How to shift gears on a bike? Master the derailleur with Rockeeon!

Before you start flipping, learn to control your superbike perfectly. You can only achieve this by riding regularly – and if you practice honestly, it will come naturally. And how do you know when you've got it? You'll have perfect control of these 3 important superpowers:

1. Keeping your balance – WEEEE! As soon as you start riding your bike, hold the handlebars with both hands and turn them in the direction you want to go. Every superhero like you is born with a sense of balance! So don't be afraid, relax and pedal!

2. Smooth pedaling – WHOOOSH! Your legs are like a motor. Pedal in a nice circle and nothing will stop you. Plus, the speed helps you keep your balance.

3. Using the brakes – SCREECHEH! Once you have the speed in your little finger, you'll need the brakes! Use both, but squeeze the front one really gently.

The best way to learn all this is on a balance bike and on FÍHA children's bikes up to size 16. A balance bike will teach you how to maintain balance and make friends with the hand brake. A pedal bike is a higher level - here you need to really get into the pedals and use both brakes properly to control the speed. Train hard so that you can learn the biggest trick soon!

Are you all set yet? Let's move on! SWISSH!

Single speed is great, but what if you need to go up a hill or want to whizz down a straight and overtake all your friends and parents? KA-BOOM – that's exactly why you have a derailleur on your bike! And now we're going to tell you step by step how to use it.

The FÍHA 20 children's bike has a whopping 8 gears, which are controlled by the shifter on the right side of the handlebars. You can control them with the thumb and index finger of your right hand. When a hill or more challenging terrain approaches, you can use your thumb to shift to a lighter gear - and when you want to go rocket-powered, you can use your index finger to select a faster gear and race against the wind!

Before you set off, try out how the gearshift works. First, press the lower gear lever with your index finger – this will shift to fast. Now press the upper lever with your thumb – this will shift to a lighter gear so that you can go uphill more easily and your legs won't hurt from the effort.

Do you know how to do it? It's high time to match your shifting to your pedaling!

Now it's time to get serious! Get ready for mastery – balancing, pedaling, braking and shifting all at once! Remember the most important tip: always turn your legs when you shift gears so the chain can jump to another gear.

Even this superpower requires a bit of practice. Again, the golden rule is that the more you ride, the better you'll get.

SSSST! Want to master the derailleur like a master? I'll tell you a few of my secret tricks that helped me learn how to shift gears while pedaling.

1. When shifting, ease up – When you shift, don't stop pedaling, but put less pressure on the pedals.
2. Do you hear a click? – This means the chain has shifted to a different gear. Now you can start working again!
3. Start off in a light gear – You already have a nice range of gears to choose from, but always use a light gear for starting off. And that’s why…
4. Shift to a lighter gear before stopping – Before you stop your bike, learn to shift to a lighter gear with your thumb. It will be easier to get going when you get back on the bike.
5. Shift before a hill – Is a hill approaching? Use your thumb to shift to a lighter gear before you hit it.

Don't worry if you don't get it right at first - it took me a while to get the hang of it and get the gears moving smoothly. But remember: real superheroes never give up! YAH-HOO!

Choose a straight or gentle slope without obstacles in the way and start practicing. At first , enlist the help of your parents or more experienced friends and ask them to show you how to shift gears before you ride the bike. At least during your first attempts, they should be nearby to make sure that nothing happens to you. Safe cycling is essential!

Use light gears when starting and climbing hills, heavier gears can give you a good start on the straights and when going downhill. Ask more experienced cyclists to keep an eye on you when you're riding fast.

Whenever you don't know what to do, call me: "Rockeeone, help!" You will hear a lightning-fast "SSWISHH!" and I will come flying in a moment on my superbike. When you become a master of the derailleur, test your new superpower on a trip with your parents or friends! And remember: every hero trains honestly and with joy! YIPEEE!

A derailleur is a magical tool that will open the door to a lot of new adventures. Just train hard, don't be afraid of failure and KA-POW! Before long , you'll be effortlessly mastering uphills, downhills and straightaways like a true hero in the saddle. So what do you say, let's get started? I'm looking forward to racing together - who will be faster? YEEE-HAA!