I cant get shifting chainrings right!

chris_bass

I'm probably not a noobie anymore but this is definitely a beginner question!

when shifting chainrings it always seems too big a jump, either it gets way too easy or too hard! I try shifting the rear gears at the same time to compensate but this doesnt always go smoothly!!

is there any technique to get this more evened out that may have passed me by?

ugo.santalucia

If you have a compact chainset, that is the case... if you have a standard, the jump is proportionally smaller. There is no trick... you'll have to trim the rear to match your cadence

zx6man

Chainrings have certain teeth too that aid pickup, so sometimes you hit the sweet spot.

keef66

I have a triple so the jumps between chainrings aren't as big as on a compact double, but I still have to shift a couple of sprockets at the back to maintain cadence. Practice and anticipation are key. That way you can perform your shifts in good time while backing off slightly. I frequently shift front and rear at the same time. If you leave it till the last second and try shifting under power you can come a cropper.

drlodge

Shifting front and back at the same time is a lot easier with Campag Ultra shift ;-) I do it all the time and am getting better at it, especially going from big-big to small-small when typically I need to shift 4 or 5 at once on the rear.

CiB

On a standard the jump from big ring to small ring & back is about the same as two or three gears in the opposite direction on the cassette. On a compact I'd imagine it's a bit more, maybe 3-4. Whatever, that's the answer - change at one end then compensate with the corresponding change at the other end once the first change is complete. I'd opt for changing up to a higher ratio then back down again to avoid spinning the legs out but it's up to you. Do one end, then do the other. Do it before you need to do it as well, otherwise you'll lose momentum and be trying to change gear under load and that doesn't work well usually..

Schoie81

I think its just a case of practice. When i first started cycling I tried changing front and back at the same time to compensate for the change, and frequently ended up with the chain jamming. But I can't remember the last time that happened now. I don't really give it much thought these days but I think when I'm ready to change the chainring on my compact, I change up one at the back first (making it briefly harder) then the chainring and another gear at the back at the same time (possibly the chainring very slightly before the back) and then another at the rear if necessary. Works for me and as I say, I can't remember the last time I had a problem...

alihisgreat

I'm on a Standard double, if I want to drop down to the 39 for an easier gear, I usually go up one or two gears on the back at the same time as dropping down onto the 39 at the front.

You just need to get a feel for your gears and figure out where the similar ratios lie on the two different chainrings. You can also do it by speed and say - OK I'm approaching a hill doing 23mph.. I know I can comfortably do 20mph on the 39 without cross-chaining too much, so I'll drop down to the 39 in anticipation of the hill, once I hit ~20mph.

drlodge

ALIHISGREAT wrote:

I'm on a Standard double, if I want to drop down to the 39 for an easier gear, I usually go up one or two gears on the back at the same time as dropping down onto the 39 at the front.

You just need to get a feel for your gears and figure out where the similar ratios lie on the two different chainrings. You can also do it by speed and say - OK I'm approaching a hill doing 23mph.. I know I can comfortably do 20mph on the 39 without cross-chaining too much, so I'll drop down to the 39 in anticipation of the hill, once I hit ~20mph.

Similar here...with my compact and 12-27 cassette, speeds between 15-20 can be done on either chainring, and changing chainrings before you need to is really beneficial.

cattytown

A the others say, I change at both ends at the same time. I'll normally go about 3 at the back.

Paul.