OP
OP
david k
Hi
- Location
- North West
[sup]They seem to be in all road bikes now, did that happen in 1990, or was it an evolution thing?[/sup]
bike gears in brakes?
- Thread starter david k
- Start date
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youngoldbloke
The older I get, the faster I used to be ...
It was an evolutionary thing, filtering down from top end bikes. Much like we now have Shimano Di2 electronic* shifting on the highest spec race bikes, and it will no doubt be fitted to many lower level bikes over the next few years. As an example: I bought a Peugeot '525 Comp' road bike in 1992, the entry level but-one bike in a group of four models offered by Peugeot around that time. They all had Shimano gears - still with down tube (but indexed, by that time) shifters. The '531 Pro' had 105, the 'Optimum' RX100, mine Exage 500EX, and the 'Course', SIS. All were 14 speed, and they were certainly not cheap bikes (the '525 Comp' was £314.95, and I think that was with some discount). The combined shifters had not really reached the mass market by then. 10 speed cassettes are pretty much standard now, with 11 speed Campag filtering down. Inevitably technical innovations filter down - Carbon fibre forks are more or less standard now with alloy frames, except at the cheapest level, and brakes have improved beyond all recognition since the days of Weinmann and Mafac centre-pulls.
*Yes - electronic!
When were brake cables first hidden under the bar tape?
*Yes - electronic!
When were brake cables first hidden under the bar tape?
crumpetman
Well-Known Member
You can still buy new bikes (as in not second hand) with friction shifters on the downtube.
OP
OP
david k
Hi
- Location
- North West
great post youngoldbloke
electronic!!! gees
by indexed do you mean click in each gear? i remember them coming in and everyone thought they were great.now all cheap bikes have the shifter in the bar handles and they are rubbish! evolution as you say. . the one and only road bike i had used to have the brake levers on the tops as well as the drops.
the brakes now seem to be longer on the top, is that for extra room for your hands, was this a concious change?
electronic!!! gees
by indexed do you mean click in each gear? i remember them coming in and everyone thought they were great.now all cheap bikes have the shifter in the bar handles and they are rubbish! evolution as you say. . the one and only road bike i had used to have the brake levers on the tops as well as the drops.
the brakes now seem to be longer on the top, is that for extra room for your hands, was this a concious change?
youngoldbloke
The older I get, the faster I used to be ...
monkeypony
Active Member
We have a couple of Di2 equipped bikes in the workshop and I have to say, watching the front mech auto trim as you go up and down the block turns even the most hardened men into wide eyed, wide grinned youngsters.
As to wether we'll see it on mass market bikes is another thing. I somewhat doubt it.
As to wether we'll see it on mass market bikes is another thing. I somewhat doubt it.
2Loose
Guru
- Location
- Loughborough, Leicestershire.
Can you imagine charging your bike beside your mobile phone every night?
monkeypony
Active Member
Indeed. Then think about the piss taking you'll get when you forget to charge it and you loose the ability to shift half way through a club run
It also weighs more than normal Dura Ace and why oh why did they not make it fully wireless. Seems like a bit of a half step in bike evolution really.
Makes a very cool noise when you shift though
