Originally Posted by Carbonfiberboy

In "bigger gears" you pedal more slowly at the same speed. In smaller gears, you pedal faster. The big sprockets up front are called "chainrings." The little sprockets in back are called "the cassette." As you know, we use combinations of these to pedal more slowly or faster at the same speed. When someone says "change to a bigger gear," they mean pedal more slowly at that speed and vice versa. Yes, you can go faster in a bigger gear, but the real point of changing gears is to change how hard you're pushing on the pedals when you're going at the speed you want to go at. So less force on the pedals is easier on your knees. How fast you turn the pedals is called "cadence" and is measured in rpm. Most cyclists pedal at about 90 rpm on the flat. That seems stupid fast for someone starting out and takes some practice and getting used to.