Beginners' Tips for Using Bicycle Gears

In my last post, I discussed the concept of how to change bike gears. This post is designed to take the info you learned in that post to the next level.

Only shift while pedaling: On most bikes, the gears will only change WHILE you are pedaling. You can't simply move the shifter. Not only will the gear not change, you can damage the gears.

When you ride, look ahead: This will allow you anticipate any upcoming hills that require shifting. The last thing you want to do is walk up the hill because you did notice it coming.

"Multi gear" shifting: While you will normally want to only shift one gear at a time, there is no rule that says you have to when you come to a large hill. Try jumping a couple gears by twisting/pushing the shifter farther than a single click. This will allow you to catch up on your shifting.

Keep riding: The more you ride, the more you will get the hang of using your gears. It will become second nature making your riding more consistent and fun. If you are having fun, you will be riding more, and that’s a great thing!

How to Change Gears on a Bike - The Secrets People Don't Tell You

Bicycles have been around for hundreds of years. Apart from refining of the design with high tech materials and state of the art manufacturing processes, bikes essentially have the same ingredients - two wheels, handlebars, a saddle and a drivetrain for forward propulsion.

Photo from an 1868 French bicycle magazine

My 2012 Kona Kahuna

In the 1960s gears became popular on mainstream bicycles making riding hilly areas (like ours) bearable. Today finding a bike with gears is not difficult. They are available on many inexpensive entry-level bikes found at all department stores. This means, if you buy a bicycle, there is a good chance you will need to learn how to change gears on your bike.

The “Secret” Concept of How to Change Gears on a Bike
After teaching both children and adults I have found that people have an "ah ha" moment when told the "secret"about gears. What's the elusive tip you need to know? Simply, gears change the speed of your FEET not your bike. Yes, that's it. When you ride you will want to keep your feet turning at a constant speed… whether you are going up hills or down, riding fast or slow.

But you are probably thinking "Ok, but what speed should they turn?" To learn what rate is right for you, head over to a large flat area, like in a parking lot, and ride at varying speeds until you find a comfortable pace that your feet's rotation feel “right”... not too fast, not too slow. This “right” cadence (to use a cycling term) is the one you will be using your gears to try to match… no matter how fast your are going.

Back to this in a minute…

Your Equipment 
Many bikes come with two gear sets – one at the rear wheel and another at the pedals. For this article we will be dealing only with the rear set.

Your bike will more than likely have one of two kinds of shifters – grip shifters or thumb shifters. The grip shifter will make your feet turn faster by pulling the top back and slower by rotated the top toward the front.

grip shifter 

indexed thumb shifter

"trigger" thumb shifter

Thumb operated shifters usually make your feet turn faster by pushing your thumb forward. Because there are a couple kinds of thumb shifters, slowing your feet will either require you to pull the lever backward or push a different button.

Oh, and in case you have never been told… you do need to be pedaling when you shift.

Using the Gears 
Back to the parking lot. So, you are riding around with your feet turning at a comfortable pace. But the world is not always flat. When you come to a hill and head up it of course it gets “hard.” The reason for this is your feet are not turning fast enough. Switch your gears to speed your feet up to your “right” pace and it will become easy (well, easier).

Eventually you get to the top and head down the other side. The same concept applies going down as up… you will need to change gears in order to keep your feet at the same pace, in this case, keeping them from turning too fast.

With some practice, you will get the hang of it. You will be changing gears without thinking about it, keeping your feet at that optimal pedaling rate.

Now that you understand gearing, check out the post with tips for gearing easier.

Originally published March 2014, updated 6/26/2017

Budget Bike Mod with Spotty Results

Craigslist bike: $10
Hole punch: $10
Scrap sign vinyl: free
The fun of a father/daughter project: PRICELESS!

We lucked out finding this Craigslist bike: it was my daughter's favorite color, like most used girls' bikes, it was cheap and in great shape. For this project, we were also lucky because all the bike's logos and art were simply decals. Pealing them off was easy. We did however leave a few decals (the fork, head tube, and under seat) to help it look a little intentional and less home-made.

Next we used the hole punch on the scrap vinyl to create the "dots"... another fun father/daughter project-within-the-project.

After a thorough wipe-down with alcohol to remove oil and leftover decal glue, we stuck the dots on every paint chip or scratch. Then we filled in the open areas with more dots.

The final result is cute and made riding required… how else can she show off our handiwork?

Chain "Stretch" - Part 3 (diagrams)

After talking to a few friends trying to explain "chain stretch" I have decided a picture is worth a thousand words... so I built a few illustrations showing chain wear.

The pin, showing in black, wears away by rubbing the (orange) housing. This creates a looseness that increases its length.

When the chain is longer it rides up on the teeth of the gear reducing the contact, allowing it to "skip" under hard pedaling.  It will also wear the tooth away when it rides the incorrect location of the tooth, effectively eating it away.

So keep your chain clean and lubricated. And replace it when it gets "stretched."

