 for Beginners){kind=link}
Ever notice a weird grinding sound or felt a sudden stiffness when you're shifting? You might be "cross-chaining" without even realizing it. It’s a common habit that quietly beats up your drivetrain over time.
Basically, cross-chaining happens when your chain is pulled at an extreme angle. If you’re on your biggest gear in the front and the biggest in the back—or the smallest with the smallest—the chain isn't running straight. That extra stress wears out your gears way faster than it should. Check out the diagram below to see those angles in action; avoiding these will keep your ride a lot smoother.
This is a sample for a 24 speed or 3 x 8 Mountain Bike (MTB).
Proper High Gear Combinations
Heavy in pedaling (low cadence) but bike move fast (normally flat road).
Proper Medium Gear Combinations
Slight lighter than high gear, but bike move slower (normally leisure ride).
Proper Low Gear Combinations
Light in pedaling (high cadence) but the bike moves slow (normally slope or uphill).
Cadence = Pedaling Speed. Pedaling speed is depending on your leg's strength.
Gear Combinations to Avoid
Avoid these gear combinations as this puts additional stress on you bike components.
Gear Combinations For Beginner Riders
Medium gear. Put the middle gear constantly to [2] and just shift the rear gear [4 5 6]. You will feel slightly heavier when you shift the gear from 4 to 5 or 5 to 6.
- USJ CYCLES. (2013, June 18). How to use bike gears ? [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.usjcycles.com/news/how-to-use-bike-gears-effectively/.
- WickWërks LLC. (2018, March 19). Cross chaining – WickWerks [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://wickwerks.com/support/crosschaining/.
