Operation Manual

p. 20
D. shiFting geArs
Your multi-speed bicycle will have a derailleur drivetrain (see 1. below), an internal gear hub drivetrain (see 2. below)
or, in some special cases, a combination of the two.
1. How a derailleur drivetrain works
If your bicycle has a derailleur drivetrain, the gear-changing mechanism will have:
   • arearcassetteorfreewheelsprocketcluster
   • arearderailleur
   • usuallyafrontderailleur
   • oneortwoshifters
   • one,twoorthreefrontsprocketscalledchainrings
   • adrivechain
a. Shifting Gears
There are several different types and styles of shifting controls: levers, twist grips, triggers, combination
shift/brake controls and push-buttons. Ask your dealer to explain the type of shifting controls that are on
your bike, and to show you how they work.
The vocabulary of shifting can be pretty confusing. A downshift is a shift to a “lower” or “slower” gear,
one which is easier to pedal. An upshift is a shift to a “higher” or “faster”, harder to pedal gear. What’s
confusing is that what’s happening at the front derailleur is the opposite of what’s happening at the rear
derailleur (for details, read the instructions on Shifting the Rear Derailleur and Shifting the Front Derailleur
below).
CAUTION: Never move the shifter while pedaling backward, nor pedal backwards immediately
after having moved the shifter. This could jam the chain and cause serious damage to the bicycle.
b. Shifting the Rear Derailleur
The rear derailleur is controlled by the right shifter.
The function of the rear derailleur is to move the drive chain from one gear sprocket to another. The
smaller sprockets on the gear cluster produce higher gear ratios. Pedaling in the higher gears requires
greater pedaling effort, but takes you a greater distance with each revolution of the pedal cranks. The
larger sprockets produce lower gear ratios.
c. Shifting the Front Derailleur:
The front derailleur, which is controlled by the left shifter, shifts the chain between the larger and smaller
chainrings. Shifting the chain onto a smaller chainring makes pedaling easier (a downshift). Shifting to a
larger chainring makes pedaling harder (an upshift).