How To Change Gear Like A Pro | GCN's Pro Tips
Vložit
- čas přidán 13. 08. 2024
- Nobody likes clunky gear changes when you're out riding your bike. That crunching noise when your chain gets caught between sprockets as you grind to an over geared halt strikes fear into the heart of even the most experienced riders. Fortunately, Conor's on hand to talk you through the subtleties of shifting to make sure you're getting the most out of your gears.
Check out the GCN App:
gcn.eu/app
Check out our new Spring Range in the GCN Shop: gcn.eu/3ml
Subscribe to GCN: gcn.eu/SubscribeToGCN
Register your interest in the GCN Club: gcn.eu/3mj
#Cycling #GCN #RoadBike
Have you ever dropped your chain at a crucial moment?
For all of our adventures and epic rides follow us on Komoot: gcn.eu/komoothr
Join our Facebook community: gcn.eu/FBCommunity
If you enjoyed this video, make sure to give it a thumbs up and share it with your friends. 👍
If you'd like to contribute captions and video info in your language, here's the link - gcn.eu/3mi
Watch more on GCN...
📹 How To Hold Your Handlebars Like A Pro gcn.eu/3lo
Music - licensed by Epidemic Sound:
Not Normal (Instrumental Version) - Sebastian Forslund
Are You Mine (Instrumental Version) - Wellmess
Closer to You (Instrumental Version) - Wellmess
Dancing Through the Stars (Instrumental Version) - Wellmess
Fake Reality (Instrumental Version) - Sven Karlsson
Just Drive (Instrumental Version) - Wellmess
Know Me Better - Brendon Moeller
Monkey Throw Monkey - Arc De Soleil
Photos: © Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images & © Bettiniphoto / www.bettiniphoto.net/
The Global Cycling Network (GCN) is the largest and fastest-growing online cycling channel in the world, bringing together a global community of road cyclists to celebrate everything that’s great about the world of cycling.
Our videos bring fans compelling daily content including expert tutorials, techniques, training, racing, cutting-edge bike tech, unparalleled behind the scenes event coverage, humour, entertainment, and more.
Presented by ex-pro riders, GCN offers a uniquely qualified insight into the world of cycling, and most importantly it’s fuelled by our passionate and enthusiastic fans - everyone who makes up the GCN community. We also bring you the latest and greatest tech to your attention, showcase the best places in the world to ride and get exclusive access to events and races.
Welcome to the Global Cycling Network | Inside #cycling
Thanks to our sponsors:
Pinarello Bikes gcn.eu/Pinarello
fi’zi:k Shoes & Saddles: gcn.eu/fizikshoes and gcn.eu/fiziksaddles
Mavic Wheels: gcn.eu/Mavic
Enervit Nutrition: gcn.eu/Enervit
Topeak Tools: gcn.eu/Topeak
Canyon Bikes: gcn.eu/-Canyon
Pirelli Tyres: gcn.eu/Pirelli
Bell Helmets: gcn.eu/bell
Quarq: gcn.eu/Quarq
Orbea Bikes: gcn.eu/Orbea
Vision Wheels: gcn.eu/Vision
Zipp Wheels: gcn.eu/Zipp
Wahoo Fitness: gcn.eu/Wahoo-Fitness
Park Tool: gcn.eu/-parktool
Komoot Route Planning: gcn.eu/-komoot
Elite Bottles: gcn.eu/EliteBottles
GCN Japan: gcn.eu/subscribe-gcn-japan
GCN Italia: gcn.eu/GCN-Italia
Suscribirse a GCN en Español: gcn.eu/Suscribirse
The GCN Club - gcn.eu/club
CZcams Channel - gcn.eu/gcnYT
Facebook - gcn.eu/gcnFb
Instagram - gcn.eu/GCNInsta
Twitter - gcn.eu/gcnTW
GMBN Tech - gmbn.tech/subscribe
GCN Tech - gcntech.co/subscribe
EMBN - embn.me/subscribe
Leave us a comment below! - Sport
Have you ever dropped your chain at a crucial moment?
Yes I have! At the moment when saddle off in the hill to catch up the momentum and lost caused by the chain. Luckily I didn't fell off 😥
@@tirit3803 Sounds nasty!
