Shifting (Gears)

Smokeyskelton

Quick noob question.

I have the new Shmano Sora shifters on my road bike ie built into the brake levers.

For shifting the rear gears I click / press the rearmost shifter to shift into a higher / harder gear and to move down I move the front shifter (easier gear).

The opposite is the case for shifting the front chainring ie pressing the rear shifter moves me o nto the small chain ring and the front shifter moves onto the big chain ring.

Is it normal that moving up / down gears is the opposite way round?

Thanks.

TheBlaaMan

Smokeyskelton wrote: »

Quick noob question.

I have the new Shmano Sora shifters on my road bike ie built into the brake levers.

For shifting the rear gears I click / press the rearmost shifter to shift into a higher / harder gear and to move down I move the front shifter (easier gear).

The opposite is the case for shifting the front chainring ie pressing the rear shifter moves me o nto the small chain ring and the front shifter moves onto the big chain ring.

Is it normal that moving up / down gears is the opposite way round?

Thanks.

Yes. It is a bit confusing, but think of it in terms of the big/brake lever tightening the respective cable and the smaller thumb-shift as releasing the tension on the cable. Take a look at what is happening to the derailleurs as you activate the levers and it should make more sense

Smokeyskelton

Thanks very much for the info. I suppose it makes sense (sort of!)

This forum is a great information resource for a noob like myself. Thanks to everyone for all I've learned from lurking, and especially to TheBlaaMan.

Dotsie~tmp

Something ive noticed too (Im new with a new bike, sora shifters and sora RD). If in in the "easy" gears on front and rear rings. and I go up to the hardest rear gear on the easy front ring I can hear some slight touch of the chain on the front derailer. Also If im on the hard front ring and set the easiest rear ring I again get very sligh front touching in the opposite sense on the front derailer. The is an image in the manual which shows these configurations (almost like the form an x superimposed with the chains) that has a big X through them, i suppose saying not ideal.

Im presuming that on the front easy ring you should use the first 6 (of 9) or so rear easy rings and then shift to the harder front ring and pick up from mayve the 3rd rear to the 9th. Sorry if i havent use the correct terms.

dave_o_brien

Dotsie~tmp wrote: »

Something ive noticed too (Im new with a new bike, sora shifters and sora RD). If in in the "easy" gears on front and rear rings. and I go up to the hardest rear gear on the easy front ring I can hear some slight touch of the chain on the front derailer. Also If im on the hard front ring and set the easiest rear ring I again get very sligh front touching in the opposite sense on the front derailer. The is an image in the manual which shows these configurations (almost like the form an x superimposed with the chains) that has a big X through them, i suppose saying not ideal.

Im presuming that on the front easy ring you should use the first 6 (of 9) or so rear easy rings and then shift to the harder front ring and pick up from mayve the 3rd rear to the 9th. Sorry if i havent use the correct terms.

Yeah, it's called cross chaining. Basically it stretches the chain, causing increased wear to both the chain and cassette, or rear gears.