So... I bought a new Specialized Secteur on Friday. I'm a beginner, and I took the bike around the quiet residential block just now. I realised I have no clue how the gears work. The guy at the store tried to explain it to me, but none of it made any sense.

There are two gear levers... the one on the right taps towards the centre, and the one on the left kinda moves toward me, but doesn't appear to move in like the other...

When I played with the gears, they seem to have no effect. Peddling feels the same. I remember that when I was a kid too. Can someone point me to a good article on how to use gears? - Doug.