Shifting without gear indicators

[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?

[OakLeaf]

What does a gear indicator look like?

For Shimano brifters, the flight deck computers have them:



For grip shifters, they can be stamped and painted on the clamp section:



Others?


Like most everyone else I go by feel ... but I probably don't pay as much attention as I ought to, because there are times I'm cross-chaining and don't realize I'm still in the big ring until I hear the noise of the chain complaining , and it can't be good for the shifter cable to keep trying to shift down when I'm already in my lowest gear. I do look down occasionally to see where I am.

[Crankin]

I did start riding on a hard tail mtb that had them, but it didn't take more than a few rides on a road bike to get the "learn by feel" thing. I do occasionally look down, and that's usually when I am in trouble!

[Catrin]

Thanks everyone, I wasn't sure if this was common or not as all of my bikes until this one has them. I still wish I could switch the triggers on my mtb to grips, but SRAM apparently is not making 10-speed grips...I REALLY like the micro-indexing on my left grip on the Gunnar.

I shift the rear by feel anyway, I mainly use the indicators on my other bikes to make certain I am in hard enough a gear when I move to the granny in front that I won't suddenly feel like I am free-wheeling. I can listen to see if I am cross-chaining until I get used to this. It is just really odd to look down and not see those indicators

[maillotpois]

Ah - thanks, Oak. Someone mentioned I probably have them on my MTB but it doesn't get ridden unless I am on vacation.

I go by feel/sound. Campy allows for small adjustments to the front derailleur and you just learn the sounds to know which way to adjust.