srp 29, 2024

How to shift gears on KOOTU road bike?

The main purpose of shifting gears on a road bike is to adjust the pedaling resistance and frequency according to different terrains, road conditions and riding intensity to maintain riding efficiency, save physical energy and improve riding comfort. Specifically, shifting gears has the following important functions:

1. Adapting to different terrains

Uphill: When climbing, shift to a lighter gear (small front sprocket and large rear flywheel gear) to reduce pedaling resistance and make riding easier. This can avoid excessive force and fatigue too quickly.

Flat road and downhill: On flat roads or downhill, shift to a heavier gear (large front sprocket and small rear freewheel gear) to increase pedaling resistance to maintain a high speed and a stable pedaling frequency.

2. Improve riding efficiency

By choosing the right gear, you can maintain a moderate pedaling frequency (usually 70-100 revolutions per minute), which helps riders ride with the best power output efficiency. Too heavy a gear will lead to excessive force and fatigue, while too light a gear will lead to too high a pedaling frequency and inability to maintain speed.

3. Save energy

Proper gear shifting can help riders save energy, especially in long-distance or mountain biking. By choosing the right gear, riders can avoid unnecessary physical exertion and maintain a stable output for a longer period of time.

4. Protect bicycle parts

Proper gear shifting can reduce the wear of the chain, freewheel and derailleur, and extend the service life of the parts. For example, avoiding excessive tilt of the chain (i.e., cross-chain) can reduce the wear of the chain and gears.

Introduction to the gear shifting lever

This shift part at the front of a road bike combines the brake and shift functions. You brake by squeezing the entire shift lever backwards. For derailleur function, the left hand controls the front derailleur and the right hand controls the rear derailleur.

How to shift gears on a KOOTU road bike?

The left side controls the front derailleur. Pressing the shift lever adjusts the large chainwheel, and pressing the thumbshifter adjusts the small chainwheel. The right side controls the freewheel. Pressing the shift lever increases the freewheel, and pressing the thumbshifter decreases the freewheel.

When riding on a flat road, only need to adjust the right side to adjust the freewheel. The function of adjusting the chainwheel on the left side is generally used when climbing. The purpose of adjusting the freewheel is to maintain our cadence (usually controlled at around 90). The larger the freewheel, the less force we need to maintain a cadence of 90 times, and the smaller the freewheel, the greater the force required to maintain a cadence of 90 times. If you adjust the freewheel to the maximum and still feel tired when upward, you can adjust the left side to use a small chainwheel, and the cadence will become much faster. If you feel that you are stepping on air at this time, Turn the freewheel down a bit until you feel smooth.

When encountering headwind, pedaling will become laborious, and you need to adjust the freewheel to a larger gear. When going downhill, you have to adjust to use a large chainring. There is a risk of stepping on air when using a small chainring when going downhill. Because the slope of the downhill slope increases, the riding speed will be very fast, and there is still a risk of stepping on air at this time, so you need to adjust the freewheel to a smaller gear to increase the pedaling feeling.