Yes, taking the chain out of the packet.
Yep mid first sportive!
Dropped chain is lesser problem (if properly sized and chain catcher/limiter properly set), worst is chain drops on BB area with possible scratch. Bigger problem could happen, if under high load going to the small ring, and chain got cought between both chainrings and then it jams inte FD cage. If effort is hard enough, deformed FD cage and fully jammed cranks guaranteed, with possible crash aswell. This happened for me once, so after that I'm very carefully size the chain and always momentarily drop power when going from big to small.
I've heard when cycling that frame Connor can wave to passangers on the top deck of a double decker.
Never knew Pinarello made a 86cm frameset.
It’s a 60 lol not that big
I try to make a habit of going up (or down) 2 cogs on the cassette when I change chainrings. 1 click right, 2 clicks left. That sorta keeps the gearing the same (almost) but opens up a whole new window of shifting when needed.
yes ! that's exactly what i do too. Avoid the increase of spinning if i'm on the 50x24 or 50x21 then change chainrings 34x24 (or 21) spinning can up to more than 110rpm for the same speed, im not comfortable at that spinning.
Like you, double change if im 50x24 (4,41m) i select 34x19 (3,79m vs 3,00m in 34x24) it works well on my "old" Dura-ace 790010sp
Great tip!
That's exactly what I do on my commuter bike all the time. Make it a habit.
I tend to only do 1 since I don’t want to fully correct the shift, just partially so that I get 1 normal sized shift
@@Superhaza2001 that's what I do as well: bump up a gear on the cassette a moment before I drop down to the smaller chainring
Never dropped the chain at crucial moment but I think that all cyclists know the pain of crunching noise
There's nothing worse, is there?
That‘s probably the biggest frame I‘ve ever seen
wheels look like 16" with the amount of frame there is haha
Exactly what I thought when I first saw this video. That's a massive head tube 🤔🤔🤔
it's probably the size of a bus in real life.
For sure!!
@@olivert.7192 😂😂
I think GCN should switch to electric scooters for filming. Must be nicer for the presenters, and you don't deal with the engine noise being picked up by the mic.
Rumour has it the air gets thinner when Connor is sat on his frame. 😂
Keep them clean and service regularly. 👍
Great tip!
the first thing metioned should've been to reduce power while shifting. your components will thank you.
Yes. In a manual car you have to press the clutch in to change gears, and on a bike you do the same thing but in a different way: pedal slightly slower than the wheels and you will effectively be in neutral.
@@Sapple498 it's not really necessary to go all the way into “neutral”, at least not for rear shifts - when slowing down on a steeper and steeper ascend, you don't want to lose momentum with each shift and thanks to the shift-ramps on modern cassettes, it's no problem to have a bit of power through the downshift itself. But yes, when shifting multiple gears at once and for any front shift, it's definitely a good idea to go easy on the torque for one pedal stroke.
When he talks I always learn something new, even though it sounds like he is talking to newbies 👍. I like that pinch the chain trick on the big ring to test wear...I have a tool for it but always like to hear new stuff
Glad you liked the video and found it useful! Thanks for watching.
Would have been nice to see what it looks like with worn chain vs chain in still good condition. How much of a gap? It moved a bit when he did the pinch, so technically has some gap. Was that a worn chain or not?
@@blargo a gap between the teeth and chain
This should have included using the intermediate gear at the front derailleur...many people don't know that on mechanical gearing the lower gear at the front the derailleur can be in two positions, depending on where the rear gear is set to you need to change the position so the chain doesn't rub on the front derailleur.
That is why I need 3-4 clicks to shift from the big ring to the small ring? I thaugt it was bad for the chain to leave it on 2 clicks. Thanks for these words of wisdom!
Yes, I have the "trim" feature on my old Tiagra 9spd , and the shift indicator really helps - the needle moves slightly when I've "trimmed" the FD. I don't ride for long periods cross-chained - just short bursts occasionally.
Thanks for the feedback. Perhaps that's something we can cover in another video!
