Remind me, what was wrong with friction lever gears.

[Fab Foodie]

Indexed d/t or bar-end shifters had no real advantage over friction shifters and were probably more bother than they were worth. Combining the shifting with the brake levers brought a new level of control and ease of use and this could not be done with friction shifting.

My RH shifter DT Dura Ace is indexed and LH shifter is friction. The indexing works a treat.

 

[screenman]

We never used to think there was anything wrong with black and white TV.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

No idea what Ultegra can do, my money only goes as far as 105

You will have to go all the to Di2 before Shimano gives you a continuous dump down the cassette.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

We never used to think there was anything wrong with black and white TV.

Or kid chamois or highwheeler bikes or tubulars or cotter pins.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

You will have to go all the to Di2 before Shimano gives you a continuous dump down the cassette.

And that's why I don't know about it

 

[mustang1]

They didn't index.

 

[Globalti]

I'd go on from what Yellow Saddle posts above and suggest that SIS is one of the improvements in bike technology that brought so many people into road cycling along with compact chainrings and wide-ratio cassettes, compact and comfortable carbon frames, padded handlebars, comfortable (from day one) saddles, decent brakes and bigger tyres.

I mountain biked from 1988 to 2009 and it wasn't until I found a 2006 carbon Roubaix abandoned in the river that I realised how comfortable and easy road bikes had become.

 

[Dogtrousers]

They didn't index.

Is that one of the advantages or disadvantages?

 

[Dogtrousers]

I'd go on from what Yellow Saddle posts above and suggest that SIS is one of the improvements in bike technology that brought so many people into road cycling along with compact chainrings and wide-ratio cassettes, compact and comfortable carbon frames, padded handlebars, comfortable (from day one) saddles, decent brakes and bigger tyres.

I mountain biked from 1988 to 2009 and it wasn't until I found a 2006 carbon Roubaix abandoned in the river that I realised how comfortable and easy road bikes had become.

I agree. Especially about the wide ratio cassettes.

Some years ago a pal of mine got me back into cycling, causing me to dust down my steel 10 speed. He was enthusing at length about how much bikes had changed since the Dawes and Pugs of our youth. His enthusiasm for modern bikes was what kick started my return to cycling, even if I still haven't fully bought in to all things modern.

 

[tyred]

Problem with DT shifters - the beer belly gets in the way when changing gear

 

[Fab Foodie]

They didn't index.

In the old days maybe not, but modern ones and bar ends do.

 

[Aravis]

I think it's fair to say that changing gear using downtube levers involves a more complex sequence of actions than brifters and therefore requires more conscious thought. Nowadays I find I not infrequently use the wrong hand, particularly when I'm needing to be aware of potential hazards, and next time I go to shift find myself in a very odd place. I don't remember that happening in the old days, so perhaps the ability to change gear easily at all times can be a mixed blessing.

Earlier this year I did a 100 miler on a 36 year old Galaxy with original Weinmann centre pulls, 5-speed 14-28 block and friction levers. I found far less to dislike with the shifting than the braking, and had no trouble making the transition. But I'll take the comfort and maintenance of control that brifters give without hesitation.

A bit of the programming from the old days will always remain I think. I still reach for the downtube a few times on every ride.

 

[jay clock]

The "less to go wrong" argument is not borne out by my experience. 12+ years of road biking/touring/long distance triathlons (60,000km+) and zero problems. It is a bit like someone using a starting handle to avoid the risk of a starter motor going wrong on the car

And there is no way I want to be removing a hand to change gear as I ascend a steep hill, or even less as I bomb down!

 

[User33236]

Is that all? 3-up 5-down on Campagnolo Ultrashift, and on my older 9sp Mirage I can dump it all the way down the cassette in one go if I want.

Di2, if programmed to do so, can go all the way up or down the cassette

 

[TheJDog]

Running out of puff up a hill and having to sit down, reach down, change, fiddle, then start again was massively painful compared to what I do now - let off the pressure a bit and click it down a gear or two (while standing). I'd never go back.