Double Shifting

[HillSlugger]

To run a good shifting pattern there are two or three points where I need to do a double shift. Is there some wisdom about whether I should first shift the front gear and then the back or visa versa?

[HappyAnika]

I'm by no means an expert, I'm sure there are others here who have a better answer to your question than me, but I'll tell you what I do: If I'm shifting down (easier), I first shift the back up one or two gears (harder) so when I next shift the front ring down I don't spin out of control. If I'm shifting up I shift the front first, then the back to whatever the slope warrants. I hope this makes sense!

[DebW]

I figure that it's mostly personal preference, so experiment and see what works best for you. I imagine that most people avoid double shifts most of the time and stick with one chainring until forced to switch it. The only time I'll do a double shift is a long stretch where I'll be staying in one gear and want to fine tune cadence. Going up or down hill you probably won't stay in one gear long enough to bother double shifting. Depends on your gear ratios of course and the size of the jumps between and how narrowly you want to maintain a certain cadence. I'll often spin up to 120 rpm before bothering to upshift, but I'll downshift if I'm below 80 in the saddle.