Pedals - Giant Bicycles Owner's Manual

WARNING: Never shift a derailleur onto the largest or the smallest
sprocket if the derailleur is not shifting smoothly. The derailleur may be out
of adjustment and the chain could jam, causing you to lose control and fall.
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 or possibly 12 speed 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 (3, 5, 7 or 12, depending on the number of speeds of your hub) 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.
E. Pedals
1. Toe Overlap is when your toe can touch the front wheel when you turn
the handlebars to steer while a pedal is in the forwardmost position. This is
common on small-framed bicycles, and is avoided by keeping the inside
pedal up and the outside pedal down when making sharp turns. On any
bicycle, this technique will also prevent the inside pedal from striking the
ground in a turn.
WARNING: Toe Overlap could cause you to lose control and fall. Ask
your dealer to help you determine if the combination of frame size, crank
arm length, pedal design and shoes you will use results in pedal overlap.
Whether you have overlap or not, you must keep the inside pedal up and
the outside pedal down when making sharp turns.
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