When people start mountain biking, they get overwhelmed, especially beginners looking at the gears, as we often get front gears, rear gears, and a little shifter on a handlebar.
You might have heard people saying, “Just shift your bike’s gear whenever you need it.” But nobody tells you exactly what you need to do. Or how you can shift gear without throwing yourself off balance.
So don’t worry. You are not the one who might be confused because of the gear system. It’s common with most beginners. Even sometimes, experienced people get confused.
However, in this article, we will discuss how you can shift gear properly. Depending on the trail, which gear should you choose and why? Some common gear-shifting issues that most people face, how you can avoid them and many more things.
Also read: What to wear for Mountain biking?
Breaking Down the Gear System on Your Mountain Bike
Okay, so before discussing how to shift your mountain bike gear, let’s understand how the MTB gear system works.
Many people get confused when looking at all these different components and their functions. So, if you could understand the basics, gear shifting will be easier for you.
Front Derailleur (Shifter)
It allows you to control the larger gear, which you get near your bike’s pedal. By shifting it, you can change the pedal difficulty level. (A smaller front gear will make pedaling easier) which provides more comfort on climbing.
On the other hand, a large gear makes it hard, but the large one is good for flat ground or when you are trying to ride your bike fast on a simple road.
Rear Derailleur (Shifter)
This one, you get near your bike’s back wheel, and it is the rear gear that adjusts your cadence based on how fast you spin your legs (the smaller rear gear makes your pedaling fast and light.
On the other hand, a large gear requires more power to use (But it also slows your cadence).
Shifters (Levers)
There are little levers that you get on the handlebars. The left one controls the front derailleur (big gear), and the right one controls the rear derailleur (smaller gear).
However, they both allow you to shift up and down so that you can adjust quickly on any terrain.
Now, you know what all these mountain bike parts do and how they work together to help you maintain a smooth and efficient ride.
Also read: Pre Ride Checklist for mountain biking
When Is the Right Time to Shift Gears on Your Bike?
Okay, so now the most common thing that beginners ask is when is the right time to shift gear on your mountain bike?
Well, you can shift early and often. But what does it mean?
Let’s say you are trying to ride on a hill. So, you don’t want to shift gears after reaching the midway point when you start struggling to pedal. Instead, You should shift before you start climbing.
You can shift to a lower gear before the inclined so that you can easily climb.
On the other hand, if you are riding on a downhill trail, then you should shift into a higher gear so that you can maintain speed and reduce strain on your legs.
However, it’s really important to keep your leg spinning at a consistent cadence because it will help you conserve energy over a period of time.
Pro tip: the shifting will allow you to keep that cadence steady and your energy level in balance.
How to Shift Gears on a Mountain Bike for Beginners
Shifting mountain bike gear is pretty simple, as long as you are a bit familiar with it; if not, it’s overwhelming for new riders.
So, here are the basics of properly shifting MTB gear.
1. Shift Before the Change:
This is the first thing you want to shift gear before your feet start struggling or before you change the terrain or any of its sections.
To tackle any obstacle without putting unnecessary strain on your body.
2. Pedal Smoothly:
When you are changing the gear, make sure you are pedaling continuously but without putting too much force on the pedals.
Because if you push too hard, it can damage your bike’s chain. So, pedal smoothly.
3. Shift One Gear at a Time:
Shifting gear too many times can cause chains to jump or even get stuck. That’s why you want to shift one gear at a time and give your bike some time to adjust.
It’s a mistake that many beginners make, especially with the front derailleur.
4. Don’t Shift Under Heavy Pressure:
If you are pedaling forcefully, then do not shift gear. You need to slow down your speed a little bit. Then, change gear because shifting in pressure damages the chain.
If you follow these four steps, you’ll be able to shift gears smoothly without even putting any unnecessary strain on your bike or your body.
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Why Shifting Gears Properly Makes a Difference
Shifting your mountain bike gear is not just for convenience. Instead, it optimizes your ride. So, here are some reasons why proper gear shifting makes a huge difference.