Part 1: Measuring Chain Stretch
Part 2: Free Wheel Removal
Part 3 (this post): Chain Stretch Diagrams

Chain "Stretch" - Part 2 (freewheel removal)

I recently did a post about measuring chain "stretch" and found my son's drivetrain was indeed worn. This Saturday I was finally was near a local bike shop during open hours to pick up the needed tools.

Because the part needing replacement is the freewheel I needed to get a special tool. When choosing the tool you will need to know the brand freewheel and the number of splines inside (grab a flashlight, look down into the slot, and count). In our case, the freewheel was made by Shimano and has 12 splines. So we picked up a FR-1 from Park Tools. If you are not sure which tool you need, go to this page on Sheldon's site or take your wheel to the bike shop and they will tell which you need.

The FR-1 fits into the freewheel and using a big 1" wrench turn it counterclockwise. In theory. Because it is self tightening, it is very difficult to turn. The longer the wrench, the better the chances of getting it loose. Ours was not budging.

Just I was headed out to the garage to look for a "cheater bar" (another tool added to the end of the original wrench to lengthen it), I remembered another trick I had recently heard. If you mount the FR-1 into a vise, you can use the wheel itself to loosen it.

First step is drop in the tool. Then put the nut or quick-release back on the wheel. This holds the tool on for you (a good idea when using a wrench also).

 Next mount the tool in the vise TIGHTLY. Grab the wheel and twist counterclockwise. With enough struggle, it will come loose.

Once it was loosened, it easily came off with a lot of turning.

The install of the new freewheel is much easier. Simply spin it on finger tight. The pedaling motion will tighten it to the "correct" torque.

The old freewheel is clearly worn. Most areas between the teeth are no longer perfect half circles as a new one would. This is great time to replace the chain and front chainring also as they will also be worn too.

We will be paying more attention to keeping it lubricated and checking the chain in the future.

How to Measure a Bike Chain for "Stretch"

I always go over my son's bike after a long offroad rides, cleaning, looking for anything broken, etc. This time I realized I had never checked his chain for wear. So, out came my trusty ruler. I know the bike was not well taken care of before we purchased it so I was not too surprised with what we found: it was clearly "stretched." It is time for a new chain and more than likely a freewheel.

How did I know it was no longer good? Let's measure the "stretch." Using an inch ruler, put the "0" in the center of one of the chain pins and go down to the 12" mark. When the chain was new, the 12" would be exactly in the center of a chain pin.

In our case the chain pin center was more than 1/16" past the 12" line.

Stretched chain? Well, not really. What is happening is the tolerances between the parts are getting looser. More space, the longer or "stretched" the chain becomes.  With any wear item determining how much wear is too much is the difficult part. According to every biker's favorite info website (Sheldon Brown's Bicycle Tech Information Site):

• Less than 1/16" past the mark, all is well.
• If the rivet is 1/16" past the mark, replace the chain, but the freewheel/cassette sprockets are probably undamaged.
• If the rivet is 1/8" past the mark, you have left it too long, and the sprockets (at least the favorite ones) will be too badly worn. If you replace a chain at the 1/8" point, without replacing the sprockets, it may run OK and not skip, but the worn sprockets will cause the new chain to wear much faster than it should, until it catches up with the wear state of the sprockets.

Clearly we have waited too long. We plan to get a new chain. And though we might get away without changing anything else, we plan to use a "parts bin" freewheel I have.

Watch for an update soon, after I gather parts and tools, showing how to change the chain and freewheel.

Tech Tip: Self-Cleaning Hub

Recently I learned about "hub shiners" while dreaming about the awesome vintage machinery on The Cabe. It seemed like an intriguing idea, especially on my son's constantly-getting-dusty mountain bike. Not having any leather handy, I had a brainstorm: A Zip-tie.

Having self cleaning hubs and two zip-ties for fixing stuff on the trail appeals to me (I just love multipurpose tools). 

The trick is to not push the end into its case too far. You don't want it to start ratcheting and be come un-removable. Also, if you put it on so that the tail points toward the rear of the bike it tends to bump the spokes less when turning and therefore runs quieter.

After a few attempts I was able to get one on and removable. It actually works! It cleans the dust of the hubs and gives me a few more options for fixes out on the trails.

Tech Tip: Hand Grip Removal

Every now and them I find out that something little I am doing that can save someone a lot of time and even better, frustration. I think this is one of those tricks: using alcohol to remove and replace bike handgrips.

I have heard others use hair dryers, heat guns, hairspray, liquid glue, and other concoctions when dealing with grips but they all have their tradeoffs. Alcohol does not seem to have a negative. It makes getting grips off easy, it makes putting grips on easy. So here is the way it works:

You will need rubbing alcohol of course and a screwdriver or thin stick such as a chopstick or bamboo shish kabob skewer. First insert the stick deep in between the grip and handlebar. Then pour a little into the gap. Now grab the grip and start twisting (with the stick still in). It will be a little difficult at first but will quickly become easy as the alcohol works its way around.

