Shifting without gear indicators

[Catrin]

My new Jamis is a 10-speed triple without gear indicators, SRAM triggers. I've never ridden a bike without indicators and while I am sure I will learn it I must admit on my little hilly ride yesterday I had no idea where I was on the rear cassette.

Thankfully I was on the middle chain and actually never had a need to move the front up or down, outside of experimenting to see how it felt. That bike shifts like butter - but how is there a tip about how I can keep track of my small gear?

[Veronica]

The only bike I have ridden with gear indicators is our old tandem. I just go by feel and when I try to shift down and can't - I know I just need to suck it up and keep pedaling.

Veronica

[zoom-zoom]

On my previous bike I couldn't see my rear cassette...due to my position and the bike's geometry. On my current bike I can see the rear cassette perfectly.

So I had to kind of learn blindly, too. Mostly I got to be familiar with my sweet spots and learned to feel when I was cross-chaining and needing to move up or down on the front rings.

[Roadtrip]

No trick here and if you find one I sure would like to know! Two of my three bikes have shifters without indicators. I think it's just feel thing really.

Shannon

[zoom-zoom]

when I try to shift down and can't - I know I just need to suck it up and keep pedaling.

That, too!

[Catrin]

Makes sense, guess that I am just spoiled I do not find it intimating, but a year ago I probably would have

[kmehrzad]

I tend to look down occasionally and get an idea of where I am.

[nscrbug]

I've never ridden a bike WITH shift indicators...sure sounds cool, though! I go by feel, like everyone else. Can't tell ya how many times I thought I had one more gear to shift down into, only to discover that I was out of gears. Yup...that's when you just HTFU and keep pedaling.

[Mr. Bloom]

I think indicators can be added at the LBS.

[jessmarimba]

My new bike doesn't have them either. I'll +1 Veronica's comment.

But it is an awfully happy feeling sometimes to get off the bike and realize you were in a harder gear than you thought and still felt great!

[emily_in_nc]

I have never had shift indicators until I got a mtb. And I never remembered to even use them since I wasn't used to 'em!

I just kinda glance back and down (between my legs, I guess) if I have any curiosity about which gear I'm in in back. But normally I go by feel, and with my bar-end shifters, by the position they are in (another nice advantage of barcons!)

[Chicken Little]

I agree with most people here. I don't use the indicators. Once in a while I might glance down, but mostly it's to trim.

[DarcyInOregon]

Like everyone said, it is by feel. It helps to ride as diverse terrain as possible for your region and you get the feel for where to be for what type of hill or continuous climb or false flat or headwind you are pedaling. You are riding well if you are shifting and asking questions about shifting. Like others said, it is an oh oh moment when you are in the lowest cog possible and there is still a lot of extremely steep grade stretching out before you, and so you want to bike enough terrain to figure out what makes an oh oh moment for you because that is when it is critical. The rest of it, you can shift up and down based on your cadence and it only takes a few rides before it is all automatic for you.

[maillotpois]

What does a gear indicator look like?

[laura*]

I think indicators can be added at the LBS.

Not on the new high end SRAM triggers.

Hmmm - maybe it is possible to mount some "inline" indicators into the shift cables.