Better Efficiency: When you shift mountain bike gear, you find a sweet spot for pedaling speed, which makes your effort more efficient. For example, you can ride longer without getting tired, plus your body will consume less energy.
Less Strain on Your Body: When you are properly shifting gears, it means you are not forcing your muscles to work hard unnecessarily.
When you shift early, you can avoid any strain on your legs, especially on the knees and joints, which can cause mountain bike injuries.
Improved Control: When you shift gears properly, you will have control of your bike. It doesn’t matter which type of terrain you are riding on, like a descent, climb, technical, road, flyover, etc.
Faster Recovery: Shifting gear at the right time also helps you recover faster on tough sections. Because you won’t be caught off guard because of any sudden change in the terrain, plus you will be ready for whatever comes next.
These were some of the most prominent reasons why shifting gears on your mountain bike creates a huge difference from those who do not shift or ride in the same gear in every place and every terrain.
Common You Could Face While Gear Shifting
It’s really obvious facing some issues with gear shifting gear; even seasoned bikers face it. So here are some of the most common problems that you might face and how you will fix them.
Skipping Gears:
If a gear starts skipping, the chain jumps from one gear to another unpredictably. It might happen because the chain might be worn out or because of a misaligned derailleur.
If you notice this, check your gear system or the chain or that derailleur alignment and fix this issue. If the problem is in the chain, you can replace it, especially if it is worn out.
Chain Dropping:
If your chain falls off the gears entirely, it could be because you’re cross-chaining (using the big front gear with the small rear gear).
To avoid this, try to keep the gear combinations balanced.
Shifting Lag:
If your chain often falls off the gears entirely, it might be because you are cross-chaining, like using the big front gear with a small rear gear. So you want to avoid this.
You want to keep the gear combination balanced. It’s also common when the shifter feels unresponsive, or it takes a few seconds to catch.
Slipping Gears:
If you are struggling to maintain your gear or if it is slipping out of its place, then it might be because your bike’s derailleur hanger or any of its bolts are loose.
So you need to tighten that bolt, or you can check for any damage. It will solve this slipping gears problem.
Also, sometimes It happens when the cables are stretched or the derailleur is dirty. In such cases, regular mountain bike maintenance is important to avoid this and many other issues related to gear-breaking chains, etc.
Also read: What are the essential safety gear for mountain biking?
Gear Shifting Strategies for Different Terrains
When you have a mountain bike, it’s obvious that you will ride on many different terrains or roads, sometimes on climbing, sometimes on flat surfaces like roads, sometimes you will have to ride on a downhill trail, etc.
That’s why you will need to adjust your gear based on each path. So here is how you can approach each of them.
Climbing:
When you are trying to climb a hill or flyover or any other path, you can shift to a lower gear. It will help you pedal more comfortably without putting too much pressure.
Plus, it will allow you to conserve energy and maintain speed. And most importantly, you want to shift the lower gear before you start climbing. Don’t do it midway to save time and maintain rhythm.
Descending:
When you are riding downhill or on any descending path, then you can shift to the higher gear to maintain your speed and reduce any strain on your legs. It will help you control your bike better.
Flat Terrain:
For flat stretches or roads, you can shift into a mid-gear to maintain a consistent speed. It’s also your choice.
Although it’s your choice, what speed do you want? If you want a faster speed on a normal road or terrain, then you can use a higher gear. If you want a slower speed, then you can use a lower gear.
However, keep your pedal strokes smooth, and your legs should also be relaxed for a better experience.
How Gear Shifting Affects Pedaling Power and Speed
One of the biggest reasons why you need to keep shifting your mountain biking gear is because it gives you balance, power, and speed, especially while pedaling, which is good for your muscle efficiency.
Low Gears (Easy to Pedal):
When your bike is in lower gear, you can pedal more easily, but your speed will be really slow, kind of like a turtle as a rider.
However, you can use lower gear when climbing when you are trying to navigate technical terrain or when you need more focus and control.
