be navigated with the minimum expenditure of energy from the cyclist.

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Acceleration and High-Speed Cycling

Just as when driving a car, bike riders benefit from being able to access a low gear with stronger resistance when climbing a steep incline or when accelerating from a standstill. Similarly, a higher gear with less resistance can be used to build up more speed on the flat or when pedalling downhill without using extra fuel. In the case of cyclists, this fuel is the amount of energy it takes to traverse a distance. The more gear options there are, the more chance there is that the cyclist will be able to find the optimum level of resistance for the particular terrain they are traversing.

There are many different types of gears that can be fitted – you can learn more about some of the most common set-ups in the PDF attachment to this post.

A Beginner's Guideto Common Bicycle Gear Options

Pedalling Speed

One of the main advantages to shifting through bike gears is the ability to maintain a comfortable pedalling speed on any terrain or gradient. When in the highest gear, ideal for picking up speed or descending an incline, the largest size of front chainring is combined with the smallest rear sprocket. The lowest gear reverses this, combining the smallest size of front chainring with the largest rear sprocket. Having lots of gears does not mean that a bike will move faster, but it does mean that the cyclist is able to pedal more efficiently and save themselves from over-exertion.

The infographic attachment explains some of the most common terms you will hear when discussing the mechanics of bike gears.

Bike Gears: CommonTerms Glossary