Patent ID: 8746098

Claim:
A method of shifting gears with a gear shifting device includes: providing a gear shifting device, which includes: at least one guide rail each extending in a longitudinal axis thereof; four shift effecting members for shifting gears, the shift effecting members each having a terminal end portion with a finger receiving opening formed therein; and a shift shaft extending in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the guide rail, the shift shaft having a shift finger coupled thereto, wherein the terminal end portions of the four shift effecting members are disposed in an angularly arranged pattern, and wherein the finger receiving openings of two inner terminal end portions have an opening width which is larger than that of the finger receiving openings of two outer terminal end portions; rotating the shift shaft and pivotally positioning the shift finger at a location aligned to receive in the finger receiving opening of a selected one among the shift effecting members; and displacing the shift shaft in the longitudinal direction and moving the selected shift effecting member to effect a gear shifting operation.