Originally Posted by GrandaddyBiker

Dang, all those gears make my brain hurt just thinking about them. Ok, if your are at 2 in the front that is probably where you will do most of your riding depending on how flat or hilly the country is. If you are at 5 in the back and you move to 4, 3, 2 or 1 then you are moving to a larger rear cog (more teeth) as the number on your shifter gets smaller. Your pedaling will be getting easier. If this was a manual gear shift in a pickup truck the numbers would be reversed you would be going to 1, 2, 3 and then 4. The engine would be working less (pedaling easier) with each shift as the number increased. In you truck/car you would say you were shifting to a higher gear but on your bike you would say you were going to a lower gear. You are the engine when you are on your bike. So as the shifter number gets smaller the pedaling gets easier and you would say you were going to a lower gear ratio, because you (the engine) would be working less. In you truck/car you would say you were going to a higher gear (but a lower gear ratio - normal 1:1 for 4th gear).

God, now I am confused.

So I think the answer to your question, “Is this normal?” the answer would be yes.