High Gears (Harder to Pedal):
The higher gear is good on flat sections, downhill riding, etc., because this gear allows you to maintain more speed, but you need more power to use the large gear.
So you can do some mountain biking exercises to improve strength if you often ride on downhill trails or normal roads at a high speed.
Upgrade Your Bike’s Shifters for Improved Performance
If you want to take shifting to the next level, you can upgrade your shifters.
Many riders, especially beginners, start cycling journeys with the basic shifters that work fine, but they are a bit slow and unreliable, especially when the bike gets old.
However, you can upgrade to the higher-end shifter for a smooth and responsive shifting experience. Here are the options that you can look for.
Electronic Shifters:
They are precise and offer fast shifts. And they are good for riders who want minimal effort and maximum performance, especially those who are a bit older.
However, I personally recommend not using the electric one if you are young because I see mountain biking as a healthy hobby that helps us maintain our ideal body weight as we sweat a lot while riding.
However, it’s your choice whether to upgrade it or not. But keep in mind, electric shifters are expensive, plus you need to charge them.
Better Quality Cables and Derailleurs:
You can upgrade your cables or derailleur to improve their responsiveness.
And you can’t avoid it, especially if you face any problem while shifting, like a lag in which it takes some time to shift gear or if the gear starts skipping.
Short-Throw Shifters:
These shifters require less effort to change gears, which is good for efficiency and speed. So you can also have it.
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Conclusion
In the beginning, shifting mountain bike gear might seem a little bit complicated and can make you overwhelmed.
But once you get the hang of it, everything will become normal. So you just have to understand your bike’s gear system and learn to shift gears at the right time.
Plus, you need to master some techniques to make your ride smoother, more efficient, and more enjoyable.
If you are a beginner, you can practice everything that we have discussed throughout the article, like shifting depending on the terrain, such as downhill, flat, etc.
Large gear for high speed, such as for downhill riding, and for road use, you can use mid-range gear.
What gears should I use on my mountain bike?
It depends on the terrain; if you want speed for normal road or for downhill riding, then you can choose the large gear, while if you want to climb a hill or a flyover, you can choose the small gear.
Or if you just want to maintain a normal speed, like not too fast or slow, then keep the mid-gear.
Why is my mountain bike chain slipping when I pedal hard or uphill?
A few common reasons why the chain might be skipping when you pedal hard on the hill are cable tension (It might be loosely stretched), a Worn cassette and chain, the derailleur hanger might not be aligned properly, or there might be a clutch issue.
You can take a look at all these things and fix them,
How do I adjust my mountain bike gears?
You first want to adjust the smaller adjuster, which is located where the cable enters the derailleur (you can turn it clockwise to move the chain towards smaller cogs (higher gears) and counter-clockwise move it towards larger cogs (lower gears)
Besides this, you want to adjust the derailleur screw (H and L) as they control the derailleur’s reach, like how far it can go, and most importantly, don’t forget to adjust the cable.
What are the different types of mountain bike shifters and derailleurs, and which one is right for me?
There are two main types of grip shift (SRAM) and trigger shifts (Shimano)
A grip Shift is used to rotate the grip to change gear, and trigger shifters are used levers to move the chain up and down the cassette; plus, it also offers precise shifting and a tactile feel.
Now, it’s totally up to your personal performance; you can choose grip shift or trigger shifters for precision.
If we talk about derailleurs, there are different speed options (e.g., 9-speed, 10-speed, 11-speed, 12-speed) and different cage lengths (short, medium, long) depending on the cassette range.
If you choose a wider cassette range, it’ll provide more gear options, which is good for steep climbs and fast descents.
However, your local bike shop and friend circle can also help you choose the best derailleurs for your riding style and terrain.
Ali is the founder of Mountain Bike Insider and an passionate rider with years of hands-on experience in mountain biking. From testing gear to exploring trails, Ali writes based on real riding knowledge to help others make smart, safe, and enjoyable biking choices. Every guide is built on research, personal use, and a passion for the sport.