@@gcn Yeah a video just for the trim function would be cool...cover all different gear where it exists and how it differs (I have no idea about Campagnolo or SRAM and also no idea if it is a thing on electronic shifting) and explain for which gears it makes sense.
@@_clemens_ If this is what I think it is, I believe Di2 automatically adjusts it; when you down-shift from big to small with Di2 there is sometimes a moment of chain-rub noise that goes away after the system automatically adjusts itself with another motion.
Thanks GCN/Conor for your quick and easy tip on how to test if your chain needs replacing!
Happy to help!
This channel is bril. Great advice for me as a biginer 👍
Changing gears back in my time (61 years old) was much more taxing with a greater learning curve. Of course the other factor was a chain lasted a good deal longer as the chain had more meat. Ah the trade offs.
Nice video Connor! Tell us how the pros ride out of the saddle and then sit down with the perfect cadence and speed without effort...besides practice! Looks totally smooth...is it shifting while out of the saddle with less torque prior to sitting down? thanks!
Much appreciated! You’re on my favorite bike!
It's a lovely bike, isn't it?
Hey Conor , Ken here . Awesome tips and video . I have a Sram Force and it does stop me from going into the wrong gear . I have it set on "compensating" which switches up or down two gears depending on which front ring I shift to , seriously it's cool .
This dude is so big that he makes the wheel look small.
Lol i actually thought he used a bike with small wheels😂
I love your moped that is so loud that I can't distingish its motor from the wrong chain shift!
The motorcycle seemed exceptionally loud in this particular video
Go into an easier gear when you go into a sharp turn so that when you come out of the turn you can spin back up to speed.
I learn this as a racing tip
Step 1: Click
Step 2: Wait (I have shimano sora)
Me too, you kinda have to wait when you change at the front yes. It's fine though!
I have too but gotta say even on the climbs putting standing wattage over it, they shift really REALLY good.
@@9034833838 haha I was just joking ;)
@@9034833838 yeah, you are right, nothing wrong with it.
Better had sora with 34/34 for crazy steep hill than duraace 39/25 for sure lol
And what about a sprint? Do you start in a (too) hard gear and at the peak of your effort that same gear is (too) easy? Or do you somehow change gear with that much power on the pedals?
Just go up to a cadence of 200 without falling off the bike. Or prefer to use the rear derailleur because the steps between the gear diameters aren't that big.
First go fast in the saddle on whatever gear there is. But you need to know your bike if you need to shift 1 or 2 before going out of saddle
Great content
Thank you for this video it really helped me a lot I'm a newbie cyclist
Glad it helped!
Now let's see if this remake hits the 2mil view mark of exactly the same GCN title from 2014, with our very own Matt ;)
i keep hearing Connor speak about 53-39, but at 3:42 it can be seen that he's riding a 50-34. has anyone told him?
You'd think they'd explain timing gear changes to your pedal stroke for this
Yeah, I was expecting that as well.
Thanks, won't even bother watching it no more...
As well as maximizing cadence - knowing WHEN to shift vs just pedaling faster/slower.
@@theopinson3851 when the cadence gets uncomfortably fast then shift up.
You can tell Conors been a pro, some of the hints are real 'been up there stuff' ;)
It is just nice to see this big (huge) fella, ride!!!
Thanks for the info!
well my poorly adjusted derailleur just isn't able to shift well
This GCN Tech video might help you out! gcn.eu/3xm
@@gcn I might just need to visit my local bike shop
Can't do this on my own
@@maxw5557 Try it - really adjusting two screws is no magic... imho every cyclist should be able to change a tire and adjust his gears by his own.
Max W Why? It’s easy. Don’t be afraid to learn new things.
@@rossfuller8025 the last time I adjusted it the 4 smallest gears weren't accessable 🤷 I thing I'm gonna try again, you're right
Happy to see some rim brakes again here.
If I want to change up on a hill I tend to "rev up" the pedals to about 120 rpm, then pedal unloaded (slower than the freewheel engagement speed) into the next gear down the cassette, then if you want to go up another gear, do the same. Changing down is a similar process but you don't need to "rev up" as much.
