Something wrong with my gears, or with me???

[cyclingmama]

I'm having a shifting issue, and I am not sure if there is a problem with the bike, or if I am doing something wrong (which is very likely, as I am still a relative newbie and pretty much learned to ride a road bike via trial and error).

Most times the bike shifts smoothly. The current problem I'm having always happens in the same situation -- if I am going down a big hill and then right into a steep climb. There are two such places on my regular ride route, and it is happening which such frequency that I dread these hills as I approach them. I'll be coming down the descent in my highest gear. As I reach the bottom and start to climb, I attempt to shift the front gear from my biggest to my middle chain ring (with the goal being to then quickly go to the smallest), and it won't go. The shift lever clicks and the chain starts making noise, but will not go into the next ring. I have to jimmy the shift lever a couple times, and sometimes I need to also shift the back gears to get it to finally move over to the middle ring. In one place where this happens, the hill I am climbing starts out very steep, over 20% grade, and I am stuck in my highest gear as I start to climb. I am losing momentum rapidly, starting to struggle and to panic as I fool with my gears, and it throws the whole climb out of whack (the grade decreases quickly to the 7-10% range, but the hill continues for about a mile).

Any thoughts?

[alpinerabbit]

Have your derailleurs and gear shift cable tension checked - have you had a checkup on your bike since you bought it, or haven't been for a tune up in a while?

Sheldon Brown tells you how to DIY....

[smilingcat]

triple chain ring??

If your rear cog is in the smallest gear maybe you need to shift your rear deraillure to a lower gear (toward the center of the set of cogs) then shift into the middle chain ring. This might help.

Another thing is don't wait till you start the climb to shift. drop into your middle chain ring before you hit the bottom of the hill. You might spin like crazy but you will b more or less ready for the 20% grade.

Lastly, do have your drive train checked by a good mechanic, IF YOU ARE STILL HAVING A PROBLEM.

Smilingcat

[Mr. Bloom]

Another thing is don't wait till you start the climb to shift. drop into your middle chain ring before you hit the bottom of the hill. You might spin like crazy but you will b more or less ready for the 20% grade.

+1 here with an additional thought...coasting on the hill is not the end of the world. In fact, I'm finding that I'm often faster coasting downhill and part of the way up the next hill than when I pedal.

Then, taking smilingcat's advice, being in the easier gear, you won't feel the "spin like crazy" sensation. I like to pedal the first third of a downhill, coast two thirds, and then coast about 1/3 of the new uphill (if I can). It gives me a rest.

Try this is you're comfortable with it. There are different theories...and they either work for you or not.

[li10up]

Good advice about shifting and tension on the chain...but it sounds to me like a mechanical issue. I had a problem on a tour one day last year that I couldn't shift from my big chain ring to my small...turned out the front dérailleur just needed a little lube...Sounds like it could be that or a cable tension issue.

[GLC1968]

Assuming that your gears are adjusted properly, there is another thing to remember/consider. When the gearing is under load (as in, you are putting force on the cranks to move the chain ring), it is much harder to shift the front rings than the back ones. This is because the front derailleur is attempting to pull the chain off the ring at the point where the forward force is the greatest. This is often why people drop their chains on uphills. You are basically trying to apply force to the same spot in two different directions at once. The derailleur is trying to force the chain to the left while the chain ring is trying to force it forward, at the same time in the same place! The best thing to do is to get into the correct front ring BEFORE you need to apply a lot of force to the cranks. If this means shifting into the smaller ring on the downhill way ahead of time until you get the hang of it, then so be it.

The rear derailleur will work better under these conditions because its much easier to move the chain latterally from the underside even when under force from the cranks. Plus, at the rear, the chain is moving the gearing, the gearing isn't pulling the chain, so the physics are a bit different.

Basically, get into the correct front ring before you need to pedal to keep going up the hill and then from that point on, use the rear gearing to make adjustments as the incline gets steeper (or as you get tired). If you do need to shift the front ring - try to ease off the force you are applying to the cranks (maybe on a flatter spot?) and shift it then. Easier said then done when you are talking steep inclines!

[cyclingmama]

Thanks to all of you for the great advice. I've learned so much from this forum!!!

My bike did sit unused for 5 years, unfortunately, and endured an interstate move and a few months in storage during that time. BUT I had it thoroughly checked out and tuned up back in April, when I was ready to start riding again. So I am thinking the bike is probably fine and its me.

On this morning's ride I hit the less severe of the two situations in which that usually happens to me. I shifted to the middle ring halfway down the downhill, and then as soon as the little dip at the bottom of the hill started to turn uphill I shifted to the smallest ring. The chain made a little noise for one revolution but then shifted, and then my climb went smoothly! I didn't like giving up my pedaling power on the downhill by downshifting early, but it was worth it to be able to get into my lower gears when I needed to without serious problems. I should hit the other hill, the 20%+ grade, tomorrow morning, depending on the weather, and see how that one goes.

You ladies are the best. Thanks!

[PDXKim]

I've been lurking for a few weeks but registered so I could say THANKS!

I have had the same issue as cyclingmama in trying to shift to my first gear on an uphill climb (I've even managed to drop my chain) and DebW's response was exactly what I needed to know.

Thank you!
Kim (who's beginning to not feel like such a complete beginner)

[Jacki O]

Like PDXKim, I lurk most than post, but I'm compelled to chime in with a related question:

I've struggled to learn the best times to use the early shifting technique(s) described in this thread. Sometimes I'm successful; sometimes not so much......

On the more successful executions, frankly, my pedals often wind up turning faster than my legs can spin. Theoretically I see the benefit of soft pedaling, but I feel more comfortable when there's a little tension under my feet. As a result, when my pedals are spinning too fast for me, I wind up changing gears to give myself more tension and, I fear, loosing momentum in the process. What do other folks do when their legs can't keep up? Should I just go with it rather than trying to correct my gearing before I'm into the meat of my climb? Momentum, as we all know, is easier to keep than to get.

Thanks in advance, ladies!

[DebW]

This is the toughest situation in which to make a shift. The problem is that the tension on the chain is working against you as you struggle up and hill. When a front derailleur shifts to a smaller sprocket, your shift lever does nothing but put slack in the cable, and the spring in the derailleur actually makes the shift. But when you are pedaling very hard struggling up a hill, the tension of the chain on the chainring teeth is greater than the spring tension in the derailleur. Thus the derailleur moves enough to the rub the chain but not enough to push it off the chainring to the smaller sprocket. By understanding this, you can learn how to overcome it. You need to make your shifts earlier, before your pedal rate slows and before you have excessive tension on the chain. Shift while you are still spinning easily and as soon as or just before your pedal rate starts to drop due to the uphill. This takes some practice, because, as you have learned, if you wait a bit too late, you get in trouble. If you find yourself in that situation, put in a couple of hard pedal strokes to give yourself momentum, and then easy off on the pedals for 1-2 revolutions while you make the shift. This is called soft-pedaling - keeping up the cadence but with a drop in pedal pressure.

Also note that, as you have discovered, the rear derailleur will shift under tension much better than the front. And the front derailleur will shift off the largest sprocket easier if you are in the middle of the rear cassette, not in the smallest outside rear sprocket. This is a function of chain angle. It's not good to be riding in the smallest rear sprocket and the middle or inner chainring for very long (cross-chaining), so it's good habit to shift to the middle of the rear cassette first before shifting out of the large chainring.