Resolve to: Shift gears

As the new year approaches, we'll be going through several cycling resolutions to help make 2011 your best year ever on two wheels. First up? Resolve to learn how to shift your bicycle's gears. One of the most frequently-asked questions we get in the stores is "How do I know what gear I'm supposed to be in?" Even avid bicyclists are sometimes confused about how and when they should shift -- we've seen people riding the MS 150 using just a small fraction of their 27 gears.

If that sounds like you or someone you know, we recently added a helpful video to our website's bicycling tips archives called "How to Select the Right Gear" that does an excellent job of clearly explaining how bicycle gears works and how to shift them. Click here to view the video.

You can also find more information about shifting gears in "5 Tips: Climbing Hills," a blog post I wrote back in April. Let's face it -- most of time you'll be shifting because you've come to a hill (and Ohio is far hillier than people realize!). I address several key issues, including the perils of downshifting too soon and the benefits of keeping one gear in reserve.