@Tim Lewis I also "rev up" by shifting into a higher gear before the hill, then start the climb with a lot of momentum. In some cases (especially coming off a downhill), I can finish the whole climb in top gear. I've never heard this technique suggested, though.
I am very new to cycling. Dropped my chain a few weeks ago ,had a massive load when shifting. Had a 3 mile walk to think about it. Wasnt fun
Like so many have said, don't shift under load. Shift when your drive side foot is just past the six o'clock position. And it's perfectly fine to shift down the big chain ring and down the cassette at the same time. Makes for a smoother change in cadence.
Good advice
For those of us who have cycled since the days of friction (non-indexed) gears it's second nature to ease off fractionally as you change. Common sense. As is simultaneously changing up on the rear sprockets when you go to the small chainring.
This guy is huge!
Hello there : can you make a video in how to change gears when sprinting.?Thanks !!
Sit on the nose of you're seat when changing big to little, little to big, ring to take your weight off the pedals. I also do this when changing gears in the back if i'm standing. sometimes I'll reduce pedal force slightly when shifting to a higher gear ratio.
Don’t forget soft pedalling Conor. Makes any gear change plush. It can be done even whilst honking up a climb. So many crunches I hear when riders change gear with the hammer down.
Connor, it seems you took 1 too many chain links out of your chain. When at 53/28 your rear derailleur is ready to snap.
We in suffulk only need one gear {preferably fixed } with a lower sprocket on the other side to deal with a strong head wind ! unless you are over 70 as my dad used to say !! chain stays perfectly in line all to time !
My bike doesn't have a reverse gear; is it broken and should I buy a new one?
You don't typically need a reverse gear so you should be ok! If you want a lesson in going backwards, you need to speak to Dan Lloyd.
I found my reverse gear going up a really steep hill. You could try that
No need to buy a new one... just put your chain to go in an 8-pattern. That should do the trick
Aye GCN I need some riding gear ASAP
Spot on!
Does anyone know why electric shifting doesn't time the shifts to occur during the dead spot in the pedal stroke? Would make sence to shift when least torque is being transferred.
Or is it just manufacturers withholding this feature for a future version to get people to pay to upgrade.
It's an idea, but it would require extra sensors fitted to the crank arm, and therefore a more complicated set up and an increased cost for arguably a very small benefit, we may see this as a feature in the future though
@@gcn Maybe when they finally incorporate an automatic mode and make full use of electric shifting. That would require a cadence sensor and good timing of the shifts would be a wise thing to do.
New cyclist here. Brilliant video.
3:30 pinch the chain off the big ring = time for a chain change? Verified! 😂
I've always cross chained on the big ring and never really had any issues, except maybe more wear.... I live in a particularly hilly area and many of them are easier done than way. Then I got E Tap.... When even GCN tested it a couple of years ago, I'm sure that it was said that it was designed to work in ANY gear combination.....
Most modern groupsets do work in any combination, and big big is preferable to small small if you're going to cross chain somewhere, but neither are usually the optimal gear selection for the speed you're riding
@@gcn
Absolutely, but never small small! 👍
I have none of these big ring little ring problems. My "road bike" is a cyclocross bike with a 44t chain ring and a 9-42 cassette. All the range of a 53x11 double. Gear gaps don't bother me because I also ride mountain bikes, so they are actually smaller than on a mountain bike.
Nice set up!
Whenever I see Conor riding, I think he’s ALWAYS doing high altitude training 🙄
What vehicle did you use to cook this? Gramps's good old tractor?
nice tip buddy !
I like Connor!!! Good add in the team!!
Thanks! We're glad to have him with us!
omg! u are tall. u make the wheels looks tiny!
Cheers from Brazil!.
Good tips!
i guess beginners tips make you a pro then, gotta love the way gcn sees the rest of us
Have you ridden the Tour de France?
Ten month old comment? If you got something from this video then good for you, but if you think these are professional level tips then you haven't been riding long
@@callum4863 it’s click bait. You should’ve known that by then. I don’t care how long anyone has ridden a bike. If you haven’t got a Tour de France or any major uci title under your belt you ain’t a pro.
I normally always change 1 or 2 cogs at back, at the same time when I change gears at the front (I hit both shift buttons on the Di2 at the same time) to get a smooth transition in gear ratios.
