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

You do need to be pedaling to shift.
You might want to make a little excel spreadsheet to look at the gear ratios of each gear combo.
Theres always overlap in possible gear ratios when shifting on the front gear. I have a MTB that
Ill sometimes shift up (bigger gear) on the front, then immediately down (smaller gear) on the back
to acheive the smoothest increase in gearing.

Also-
You may want to take it in to a shop for a tuneup to make sure everything is adjusted properly

Shifting the derailleur does change the gear; it's not a multi-step process from the riders point of view. There is a slight delay while the derailleur mechanism moves the chain from one gear to the next, but if everything is adjusted properly, then the delay is fractions of a second.

You do need to be pedalling for the gear to change; the derailleurs rely on the movement of the chain to actually work. If you try to shift while coasting or stopped, then the derailleur will move, but the chain won't; therefore, you don't change gears. When you get going again, you'll hear some pretty awful noises being made, and the chain might fall off.

That said though, try not to shift while pedalling hard. i.e., if you're really pushing the pedals and you try to shift, then you'll hear some awful noises and the chain might pop off. Try to "let up" a bit on the pedalling pressure while still pedalling, and it should shift quickly, quitely and smoothly.

If you continue to experience chain-falling-off problems, then take your bike to your local shop. They can easily adjust the derailleurs; the chain shouldn't ever fall off, but somehow they always find a way to come off occassionally anyway.