How to Shift Gears on a Mountain Bike | Beginner’s MTB Guide

In order to ride efficiently, you shall be familiar with the gears of the bicycle. If you can shift the gears easily and swiftly, only then the bike will run in a good manner. The present guide is on How to shift gears on a Mountain bike is for the people, who are new to mountain biking and are searching for good points to learn.

If you are among the fellow riders keen to learn mountain biking, then here are the beginning lessons which you shall always keep in mind.

Before proceeding with How to Shift Gears on a Mountain Bike, you shall know about its various parts!

Below given are some of the components you shall be careful about while changing the gears. If you wish to enjoy a pleasant ride of a Mountain bike, then it is very much necessary for you to know How to Shift Gears on a Mountain Bike. Hence, go through the components and understand them!

1. Shifters

The shifters are the equipment with the help of which you will decide the gear as well as speed level of your bike. At present, there are two types of shifters available in the mountain bikes. One is the thumb shifter which operates with the help of your thumb. You just have to press the shifter with your thumb and it will change the gear. Whereas, the other type of the shifter includes grip shifters.

In the grip shifter, you have to use your whole hand so as to shift the gears on a mountain bike. Here, the shifter is located nearby the accelerator, where you place your hand. Applying the force through your hand, you can twist the shifter and set the gears with an ease.

2. Derailleurs

The derailleur gear system of the bicycle consists of the chain, sprockets as well as the operating mechanism of the bicycle. Perhaps, the main function of the derailleur is to move the chain from the bottom. This causes the movements of the chain in between the sprockets. As a result, the gears of the bicycle will change easily without any kind of issues.

3. Chain

The chain is perhaps the driving mechanism of the bicycle. Without the chain, the bicycle wouldn’t move a single inch. It is a component connected with the pedals and the rear wheel. When we pedal the bike, the chain causes the movement in the rear wheel. As a result, the bicycle will move forward. Even the speed of the bicycle is dependent on the speed at which we move the chain and the pedals.

4. Chain Rings

The chainrings are the component on which the chain is mounted. They cause the movement of the chain on them which in turn is the reason responsible for the bicycle’s movement. Therefore, we have to be careful about the chainrings and their quality while buying the bicycle. This would let the bicycle function properly without any types of glitches.

How to Shift Gears on a Mountain Bike – Things you must always take care of

Here are some additional things you need to take care of while shifting the gears on a Mountain bike. With the help of all these points, riding the bicycle will become extremely convenient for you.

Lubrication of Components

In order to reduce the friction in between the components, we shall provide sufficient amount of lubrication to them. With the proper lubrication, the components move freely without any kind of obstacle to their performance. Hence, we will be getting a good movement between them.

Understanding the Mechanism

Prior to start moving your mountain bike, it is pretty much necessary for you to understand the mechanism on which your bike operates. There are different types of mechanisms employed when operating a mountain bike. While the gear system is completely dependent on the mechanism, it is very much necessary to understand it first so as to get familiar with the gears.

Don’t Force the Components

One thing that we have to be sure about is not to overload the components of the bicycle. If anything is not working out properly, in such case, rather than putting force on it, you have to check it out that what is the issue with the component. Overloading the components in such case might result in their breakdown. Hence, we have to deal lightly while changing the gears of the mountain bike.

Listen to the Noise

While you are riding on your mountain bike and you notice any unfamiliar noise, then it becomes very much necessary for you to be careful about that noise. If any of the components of the mountain bike is prone to failure, it starts making noise. This will make us aware of the uncertainty and we can escape from the upcoming danger.

We hope that with the present comprehensive guide on How to shift gears on a Mountain Bike will be helpful to you in getting familiar with the gear system. For reading more such articles and getting more valuable information about bikes, keep reading our articles on Noomadbike. 

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