
One, Two, Three-by: The amount of chain rings (front gears) on your bike determines if your drivetrain (the system of gears) is referred to as a “one-by” “two-by” or “three-by”. However, higher-end adult bikes are rarely referred to in this way in the modern bicycle industry because, basically, more doesn’t always mean better. For example, if your bike has two chain rings and 11 cogs in the cassette, then you have a 21-speed bike. You could determine this number by multiplying the number of cogs in your cassette (rear gears) by the number of chain rings (front gears) your bike has. Whether it was 7, 18, 21-speed, etc., what you were referring to is the number of gears you had on your bike. _-Speed Bike: When you were a kid, you probably bragged about the number of “speeds” your bike had to your friends. To get to this position, it is called “upshifting”. In this position, the pedaling will be the hardest and you’ll be able to accelerate while traveling downhill. High Gear = Hard = Good for Descending: The “highest” gear on your bike is the largest chain ring in the front and the smallest cog on your cassette (rear gears). To get into this position, it is called “downshifting”. In this position, the pedaling will be the easiest and you’ll be able to pedal uphill with the smallest amount of resistance. Low Gear = Easy = Good for Climbing: The “low” gear on your bike is the smallest chain ring in the front and the largest cog on your cassette (rear gears).

Low/High, Big/Small, Easy/Hard, Fast/Slow, Front/Rear, One-by, Two-by, Three-by… if your head is spinning already, you may want to brush up on the following vocab words: One of the most difficult things about learning how to shift is the terminology. Proper gearing will not only improve your speed, it will also make the ride more comfortable and increase your endurance on longer rides. Learning how to shift may seem basic, but gearing practice and shifting efficiently is something that even veteran riders can work on. How to Shift Gears on a Bike Shifting 101: How and When to Use Your GearsĪlong with your brakes, shifting your gears is one of the fundamental mechanical functions of your bike.
