| Accessories | Bicycles | Parts | Specials | Tools |
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Articles about Gears and Drivetrains
by Sheldon "Shifty" Brown
| Accessories | Bicycles | Parts | Specials | Tools |
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| New! Online Gear Calculator | For cyclists who are not mathphobes. |
You can calculate gain ratios, gear inches, or meters development. with my Online Gear Calculator or with your Slide Rule
| Gear Shifting | For beginner or intermediate cyclists. |
Everything You Wanted To Know About Shifting Your Bicycle's Gears,
But Were Afraid To Ask.This is an introduction to gear shifting, and the basics of how a derailer works. How, why and when to shift gears.
| Derailer Adjustment | A step-by-step guide for the home or shop mechanic. |
How to adjust your bicycle's derailers for smooth, reliable shifting.
| Cables | A guide for the home or shop mechanic. |
Many shifting problems are not the fault of the derailer, but result from poorly installed, damaged or corroded control cables.
| Chains | Something for everybody, from the beginner to the experienced mechanic. |
Chain maintenance and lubrication, with illustrations of how chains and sprockets wear.Warning: contains un-provable opinions on one of the most controversial subjects in cycling.
| Shimano Cassettes | For the intermediate/advanced cyclist. |
Most new bicycles of good quality use Shimano "freehubs" for the rear hub, the heart of the gear shifting system. This article explains why, and lists all of of the available clusters. If you want to customixe your gearing to fit your riding style and terrain, this will show you what your options are.
| Seven Speed Hubs | For the commuter or utility cyclist. |
Derailers are not the only option for multi-speed bicycles. Remember 3-speeds? Now you can have a 7-speed with the same easy, reliable internal gearing.This page lists the gear ratios of the 3 different brands of 7-speed hubs currently available.
| Fixed Gears | For the active, vigorous cyclist. |
Are you sure you need a bicycle with gears? The purest, simplest kind of bicycle is the fixed-gear bicycle. Riding a fixed gear will make you a stronger, smoother cyclist...and it is a ton of fun!
| Gain Ratios | For gear-head techno-nerds only! |
A new and different way to calculate your bicycle's gears, and to compare the gears of one bicycle with those of another.
| Straightening Chainwheels | For the advanced home mechanic or shop mechanic. |
If your chainwheels are bent, your front derailer can't work properly. This short article deals with strategies for straightening them out.
| Automatic Shifting | For the home or shop mechanic. |
Does your bike shift by itself when you try to climb hills? This article will tell you why, and help you make it behave itself.
Servicing Freewheels | For the advanced home mechanic or shop mechanic with too much time on his or her hands. |
I don't recommend taking freewheels apart, but if you really want to do it, here's how.
| Sheldon Brown's Bicycle Glossary | For all cyclists. |
An encyclopedic listing of bicycle lore, technical data and opinions.
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