This is essentially the same as Di2's Semi Syncro Shift but I do it manually.
3:02 lol that happened to me in Rome's car-busy city center
I did one of these problem changes about 17 years ago..late 2003. Accelerating away from a stop light, changed gears to smaller ring while standing out of the saddle. Went down in front of a bus like a sack of custard, shattered my right shoulder socket .. all the cartilage on both ball and socket. Bad scene, still bothers me to this day
What kind of solution is good for cleaning the bike?
My winter bike has a 3x 50/39/30. I never use the 30 (unless I'm really bonked) but tend to stay in the 39 a lot on the country lanes. So as it's on the middle ring, is it ok to use the whole of the rear cassette?
Do you put the back brake on the LEFT braking handle in GB?
i always shift two up in the back when i shift into the smaller ring in the front for a smoother transition
The times I have seen pros on the big ring and on the largest sprocket is often so why would I want to emulate them ? They just need to react and are not bothered about damaging equipment. However what you said in your tutorial was good but not what they do.
What is your opinion of the Di2 automatic shift modes, especially the synchro 2 mode?
When’s a best time to change gears to the small cog in the front?
"Ever wondered how the pros cheese gifts..." says the captions
maybe they are auto-generated.
I love how the ride in one line....i go all over the road 😂😂
#askgcntech, guys is there some kind of evolution of the bike’s interaxis lenght through time. I mean I ride a scott rc addict from 2013 and it seams I’m seated in between the axis meanwhile Connor is seated right above his rear hub... I know he is 2 mt tall but yet...?
That frame is like the double decker of bikes
Conor is growing on me.
is it weird that I up-shift when I see a steep riser? I know I'm getting out of the saddle, about to put down a lot more power, and I'm just compensating for cadence.
Can Zipp produce a pair of 900c wheelset for connor?
Electronic shifting entered the chat, amateur riders are leaving the chat
I live in Florida. The small chain ring is purely... well... cosmetic.
*ask where u buy ur road bike and how much*
I often use the smallest/smallest combination, in my case it's 34F 11R. I have been told not to do this by some people and that it's fine by others. I don't use it for any real pressing, it's just the big chainring is not always worth it in city traffic. No good?
It depends on the drivetrain model. Some of them are designed to allow cross chaining in one direction (big-big, or small-small, but not both).
I have never wondered
WOAH - READ THIS!
Okay so let's nerd out on it for a second, just for the sake of being nerds: between your big and small rings and throughout your entire cassette, you have REDUNDANT RATIOS.
They're not *identical* ratios, but are similar enough that you won't notice a performance difference between them. If you look at a typical 2x9 drivetrain for instance, that's 12 speeds, so it in the small ring it goes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and in the big ring (starting at the biggest sprocket) 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 --- gears 4-9 are attainable on either chainring. Knowing this, the most efficient way to scale through gears 1-12 is to shift from the small ring to the big one when the small ring and the 6th sprocket are making gear "6," AND shift down twice on the cassette side of things to get into big ring/4th sprocket and "7th" gear.
------- *shifting from your small ring to your big ring without shifting your cassette would make your gear pattern something like 1-2-3-4-5-6-9-10-11-12 without ever utilizing 7 and 8!!!* -----
In that same fashion, if you shift instead from small/7 ("7th" gear) and downshift twice, you'll be in big/5 AKA "8th," and so on and so forth. This pattern is also the same on 2x10, 2x11, and 2x11, which all have a range of redundant gears between big and small rings. Now, obviously shifting like that causes slight power vectors and and you need to do it smart and correctly, but you also have a range in which you can do it - like you said, you only really need to avoid crosschaining in your top and bottom 2 sprockets.
--- If you think about it practically, most of us would be using our small ring for tough climbs and not be going much beyond our 3rd or 4th sprocket, in which case you can either save your shifts (from small to big and down 2 sprockets) until you're on flat or downhill and using higher gears, or you can prematurely switch chainrings by pre-shifting and using technique to regulate your cadence (most noticeably you could gear up a whole whack and stand up when you might not need to, so that you're in a better gear range when you apex and go back to the saddle). The beauty of this math is that you don't need to shift just at ONE specific time to find the perfect gear. I'll usually hit my 5th sprocket on the tough climb by my house and shift rings, stand, grind into a good cadence, then hit the saddle and drop 1 or 2 on the back as necessary.