Insert a stick/screwdriver and pour in some alcohol

Now start twisting.

Installation: a little alcohol on the handlebar and inside grip will allow it to go on easily. If you don't get enough on then the grip will only go on half way. Don't worry, just use the removal method above (a screwdriver and more liquid) and it will slip right on.

Another good thing about this stuff, is it does a great job of cleaning oil off the handlebars. This means the grips will not slip around... once everything dries. But it will take a little while for the alcohol to evaporate. So if the grip is loose, give it an hour or two.

Happy wrenching!

Good Brakes - Not Just for Adults

Ever since my children showed an interest in biking, I have been learning all I could about transitioning them to my favorite form of wheeled travel.

One aspect that have been discussed online and in books is the kind of brakes on kids bikes. The overwhelming consensus is that coaster brakes are NOT a good choice for children... at least when learning to ride. The thinking is that when a child wants to stop, especially when panicked, coaster brakes are a slow and un-natural process. The time required to stop forward pedaling, then pedal backward is much slower and confusing than squeezing one's fist. They say to either choose bikes that have hand brakes, or install them yourself.

But as I looked at bikes with this better braking option, I have noticed many are not properly setup for young hands. Many bike assemblers never take in account that kids' reach is much shorter than adults'. It seem obvious when you think about it but I believe we forget about this when adjusting their brakes because hey, they feel natural to us.

So here is a quick how-to for making their brakes more comfortable and functional for your new riders.

Many brakes have either this big screw sticking out...

... or a tiny "grub" screw in the handle.

Before starting you will more than likely need to loosen the brake cable.

Now tighten the screw clockwise. The screw will push the lever toward the grip.

The before.

The after.

The "after" shows the brake lever much closer to the grip. It is now easily reachable by smaller hands, and reachable means your little rider will be just a little more comfortable and confident.

Poor Plastic Pedals

One of my main loves of biking is the simplicity. Two wheels, some rubber, a couple "simple machines" and you have a device that is fun, healthy, can actually take you places.  So when one of these machines has a problem, the fix is usually an easy one. At least most of the time.

One of these times was a simple pedal replacement. Plastic pedals don't last long with abuse. The bike I was working on had a pair that looks as if they had been run over by a truck! How long could it take to change them? 10? 15 minutes? Yea, right!

With my Park Tools 15mm pedal tool in hand, I went to work. It wasn't turning. Was I going the wrong direction? Nope. Light taps with a hammer? Wasn't budging. Big hits with a big hammer. Still nothing.

Apparently over time there is a reaction that can happen between dissimilar metals. The steel (pedal shaft) and aluminum (crank arm) clearly had Galvanic corrosion. Searches on the Mountain Bike Forums suggested heat could crack the "welding" loose. So I took the pedal apart, removed the crank arm from the bike, and fired up the grill (I have been married long enough to know not to do this inside). Thirty seconds later I grabbed the arm with a pot holder and tried it. Crud! Back onto the grill. Two minutes and again no luck. Time for some thinking. Back onto the grill. This time pull it off the grill and dip the petal shaft into ice water. Surely the shock of heat-cycling would break the bonds.

Well, as I put the pieces of the old broken pedal back together, I sure hope the next owner of the bike has better luck than I getting it off.

Penny-pincher Pedal Upgrade

On a recent ride I noticed my son's feet slipping off his pedals. The plastic "spikes" were worn down from years of hand-me-down use. I suppose it is time to get new pedals.

But we really like the fact that his old pedals fold up. I makes garage storage and transport much easier. So before buying new ones I thought I would try to add new "spikes". Here is my tightwad-dad fix.

tools/parts needed:
drill
aluminum rivets
rivet installation tool
pliers/Vice Grips
a cutting devise (snips, dremel or file)
metal file

Before:

After:

How it was done...
First drill a hole in the corner of the petal roughly the same diameter as the rivet body:

Then insert the rivet. I found it easiest putting it into the gun first because the holes were sorta tight:

Here is the tricky part. When you squeeze the rivet, do not pull it enough to break it off or so it pulls through the hole, just enough to deform the rivet body. Now use a pliers to push the rivet shaft out of the rivet body and back down in to the pedal (the reason for this later). I used Vise Grips with a twisting motion.

Clip or file/break off the shaft about 1/8" from the pedal surface:

Now you can file the shaft making it shorter and less jaggy. Here is how it will look before filing:

Done!

Tips:
Don't clip off the rivet shaft before pushing it down into the pedal. My first try I clipped it off and when I put my foot on it, it popped down into the pedal leaving it flush. So the next attempt I pushed it in, before clipping it off:

Also, be sure not to drill holes in the center of the pedal or you might drill into the bearings.

We have not made time to try them but I am sure they will work, at least for a while. Will post back if more "spikes" are needed.

Being somewhat new to MTB I am sure someone has done this before so sorry if I accidentally stole your idea.