OK. Practice makes perfect with gearing on bikes, but I put this together hoping it will help.
Shifting Gears for DummiesTMThe gears are numbered like this (I also attached it in case it would be helpful to download):
You just simply multiply the front number by the back and that is what gear you are in. 1 in front and 1 in back? That's 1, the easiest gear. 2 in front and 3 in back (or 2-3)? That 6, a nice cruising gear. 3-7? That's 21, the hardest gear, good for nothing but trying to reach warp speed.
Lower gear = easier gears = slow speed, lots of strength. Great for hills.
Higher gears = harder gears = high speed, less strength. Better for cruising and down hills.ShiftersThe left one always does the front gears, the right the back gears.
How to use your shifters depends on what type they are:
Thumb: Like the name says, you use your thumb.
Pushing either shifter towards the front of the bike, pushes the chain to a
bigger gear.
If you refer to the drawing of the gears, that means if you push the left shifter forward, you go into a harder gear. For instance, if you are in 2-6, or gear 12, and you shift up into 3-6, you are in 18. If you push the right shifter forward, you are in an easier gear. 2-3 (6) become 2-2 (4).
The opposite goes for if you pull the shifter towards you. Left makes things easier, right harder. Left goes from 3-3 (9) to 2-3 (6), much easier. Right goes from 2-4 (8) to 2-5 (10). You just got to a harder gear.
Grip shifters: They are part of the grip and you twist them to change gears.
Twisting either shifter away from you pushes the chain to a
bigger gear.
Same as above, that means if you twist the left away, you go to a harder gear. If you twist the right away, you go to an easier gear.
If you twist the left towards you, you go to an easier gear. If you twist the right towards you, you go to a harder gear.
Click shifters: You shift by pushing one of the levers one single "click".
The lever on the front side of the handlebars, which you would function with your thumb, moves the chain to a bigger gear. The lever on the backside, which you function with your index finger, moves the chain to a smaller gear.
Same goes for the two above. Click the thumb lever on the left hand, harder gear; thumb on right, easier. Index on left, easier; index on right, harder.
Those are the main types of shifters. If your chain won't stay in gear when you shift, then take your bike to someone who is handy with working on them. It is usually a quick fix. I would not recommend a bike shop unless you don't know anyone who bikes. A "tune up" from the shop will run you $50 - $100. A handy person can do that work for a beer and 10 minutes time.
This may seem overwhelming, but most shifters are numbered. If you just remember to multiply the numbers and lower = easier, higher = harder, you will pick it up sooner or later. If you spend a few minutes every day just messing around with shifting through the gears, you'll get it before long.
OK. Happy biking!!