Wow, the last posts by Starfish, Jobob, and Nancy make me realize how darned little I know about the mechanics of my bike! I bought it (a Schwinn) about two months ago, on sale, at my local Performance Bike shop, with the help of my cycling BF, who then tinkered with fitting it properly.

I know I have three rings and nine options on each of those rings, but that's ALL I know, LOL! (And I use 'em all, at some point or another.......) My previous bike (still used as a commuter bike) is a 27-year old, lever-gearshift, 10-speed. That's what I started riding on last February when I took up cycling after several years "off". The difference between the two bikes is, as you might expect, amazing!......

Looks like I ought to learn more about what I have----or don't have----so I can make the most of my options! Thanks for the education!