If you guys need a writer...
Nice advice. But during a heated race....if it works for the WIN...it works.
Cool and good
Thanks, William!
Really hoping someone can help me out with my new bike. It's a giant contend (okay, nothing elite, i get it) and i only picked it up from the shop a few days ago. I broke the first chain while test riding it - I'm in Japan, but i doubt that had anything to do with chain strength - actually i think it is more because i was using my very powerful thighs to push my bike almost from a standing start with a really heavy gear. Why did i do this? Habit.. Because my old bike was a freewheeling single speed conversion of an 80s steel tube road bike with a 16 or 17 tooth (from memory) rear hub, and that's how i had to work at traffic lights. Anyway, they replaced the chain with a stronger one free of charge, but i also decided to be a lot more conservative with acceleration. By and large this seems to have worked: i go light before i hit traffic lights to aid my next push off, i am conservative with how heavy my gears get, and i try to keep my gears in the midrange so as to not cross my chains too drastically. The PROBLEM is, however, that whenever i click into a heavier gear, it stalls and catches and runs on the rim before slamming down into a groove (I'm describing what i reckon i feel through my feet) which isn't even always heavier. Beyond this, sometimes i can just be cruising some many seconds after a gear change when i have a sudden unexpected jump , my chain slips and my bike seems to flip a coin as to whether it will end up super heavy or uselessly light. I *hate* this clumsy-ass feeling, and of course it tends to happen on slopes, usually right alongside cars.
(I've a separate request for someone to explain the use of my shinano gears - i have a feeling I'm clicking it too far and jumping through a bunch of gears with one swipe, any tips on the mechanics of these flaps?)
I feel awful, this bike represents a big investment for me, but I'm feeling like I've bought a dud, or else can't wrap my head around a geared road bike. I plan to take the bike to my shop and ask him to shorten the chain (it whishes as i pedal my right foot around) and maybe align the gears, but the guy only worked on it a few days ago, so I'm not sure that-ll help... I've taken all the advice in this video, and many others like it, to no avail! (I don't know how I'm supposed to change gear while I'm not putting pressure on the pedals, i need pressure of some degree to spin the hub and change gears in the first place, and i have to maintain high speeds on the roads which dominate my city)... Thanks so much for any thoughts you can offer, anyone!
Ps. When idling at traffic lights mycalf muscle typically rests on a nearby plate of the derailleur mechanism - could this be enough to mess it up?
Now I know why my bike won't change gears when near the bottom
what's your height and bike size ? bike looks small
Shimano never fails. 30 years on them, road and dirt.
I actually thought the video was finished after the you talked about the electronic gears😂😂😂😂😂
Damn you look like the ace of hakone academy on yowamushi pedal😅
Compact handlebars on Conor's bike look really weird. Do you feel a difference when your in the drops or on the hoods?
Try waxing chain instead of lube. You feel the difference in watts savings
You should have called Andy Schlek for additional advise.
Hahaha - too soon!
@@gcn No not too soon.....He owns a bike shop!!! andyschleckcycles.lu/
NO, do not change the gear in the front first, What you want to do is change gears in the back first for the cadance you want and then change in the front ring. If you change front rings right away your cadance will change too much.
I think changing front gear from the big to the little one will suddenly higher the cadence and reduce speed. It's surprised moment, isn't it?
It is, canadance will change too much, change gears in back first followed by the front rings.
0:26 Wow, what a filthy chain! 3:26 If you clean, degrease, and really lubricate that chain often you will have much smoother gear changes.
Great advice! Always keep your drive train clean!
can't have issues changing chainring when you only have a 1x, lauf's with my glorified bottleopener
Im 5”5 what is size for me
Are those 29 inch wheels?
I wish i had bike like that😢 bike's here at Philippines are very expensive
I tried to change gears in the but it dropped.I fixed it my hands but my finger bled. Thank god i was close to home