Understanding your Road Bike Gears & Cadence

We live in the middle of a pretty big hill and most of our day-to-day rides start from our home. Meaning we are either starting or ending our ride with a climb. It becomes evident very early on in a climb whether or not you know how to use the bike gears. Mark often tried to explain it to me on the spot. It felt like trying to decode a secret language. 

It took me longer than I’d like to admit to remember how all my bike gears worked and how they worked together. Mark ended up writing it on a piece of tape on my handlebars – it was there for months.

I laugh about it now, but at the time, I was completely overwhelmed. So this post is about bike gears. But first things first…

Cadence — Finding Your Rhythm

Cadence is your pedalling speed, measured in revolutions per minute (RPM). Note that this is not how fast you are travelling, it’s how fast your feet are spinning. Most experienced cyclists aim for a cadence of 80–100 RPM, with recreational riders pedalling at 60-80 RPM. Cadence helps balance power and endurance. Focus on smooth and consistent pedalling. You shouldn’t be straining to turn the pedals, nor should your foot be whipping around each turn of the pedal. Finding your ideal cadence is finding your natural rhythm.

Why does it matter?

• Pedalling too slowly (because of a high gear) can put more strain on your muscles and joints.
• Pedalling too quickly can cause you to bounce in the saddle and waste energy.

Bike Gears and Cadence

Your bike’s gears aren’t just about speed — they’re tools to control your effort. 

Using your gears well helps you:

• Maintain a steady pace (cadence) on varying terrain.
• Protect your knees and muscles from overstrain.
• Ride longer and more comfortably.

Once I learned to use my gears to maintain a steady cadence, I stopped fatiguing so quickly and could ride longer without burning out my legs.

So now let’s dive into the gears…

Front Gears – the Chainrings

These are located on your right side, attached to your crankset (what your pedal is attached to). You might have one, two, or three chainrings.

Purpose: Major changes in resistance — think “big steps” in how hard or easy it feels to pedal.

Big chainring (outer ring):

• Harder to pedal but lets you go faster.
• Best for flats, descents, and when you’re moving at higher speeds.
  • If your cadence is too high, shift towards this gear. 
  • If your cadence is too low, shift out of this gear.

Small chainring (inner ring):

• Easier to pedal, but you’ll move more slowly.
• Perfect for climbing hills or when you’re tired.
  • If your cadence is too high, shift out of this gear.
  • If your cadence is too low, shift towards this gear.

Controlled by: I wish I could give you a standard answer for this, but each shifter/groupset shifts a bit differently. To figure yours out, go to a parking lot (or put your bike on a turbo trainer) and play with switching the right, left, big, and small shifters.

Rear Gears -the Cassette

The cassette is a stack of metal sprockets (called cogs) on your bike’s rear tire. You likely have many cogs.

Purpose: Fine-tunes your resistance — “minor adjustments” to keep your pedalling smooth and comfortable.

 Unfortunately, the sizing here is opposite to the front.

• Big cog (top of the cassette, closest to your bike):
  • Easier to pedal — helps with steep climbs, you’ll move more slowly
    • If your cadence is too high, shift out of this gear.
    • If your cadence is too low, shift towards this gear.
• Small cog (bottom of the cassette):
  • Harder to pedal — good for speed and descents.
    • If your cadence is too high, shift towards this gear. 
    • If your cadence is too low, shift out of this gear.

Controlled by: Again, I wish I could give you a standard answer for this, but each shifter/groupset shifts a bit differently. Go to a parking lot or put your bike on a turbo trainer to familiarize yourself with the functions of the right, left, big, and small shifters.

Other pieces:

• Derailleur – When you shift gears using the shifters, the derailleur moves laterally to push the chain onto the next cog (back derailleur) or chainring (front derailleur). The derailleur keeps tension in the chain and ensures it sits cleanly on the new gear.

Tips for Getting Comfortable Using Your Bike Gears

1. Practice somewhere quiet.
   Find a gentle hill or empty street and practice shifting both front and back gears without worrying about traffic.
2. Shift early.
   Anticipate hills and shift before you need to — it’s easier to shift while pedalling lightly than when you’re grinding uphill.
3. Cross-chaining.
   Avoid cross-chaining (big ring + big cog, or small ring + small cog). It stresses your drivetrain and makes pedalling inefficient [see 2nd & 3rd photo below]
4. Listen to your legs.
   Your legs will tell you when it’s time to shift. If it feels too hard to push, shift to an easier gear. If you’re spinning without resistance — shift harder.
5. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
   Every rider develops their own preferences. Some prefer a higher cadence, while others prefer a lower one. Play with different combinations until it feels right for you.

Final thoughts

It felt like a big step in my cycling journey when I realized I was ready to peel off that little note on my handlebars. But having it there got me through those first few months until shifting became second nature.
And that’s the beauty of cycling — once it clicks, everything changes (and you are on to the next skill). One day, you’re overthinking which gear to use, and the next, you’re gliding up hills without even realizing you shifted.

So if you’re new to it — give yourself grace, take it one gear at a time, and remember: the learning curve is part of the journey.

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Do you have any funny stories related to gears, shifting and figuring it all out? Share in the comments!

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