Pedal backwards?

My friend says that if you pedal forwards on a bike while changing gears, it can wreck them. He recommends pedaling backwards. Does this work?

If you have internal gears (in the hub) you should STOP pedalling or at the very least release the pressure on the pedals.

If you have derailleur gearing you MUST PEDAL FORWARD as you shift.

You should never pedal backwards if you can help it- shifting or not.

He must be an idiot. Pedal forward.

Pedal forward, but lightly. The best thing to do is to pedal hard just before you shift, back off on your pedaling force so that it is very light, and then engage the shifter. After the chain moves, you start pedaling hard again. This becomes second nature very quickly.

HTH

No, it will just make it worse. Actually, you do need to be pedaling forward to change gears, the gears won't change if you aren't operating the drivetrain.

Now, make sure you're not changing gears while you have a lot of pressure on the gears. For example, if you're climbing and smash, smash, smach the pedals, and find that you need to lower your gears, pedal slower and shift, and then continue pedaling.

Depends on the type of gears and possibly brakes fitted.

On most hub geared bicycles, yes, you should back-pedal while changing gear. Changing while pedalling normally may cause wear to the hub gear mechanism.

On bicycles with derailuer gears, the opposite applies. It is only possible to change gear while pedalling forwards, and if you pedal backwards while changing the chain will probably drop off - this is unlikely to cause serious damage, but you may get oilly putting it back on.

On a few types of continental cycles with hub rear brakes, pedaling backwards applies the brake.

When you change gears on a bicycle, you should be forward pedaling. That is how the gear shift is designed. Pedaling backwards can damage the shifter, gears, and chain. You should ease up on your pedaling as you shift, however. Too hard could potentially cause undue wear.

Hi,
Yeah..all these answers are right!
Jake