Hi,

i just picked up a second hand bike the other day after not riding one for years. My last bike was a real basic halfords 3 gear (it was my dads). Anyway my bike that i got has shimano gears with a front derailleur, but cos i've never used this kind of setup before i'm kind of unsure how to change gears. I got the basics of the fact that your supposed to shift the derailleur from low to hi in relation to which gear your in, but i still have probs as often it doesn't sound like the chains shifting cleanly (and twice its come off).

So am i supposed to shift the derailleur before changing the gear or should it be done at the same time? Also do i have to be pedalling when i change? Any other info anyone has would be great. Sorry, its prob very simple.

thanks alot