Beginners! You are in too high a gear! (Likely this applies to a fair number of intermediate, and some advanced riders too!)
Before we begin: Some terminology is important here. There is always some confusion about what is meant by the terms “high gear,” and “low gear,” and “up shift,” and “down shift.”
A high gear is one that requires more pedal effort. It allows you to go faster, but it is harder to turn.
A low gear is on that requires less pedal effort. It isn’t as fast, but you can turn the pedals easier.
An up shift is moving from a lower gear to a higher gear. (Easy to Hard.)
A down shift is moving from a higher gear to a lower gear. (Hard to Easy.)
The confusion usually starts when folks look at the size of the gears on the bike. Please ignore the physical size of the gears, and get the feel for what your shifters do. Learn which way makes it harder, and which way makes it easier. Do this before you get into the woods!
You have two shifters on a mountain bike. The one on the left is for the front or the chain rings. Most mountain bikes have three chainrings. Some have only two. You will not shift the left hand (or front) as often as the right hand. The shifter on the right side of the bar is for the rear or the cassette. You will shift this one a lot.
Before you go near the woods, ride your bike! Ride it a good bit, and practice with your shifters. Work until your hand knows which way to go to make it easier or harder. Get so you can shift either shifter smoothly and quickly.
A note on shifting technique: The chain will not move from gear to gear unless you are pedaling the bike. More importantly, the chain does not move easily if you are making a lot of power. If you are putting a lot of force on the pedals, your shift will not be smooth, and it may damage your bike. The ideal is to be pedaling smoothly, but lightly as you shift.
It’s best to practice shifting, and practice it a lot. But start off doing it on pavement. Get your learning and technique sorted out before you go into the woods.
This brings us to an important piece of advice. SHIFT BEFORE YOU NEED TO!!
Got all that? Good!
Now, as we were saying at the beginning, you are in too high a gear. Before you go into the trail, shift the front and the back into the lowest gear on the bike. You can always shift UP to make it harder, but it is often very difficult to shift DOWN to make it easier.
Most obstacles are more readily handled in a lower gear. But if you wait, you may find it too difficult to make the shift. So start off low, and stay in relatively lower gears. As you progress in the sport, you will learn to read the trail, and gain the experience to know when to select tougher gears.
NOTE: Most beginner stalls occur going uphill in too hard a gear. Be kind to yourself and your bike. Go low and stay low.
Today’s Term(s):
Clean or Cleaning ~ To “clean” an obstacle or trail challenge is to ride smoothly (and successfully!) through it. A clean rider is one who seems to float through the landscape, rhythmically negotiating each obstacle with grace and a certain style.
The Zone ~ a state of mind experienced while riding. You don't think, you just do. A truly mystical experience that can't be fully explained, but when you get there you'll know it and strive to reach it again.
This series, running every Tuesday, is intended to help those who are new to mountain bike riding. By no means is it an exhaustive treatment, but it is our fond hope that it will help you, the beginner, to begin to enjoy riding your bike off road.
Future Topics:
Preparations
Dressing for it
Standing and staying loose
Trail Care & Maintenance
Hydration
Track Stand
Bunny Hop
Wheelie
“Cleaning” the mud
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