101 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SHIFTING

TIPS, TRICKS AND FACTOIDS RELATING TO BICYCLE DRIVETRAINS.

- MATT PHILLIPS

The drivetrain on your bicycle translates pedalling into forward motion. It helps us travel great distances, and make a short trip across town. It enables high-speed sprints and long, arduous climbs. The individual parts of a drivetrainchain, cogs, hub, derailleurs, crank and shifters are found on everything from kids’ bikes to World Cup race machines. The components can be extremely simple or highly complex; but to many of us, their care and function remain a mystery. Whether you're a seasoned veteran or fresh to cycling, you’ll find something over the next 18 pages that will change how you think about your bike - and help you become a better rider.

1 The front half of a bicycle’s drivetrain employs a chain ring (or chain rings) mounted to the crank. The rear half consists of a cog (or cogs). The chain ring (often shortened to ‘ring’) and cog are linked by a chain that transfers power from the rider’s legs turning the cranks to the rear wheel.

2 The size of a chain ring or cog is denoted by its number of teeth (sometimes abbreviated to T).

3 Bicycle drivetrains are designated by ‘speed’. Years ago, a bike with two chain rings and five cogs was called a ‘ten-speed’. In modern speak, speed does not refer to the total number of gear combinations provided by a bike’s chain rings and cogs, but simply the number of cogs. So, the current iteration of Shimano 105 is called a 12-speed drivetrain even though there are 24 possible combinations (2 chain rings and 12 cogs).

4 Modern drivetrains are designated 1x (one-by) or 2x (two-by). This means the number of chain rings on the crank: 1x means one chain ring, and 2x means two. 3x (or triple) cranks exist, but are rare on new bikes.