Mountain Biking - Quick, dumb question.

I think my LBS set up my shifters backwards. I have XT shifters and on my right hand, when I push with my thumb, to shift, my chain shifts up to the larger cog. Should it not drop down a cog and make it harder to pedal? My left shifter when pushed with thumb, goes to bigger chain ring to make pedalling harder.
I know what some of you are thinking, yes it is a very newbie question, but it just doesn't feel right to me. OK so it wasn't a quick question.

Originally posted by BikeTyke
My left shifter when pushed with thumb, goes to bigger chain ring to make pedalling harder.



Thats how most are, but some are the other way around. Actually i'm not sure you can have it the other way around on the front shifter.

i think what you have now is normal. the front shifter is in normal position at the smallest inside ring. pusing the shifter means shifting the chain outwards.

in the rear, the derailleur is in normal position at the outermost smallest cog. pushing the shifter will cause the cable to pull the derailleur, shifting inwards to a larger cog.

As said above, your shifters are the standard setup. When pushing with your thumbs, both sides shift to a larger ring/cog. When you shift to a larger ring in front, pedaling is harder. When you shift larger in back, pedaling is easier. Shimano does make a rear derailleur called rapid rise in the XTR line which shifts smaller (harder pedaling) with the thumb push. It will set you back $75 to $80 minimum.

short dumb answer: Yes.