Shifting is about the S's.

Surge, soft pedal, shift.

First you surge to give yourself momentum, then you can soft pedal without losing too much speed or ground. A surge just means 2-3 harder pedal strokes. The soft pedal, reduces the amount of torque on your chain and drive train. The soft pedal keeps you moving forward and at a similar pace, it just reduces torque and allows for smooth shifting!

Other things to consider for proper shifting:

Anticipation: Since I have taught you how to use your vision, you can be looking ahead and be able to anticipate is going to happen in the terrain ahead. You may need to shift into an easier or harder gear.

Cadence: Riders should aim to pedal around 60-90 rpm (revolutions per minute). If you watch the video, you’ll see what that looks like! A slower cadence (60 rpm) provides more power to accelerate but has less torque, so it’s harder to push the pedals. A faster cadence (90 rpm), provides less power to accelerate, but has more torque. Fluctuating your cadence in this range keeps you balanced and able to approach different sections of the trail as needed.

Efficiency: All of the concepts above are leading you to be efficient in your pedaling. The more efficient you are, the longer and farther you can ride!