Jul
16
What is the proper way to shift gears on a mountain bike?
I have a 21 speed Giant brand mountain bike, 3 high gears and 7 low. I only switch the low gear when I’m in first gear and trying to climb a hill. I only switch the high gear when the low gear is at its highest (otherwise the chain is guaranteed to fall off due to the angle). I have tried shifting while pedaling, while not pedaling, while not moving, while pedaling backwards, every way I can imagine, but for some reason the chain seems to fall off an awful lot. It’s a real time consuming pain to get it back on, and I end up with a lot of grease stains on my clothing and hands.
Should I be pedaling when I shift? Is it okay to shift down after stopping (to make it easier to start pedaling again)? What is it that is causing the chain to fall off while I’m riding?
Thanks a lot to anyone who can help me!
Yes, you should be pedaling when you shift.
Things I learned from the Sheldon Brown site below: I used to ride a higher gear (pushing) while climbing ala Jan Ullrich. I now spin ala Lance Armstrong 
I also didn’t know about “criss-cross” gears. Check out the site, it’s explained in simple terms.
Good luck!
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Tags: affmage source=, ala jan ullrich, ala lance armstrong, bike shift, lance armstrong, mountain bike, road bike, road bike video, sheldon brown site, speed giant brand
