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PART 1
d. Which gear should I be in?
138692 Rev 0 (04/22)
Section 4. Tech
GT Bicycle Owner’s Manual
2. How an internal gear hub drivetrain
works
If your bicycle has an internal gear hub
drivetrain, the gear changing mechanism will
consist of:
• a 3, 5, 7, 8, 12 speed or possibly an infinitely
variable internal gear hub
• one, or sometimes two shifters
• one or two control cables
• one front sprocket called a chainring
• a drive chain
a. Shifting internal gear hub gears
Shifting with an internal gear hub drivetrain is
simply a matter of moving the shifter to the
indicated position for the desired gear. After you
have moved the shifter to the gear position of
your choice, ease the pressure on the pedals for
an instant to allow the hub to complete the shift.
b. Which gear should I be in?
The numerically lowest gear (1) is for the
steepest hills. The numerically largest gear is for
the greatest speed.
Shifting from an easier, “slower” gear (like 1) to
a harder, “faster” gear (like 2 or 3) is called an
upshift. Shifting from a harder, “faster” gear to
an easier, “slower” gear is called a downshift. It
is not necessary to shift gears in sequence.
Instead, find the “starting gear” for the
conditions — 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 different gears. At first, practice
shifting where there are no obstacles, hazards or
other traffic, 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 difficulties with shifting, the
problem could be mechanical adjustment. See
your dealer for help.
c. What if it won’t shift gears?
If moving the shift control one click repeatedly
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 adjusted.
