Focus Bikes bicycle - Page 19

36 Focus Bicycles - Bicycle Owner’s Manual
Tech 37
2. How An Internal Gear Hub Drivetrain Works
If your bicycle has an internal gear hub drivetrain, the gear changing mechanism
will consist of:
•a3,5,7,8,12speedorpossiblyaninnitelyvariableinternalgearhub
•one,orsometimestwoshifters
•oneortwocontrolcables
•onefrontsprocketcalledachainring
•adrivechain
a. Shifting internal gear hub gears
Shifting with an internal gear hub drivetrain is simply a matter of moving the
shifter to the indicated position for the desired gear ratio. After you have moved
the shifter to the gear position of your choice, ease the pressure on the pedals
for an instant to allow the hub to complete the shift.
b. Which gear should I be in?
The numerically lowest gear (1) is for the steepest hills. The numerically larg
t gear is for the greatest speed.
Shifting from an easier, “slower” gear (like 1) to a harder, “faster” gear (like 2 or
3) is called an upshift. Shifting from a harder, “faster” gear to an easier, “slower”
gear is called a downshift. It is not necessary to shift gears in sequence. Instead,
nd the “starting gear” for the conditions — a gear which is hard enough for
quick acceleration but easy enough to let you start from a stop without wobbling
— and experiment with upshifting and downshifting to get a feel for the different
gears. At rst, practice shifting where there are no obstacles, hazards or other
trafc, until you’ve built up your condence. Learn to anticipate the need to shift,
and shift to a lower gear before the hill gets too steep. If you have difculties
with shifting, the problem could be mechanical adjustment. See your dealer for
help.
c. What if it won’t shift gears?
If moving the shift control one click repeatedly fails to result in a smooth shift
to the next gear chances are that the mechanism is out of adjustment. Take the
bike to your dealer to have it adjusted.
b. Shifting the Rear Derailleur
The rear derailleur is controlled by the right shifter.The function of the rear
derailleur is to move the drive chain from one gear sprocket to another. The
smaller sprockets on the gear cluster produce higher gear ratios. Pedaling in the
higher gears requires greater pedaling effort, but takes you a greater distance
with each revolution of the pedal cranks. The larger sprockets produce lower
gear ratios. Using them requires less pedaling effort, but takes you a shorter
distance with each pedal crank revolution. Moving the chain from a smaller
sprocket of the gear cluster to a larger sprocket results in a downshift. Moving
the chain from a larger sprocket to a smaller sprocket results in an upshift. In
order for the derailleur to move the chain from one sprocket to another, the rider
must be pedaling forward.
c. Shifting the Front Derailleur:
The front derailleur, which is controlled by the left shifter, shifts the chain
between the larger and smaller chainrings. Shifting the chain onto a smaller
chainring makes pedaling easier (a downshift). Shifting to a larger chainring
makes pedaling harder (an upshift).
d. Which gear should I be in?
The combination of largest rear and
smallest front gears (g. 16) is for the
steepest hills. The smallest rear and
largest front combination is for the
greatest speed. It is not necessary to
shift gears in sequence. Instead, nd
the “starting gear” which is right for
your level of ability — a gear which is
hard enough for quick acceleration but
easy enough to let you start from a stop
without wobbling — and experiment with
upshifting and downshifting to get a feel
for the different gear combinations. At
rst, practice shifting where there are no obstacles, hazards or other trafc, until
you’ve built up your condence. Learn to anticipate the need to shift, and shift
to a lower gear before the hill gets too steep. If you have difculties with shifting,
the problem could be mechanical adjustment. See your dealer for help.
WARNING: Never shift a derailleur onto the largest or the smallest
sprocket if the derailleur is not shifting smoothly. The derailleur may
be out of adjustment and the chain could jam, causing you to lose
control and fall.
e. What if it won’t shift gears?
If moving the shift control one click repeatedly fails to result in a smooth shift
to the next gear chances are that the mechanism is out of adjustment. Take the
bike to your dealer to have it adjusted.