Short answer: on a hill, shift to the small ring in front and a big ring in back. Each pedal turn then moves the wheel only a little, so it is much easier to push.
The parts of a bike’s gears
- Chainrings: the big toothed wheels at the front, attached to your pedals.
- Cassette: the stack of smaller toothed rings (cogs) on the back wheel.
- Chain: connects one front ring to one back ring at a time.
- Derailleur: the little arm that pushes the chain from ring to ring when you click the shifter.
How bike gears work
Every time you turn the pedals once, the front ring turns once. How far the back wheel turns depends on the size of the two rings the chain is on.
| Front ring | Back ring | How it feels | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | Big | Easy to push, slow | Hills and starting off |
| Middle | Middle | Medium | Flat roads and everyday riding |
| Big | Small | Hard to push, fast | Downhill and speed |
A small front ring and a big back ring mean each pedal turn spins the wheel only a little. You trade speed for force, which is exactly what you want going uphill. A big front ring and a small back ring do the opposite: one pedal turn spins the wheel a lot, so you go fast but it takes more effort.
Tips for shifting
- Shift before the hill gets steep, while you can still pedal smoothly.
- Keep pedaling lightly while you shift. The derailleur needs the chain moving to change rings.
- Avoid crossing the chain from the biggest front ring to the biggest back ring (or smallest to smallest). It wears the chain and can be noisy.
More quick explainers: follow Joint Forces Technology on YouTube.
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