Bianchi Avenue

Question
Hi Robert,  

I recently bought a Bianchi Avenue that kind of looks like this one: http://www.bianchiusa.com/avenue.html

I have not been on a bike since I was five and twenty years later I want to ride again.

Did I buy a good bike (for commuting to school and the occasional off road adventure)?

Second question.... When climbing steep hills... is there a technique as to how and when to change gears?  Are gears exclusively for climbing?  Do I really need to have 21 of them?

Can you give me some tips on how to maintain my bike?

Thanks so much for your help,
Angie

Answer
I don't know much about different brands of bike.  

The 21 gears are for many shades of gray between high gear and low gear.  Less gears can mean bigger changes covering the range of gear change in larger increments.  

Also the gear range can vary with bikes.  Gear range would be the difference between the highest gear and the lowest gear.

Gears are for more than just going up hill.  Going agains wind can be like going up hill.  Lower gears make it easier to peddle, but slower.  Higher gears turn the back wheel faster, per peddle stroke, but one must puch harder on the peddles.  The best gear to be in is detemnined, at least in my opinion, by feel.  What seems easiest for the terrain.  It doesn't have to be exact.  Just ride and see what feels best when shifting.  It is sort of by feel; experimental and intuitive.

To shift it is best to take pressure off peddles and shift only while peddling lightly.  This makes it hard to shift going up a hill.  I try to plan ahead and shift down to lower gears before I get into the hill.  

Before shifting, one can peddle a bit harder and speed up.  Then use the bike's momentum to be able to keep going while lightening up on the peddles.  Shift by peddling with out putting much pressure on the peddle.

On some hills I get caught in too low a gear.  Since one can't shift when putting pressure on the peddles, I have to stop, turn around and go down the hill a bit.  While coasting down one can shift by not putting much pressure on the peddles.  One must peddle, but just peddle lightly.  After it gets into the lower gear, I turn around and head up the hill again.

When shifting one must be peddling, but peddling lightly.  More pressure on the peddle makes it hard to shift.  

Peddle lightly while shifting.

Robert