My Crosscheck has bar-end shifters, and I am trying to familiarize myself with the front and rear derailleurs.

On the left (front) derailleur I have 2 gears. And on the right shifter (back) I have 9 gears.

The upshift/downshift verbiage is confusing me.

When the manual reads, "The combination of largest rear, smallest front gears is for the steepest hills" is it referring to the physical size of the gears?

What would be the best combination for speed then?

Thanks

Push the left shifter down to go to the easier chainring, pull it up to go to the faster chainring. The right is the opposite- up is easier, down is faster. I find myself in the big chainring and the middle of the cassette most of the time, and only drop to the small chainring for long hills.