Practise Better Shifting

ANTICIPATE IT // When in doubt, shift before the terrain changes, especially on hills. Don’t wait until you can feel the incline kick in before you shift.

EASE UP // When you shift, keep pedalling but lighten up the pressure on the pedals, especially on hills – if you’re pushing hard or if you stop pedalling completely, the chain may skip or fall off.

DON’T CROSS-CHAIN // This is when the chain is at an extreme slant, either in the big ring up front and the biggest cog at the back, or the small ring up front and the small cog at the back. Cross-chaining not only stresses the hardware; it also limits your options if you need to shift again. In some cases, you’ll hear a clicking noise when you’re cross-chaining.