How often should you shift gears?
 

Hello,

I recently got my first bike, and need some riding advice. How often are you supposed to change gears, or is there such a thing as "shifting gears too often"? I've read some good articles online explaining how you're not supposed to use all the combinations of gears (such as this: http://www.intownbicycles.com/how-to...bicycles-gears), but is it normal to change your gears 7-8 times per mile on a semi-hilly terrain? Should I expect more maintenance/breakdowns that way?

I bought a Jamis Coda Sport that has Shimano Acera M360 SGS rear and M191 bottom pull front dereailleurs, if it tells you anything (http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/thebik...port_spec.html).

Thanks

Evan

I shift 'em whenever I NEED to shift 'em.

Don't read too much. Just get out there on the bike and figure it out for yourself. Soon it will all be impulsive and automatic.

Don't cross chain and you'll be fine. Shift as often as you need to to keep your cadence where you'd like it. Even if it wore something out (which I'm 90% sure it doesn't), my advice would be the same. Bikes are made to be used.

I shift gears when i want to, don't worry about how often you shift. shift cables can last thousands of miles of use.

Thanks everyone

>>>>>Don't cross chain and you'll be fine.<<<<

What he means by that is, don't click your rear derailleur to "1" and your front derailleur to its highest position (say "7") and vice versa. When the chain is on the large ring in front and the large ring (cog) in the back, you will notice that it is stretched pretty far and at a sharp diagonal. This can speed up chain wear and can also wear down your rings a little faster than they should. It's not that big a deal if you do this when you need to, but try not to make a habit of riding this way and you'll be fine.

Thanks Papa Tom

I shift gears all the time. I like this reference: http://sheldonbrown.com/gears.html (as a new cyclist, you should definitely bookmark the Sheldon Brown site)

Basically, it does come down to just being in whatever gear keeps me pedaling at the rate I like. Since I've got a lot of gears (3x10), I keep a fairly narrow definition of the right pedaling rate. The more you shift, the more efficient you'll be (assuming you're shifting into the right gear).

Since you're new, experiment with different cadences to figure out what you like. Most people seem to find that about 90-100 RPM is smooth and easy. A few people like to pedal slow in a high gear. At least give high cadence a try for a while.

Thanks, Andy very useful

a lot of times I'll shift, find out the gear is too high or too low and shift back. Some of that is experience, but if you don't try out other gears you will not know if they are more comfortable to spin or not

I live where it is pretty hilly, and I shift often. Getting good at timing when to shift to match the terrain is an important technique to master. Generally you should shift down before your cadence drops then let the higher cadence spin down, instead of letting the cadence drop, then down shifting and trying to spin back up. This involves watching the terrain and anticipating, rather than reacting to it.

Make Issac Newton your friend, not you enemy. I often ride riverside bike trails, which around here have an average grade of less than 1% (that means a rise/drop of less than 1 foot for every 100 ft ridden). An exception is where are dips where the trails pass under streets. These can be 10 to 25 feet deep. For a clyde, powering down the slope gives enough inertia that you can come out the other side still moving pretty well. I see a lot of young 25 BMI guys coasting down, then cruising up the back side. We clydes need to use the gravity to our advantage more than they do.

I shift a lot. At least once per day.

Use 'em if ya got 'em.

I like to keep a steady cadence. I'm working on increasing my cadence. Pedaling faster makes it easier if you encounter a hill. You have plenty of time to down shift before you are MASHING the pedals with all your strength. There's nothing that makes me sadder than seeing a person on the overpass on the path who hasn't downshifted but is pedaling really slow trying to make it up the hill. My knees have sympathy pains. Like driving a car, shifting a bike while riding becomes second nature with experience.

As many others said: it's about the ideal cadence, you shift to maintain that cadence to make your pedaling output optimal and comfortable. Under some conditions you may not need to shift for a long time, under other conditions you may find yourself shifting very frequently. The idea is to make it natural so you don't have to think about shifting. And you don't need to worry about how often you shift: you shift as often as you need to. If you think you need to shift gears then you need to shift gears. Having your drivetrain in good shape and adjusted properly helps a lot ;)

I don't shift much. Use 3-4 gears usually. It's good to pedal outside your cadence-comfort-zone. Sort of a cross-training effect. Still, better to spin than mash so I err on the side of geared too low and pedal faster to maintain speed than the other way around.

I change gear ratios to suit the terrain changes,
to keep the cadence/tempo/effort similar.

Avoid "big big" and little little" for the gears and shift to your hearts content. You'll understand why the Long Haul Trucker got it's name when you do.

Thank you everyone for the good advice. Shift away it is then...

Lots of rolling hills?

Depends on the terrain, the headwind and the motor (your legs). Just ride and learn what works for you. The only thing I would say is shift to a lower gear before coming to a full stop at intersections. And unless you're doing hill sprints, shift down and spin through hills while seated.