Why is it bad to change gears while the big isn't moving? When I carried my bike to my apartment, before the elevator got fixed, I had to carry it several flights of stairs. At times, I would accidentally bump into something and when I rode it, the bike gears were messed up leading me to have to take it to the shop to be repaired. If only there was some way to lock the gears while you were carrying it so you wouldn't have to take it to the shop again. But yeah, why is it bad to change the gears without having the bike in motion? Could that cause permanent damage when done frequently?