Dumb newbie road bike gears question

[Alan Whicker]

My brother - a veteran MTB rider - has just this afternoon taken delivery of a Spesh Allez Triple. He's never ridden a road bike before, and he's got a question before he takes it out tomorrow morn' - them brake levers: pushing them in is part of the gear system isn't it? (he's clear bout the top shifters). He also appreciates that this is probably a laughably daft question...

Thanks in advance (and any other tips gratefully recieved)

 

[ianrauk]

they are indeed. Push the whole brake lever to go up into the low gears, the small lever to go down into the high ones.
The left hand levers are for the front crankset gears, the right lever for the rear gears.

 

[I am Spartacus]

Tip .. go practise on a quiet flat road..
if he is familiar with Shimano rapid fire as a vet MTBer, then using STI is same principle.
Does he know how twitchy a road bike is in comparision to MTB?
If not, he gonna find out big style

 

[Willo]

Have the same bike and easy to use; and the thumb lever is particularly convenient for when riding with hands on the brake hoods (which is where my hands are most of the time when I want to change gears).

Not a silly question in my book; as a recent convert to a road bike I didn't realise when I took mine for a test spin - just used the thumb lever and couldn't then work out how to change the gears in the opposite direction Things have moved on since my last road bike with the 2 levers on the frame. Seems to me to be one of the most significant innovations since I were a lad and not having to move your hands really improves control.

 

[Willo]

p.s. echo that Spartacus - being used to my heavy old mountain bike I got quite a shock when I gently pushed down on the pedal and shot off down the road!

 

[Broadside]

I've got a Specialized with the same gear setup as the Allez Triple. It takes a couple of miles to get used to it but after that he will find them very very convenient and easy to use.

 

[BrumJim]

Tried one out in the bike shop:
Owner:
"And to change down, you push the brake lever in."
Me:
"err, umm, like this?"
Nothing happens; more fiddling and an exasperated face starts to appear on both of us.
Owner leans over, pushes brake lever in.
Me:
"Ohh!!!! I geddit now..."

 

[Alan Whicker]

Many thanks all. He worked it out with your help and went out this morning, but came in an hour later with a pinch flat!


Spartacus - "twitchy, yes!" he says

Best wishes

Alan

 

[Willo]

Many thanks all. He worked it out with your help and went out this morning, but came in an hour later with a pinch flat!


Spartacus - "twitchy, yes!" he says

Best wishes

Alan

Same happened to me on only my second time out....have since been more vigilant in keeping the tyres pumped up to the max and so far no more problems (famous last words!)