To ask how to ride my bike?

[JellySlice]

Such a daft question, I'm almost embarrassed to ask!

I got on my bike today, for the first time in years, and I can't remember how to change gears.

I remember that you start on a low number, go up the numbers to go faster, and down the numbers as you go uphill.

But the left handlebar has gears 1-2-3, and the right handlebar has gears 1-2-3-4-5-6.

How do I combine left and right?

You've got 18 gears. Start at 1-1 through to 1-6, then 2-1 etc

Start with 1 on left, then work your way up through 1-6 on the right. When you get to 6, go up to 2 on the left. Does that make sense?

I would also like to know this my son just got a bike with this and I have no idea how it works.

Makes me feel old as my old bike only had 123 on one bar.

Your bike has two sets of gearing - a low/medium/high on the left, and then on the right control you have 1-6 gears in each of those. So grinding up a steep hill, you'd have 1 on the left, 1 on the right for instance to give you your very lowest gear. Then as it flattened out, go up on the right to maybe 4, and then change to 2 on the left

Start with 1 on left, then work your way up through 1-6 on the right. When you get to 6, go up to 2 on the left. Does that make sense?

If I go (L-R) 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 1-5, 1-6, when I go up to 2 on the left I'll end up on 2-6. How do I get from 1-6 to 2-1?

I can't even ride a bike but I'm following this because I'm intrigued! It sounds unnecessarily confusing!

1-1 will be for inclines. If you start on that on a flat surface your legs will be spinning like a hamster in a wheel.

3-6 will be for wizzing down hills.

Try starting on something like 2-3 and work from there.

As you change up from say 1-6 move both gears at the same time. You may find depending on the gears that the 1-6 can be dropped by 3 at a time with a long push. So you can go from 1-6 to say 2-3 at the same time.

Unless you live on a steep hill, start off with the front middle gear and back middle gear. If it's hard work change down a few gears until it feels right.
1 and 1 will be the easiest to turn and usually used to get up a steep hill.
You can turn the bike upside down and spin the pedals by hand to get the gears in the right starting place.

Look online at the videos Sustrans have produced - think there's one about gears. Also look for local groups for help with training.

www.sustrans.org.uk
bikeability.org.uk/