Shifting Gears?

Question

When you shift gears (from low to high, or vice versa) on a bicycle when you need to shift both front and rear gears, Is it better to shift the front derailleur first or the rear derailleur first? Or is it merely a matter of personal preference?

Answer 1

I find it is best to shift from small front to big front when I am in the middle of my rear cluster.  That's where the chain line has the least deviation.

If I'm in the largest possible gear in the back, I need to shift down toward the middle before shifting in the front.  If I'm in the smaller range in the rear, I need to shift up toward the middle before I shift down.

If I don't, I have a good possibility of dropping my chain or having difficulties shifting.

Answer 2

It's dependent on current and upcoming terrain and what gears I'm currently in and whether I'm currently over or under geared. I sounds a little complicated and I admit takes lots of practice.

Most performance and race cyclists shift according to the best, most efficient scenario as I weakly explained.

Basically, I shift to attempt to keep myself in a reasonable cadence while preparing for the trend in upcoming terrain to maintain speed. All this is done within the scope of good shifting practices, IE not cross chaining, allowing the front to shift well etc.