SilverBack SCALERA 1 - Page 33

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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 eort, 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 eort, 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. Mov-
ing 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 (fig. 15) 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, find 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
dierent gear combinations. At first, practice shifting where there are no obstacles, hazards or
other trac, until you’ve built up your confidence. Learn to anticipate the need to shift, and shift
to a lower gear before the hill gets too steep. If you have diculties with shifting, the problem
could be mechanical adjustment. See your dealer for help.
WARNING: Never shift a de-
railleur 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 re-
peatedly 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 ad-
justed.
g.15