I have a Specialized Hard Rock 21 speed that I bought new in 1994. Never rode it much and it has been stored until last fall.
I put new tires/tubes on and took it into a shop last fall for a general overhaul. They replaced the rear shift control, cleaned/lubed frt control, new cables ect.
What I need to know is the proper shifting method when riding it. Owners manual doesn't say a word.
Do I start with the front in 1st and go through all 7 on the rear then front 2 and repeat on the rear 7, ect?
Can I shift while pedaling or do I need to pause to shift?

Given I am 66 yrs old I will not ever be doing ANY extreme riding. Just local roads, gravel & pavement. Maybe a few "paths".

Just a general rule of thumb idea would help.

I have the same model, but newer. I usually just leave the front sprocket in the middle and shift the rear. I am in no way an expert though.

Easy: from stop, going up a hill
Front - Small Ring
Rear - Big Ring

Harder: increased speed or more power
Front - Big Ring
Rear - Small Ring

Changing gears while pedaling is fine.

You do not have to go in sequence.

There is really no wrong way, just what is comfortable in terms of effort.

If you aren't riding up steep inclines, you could probably get away with being in the middle or big ring up front and shifting the rear. You generally only use the smallest "granny" ring when you are doing pretty hard climbing.

The only other advice is it is better to spin the pedals faster with less effort, than going hard and slow. Pick the gear combo that gives you this, and don't be afraid to shift often to keep you in the zone you are comfortable with.
Easier on the knees.

quote:

Originally posted by lkdr1989:
Changing gears while pedaling is fine.

Just let up on the pedals a little when shifting.

I think you'll find that there may be a large degree of overlap in the gear ratios between the possible combinations you have.

I usually start with the chain on the front middle ring in the middle (if 3 rings; larger ring if 2 rings) and the largest rear ring. And then go from there.

I usually keep the chain on the front middle ring (or larger ring if only 2) and just shift the rears. I'll shift to the smaller front ring for steeper / longer uphills and larger front ring for downhills.

Agree with the other poster. Front middle ring stays and change the back to what is comfortable. You will probably be just fine. Occasionally on a large hill you may need the smaller front gear. Likewise you may want the larger front gear if you are hauling butt down a hill, but most likely the middle gear will meet your needs. Don't think of it like a motorcycle or car transmission, you don't roll through the gears.

Think of the rear ring as "on the fly shifting" as in you can shift up or down as needed for the immediate conditions.
The front ring is your "situational range". Shift while pedaling, before you get into the situation of needing to shift the rear gears.

I have a 3x7 21 speed bike.
I use the Middle Ring most often, mostly flat off road paths.
I use the small ring if I'm going on steeper trails, or ones with lots of debris that I'll have to traverse over.
I use the large ring if I'm riding on roads or a flat downhill track.

One note, my bike doesn't do well crossing the chain, i.e. going from the outside large ring on the front to the inside large ring on the rear, or vise versa.