My lovely new bike.

[SouthernBelle]

For what it's worth... I was also surprised by how long I had to hold the lever to shift up a chainring. Now I hold it and don't let go until I've felt the chain move and engage.

I fell a couple of times from a dead stop too. It takes practice to get the hang of it. You'll get there!

OK, now I'm thinking about this. You should not have to hold the lever. You push the lever. The derailleur shifts. The chain moves.