@VeganBikeChick,

I was wondering last night if you had shifting problems when climbing. I had those when I traveled to Scotland until some friends explained to me how to do it. What I was doing: gradually shift down all the way in the rear derailleur and then go to a smaller ring in the front. I would "overspin" for a short stretch, and I was suddenly out of gears, had to stop and walk.

My apologies to everyone if I am stating the obvious (it was not to me): my friends told me to get into a good cadence when approaching the climb and shift both at the front (shift down) and the back (shift up). When you 'fire' both shifters at the same time, the chain ends in the best gear to match you cadence. This made an enormous difference for me. It also explained why the shifters for the front and back work as they do.