How to Change Gears With Drop Handlebars

Road bikes, as well as some hybrids and cyclocross bikes, are usually outfitted with drop handlebars. Drop handlebars give you multiple hand positions, allowing for increased comfort and versatility in body positioning. Users of mountain bikes often find drop handlebar shifters daunting, since their position is less intuitive than the Grip Shift and Shimano RapidFire trigger shifters that usually adorn most off-road bikes.

Instructions

    • 1

      Keep pedaling as you prepare to shift gears. The gears have to be spinning in order for the chain to glide from one gear to another.

    • 2

      Place your hands on the hoods of the drop handlebar. The hood is the protruding segment of the drop handlebar; placing your hands on the hoods allows for the most precise shifts and utmost stability on the bike. The optimal way to grasp the hoods is to allow each hood to sit between the thumbs and index fingers of each hand; your thumbs should be located toward the middle of the handlebar, with your other fingers free to flap the exterior side of the shift levers.

    • 3

      Use your left shifter to move your front derailleur; pushing in the large lever moves your chain to the large chain ring, while smaller lever pushes the chain down to the small front chain ring.

    • 4

      Use the right shifter to maneuver your rear derailleur; push the rear lever to move the chain up the rear cogs, while the small lever moves the chain down the rear cogs.