winjim
Smash the cistern
Di2, if programmed to do so, can go all the way up or down the cassette
Remind me, what was wrong with mechanical shifting?
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Remind me, what was wrong with mechanical shifting?
Ajax Bay
Guru
- Location
- East Devon
More than 25 years old.
Yellow Saddle
Guru
- Location
- Loch side.
Steady now. Don't ever think you've seen the pinnacle of anything. Mechanical shifting has its issues. The number of shifting problems related to cable tension and barrel adjusters on this forum alone testifies to that. We all know that cables become gritty and mess with gears. We all know that electric shifting will become cheaper and cheaper.
Although I don't have electric shifting yet, I can foresee that I'll have it one day. Just before I left the industry I installed a couple of Shimano and Campag electric systems for a few of my early-adopter customers and I was impressed. The lever feel was fantastic and the systems proved very robust. Admittedly anything with a battery spells trouble and I hate the fact that the house is full of chargers for this and that and whathaveyou, it isn't really an issue. The day will come when all battery systems use the same charger and every plugpoint in the house will have a built-in charge port and we'll have one cable for all devices.
The day will come when the bike will have just one battery for lights, gears and navigation devices and charging it will be no more bothersome than charging your phone.
I think an electric system is better for the average consumer than a cable system.
I use DT shifters daily on my bike with a 10 speed 12-30 block at the back, and it's fine. I do have to make sure that I get into gear when approaching hills, as it can be difficult to change gear sometimes, and on occasion I do find that I've not quite got the gear change right, so it shifts when I stand up and push hard, but overall, it's a system I'm happy with as it's totally maintenance free, and I don't have to worry about setting up the indexing properly ever.
On the other hand sometimes dropping a gear on a hill can be problematic, especially if (as I am wont to do) I am standing. So often I end up treating the bike as semi-fixed gear. I will probably end up changing the gears over to being STIs, as I think ten speed is pretty much the limit of the range I can get out of the shifters, and I have the remaining 11 speed bits from my 105 groupset to put on at some point.
On the other hand sometimes dropping a gear on a hill can be problematic, especially if (as I am wont to do) I am standing. So often I end up treating the bike as semi-fixed gear. I will probably end up changing the gears over to being STIs, as I think ten speed is pretty much the limit of the range I can get out of the shifters, and I have the remaining 11 speed bits from my 105 groupset to put on at some point.
OP
OP
GuyBoden
Guru
- Location
- Warrington
Maybe, nostalgia helps, but friction gear levers seemed to do the job well.
Yes, changing gear up hill seems to be the big disadvantage with friction gear levers, luckily Cheshire is mostly flat, so it's ideal for casual road bike riding with friction gear levers.
Yes, changing gear up hill seems to be the big disadvantage with friction gear levers, luckily Cheshire is mostly flat, so it's ideal for casual road bike riding with friction gear levers.
growingvegetables
Guru
- Location
- Leeds
That's the way cars have gone!
And sorry - I hate it.
Give me adjusting contact points any time, rather than track an electrical/electronic fault. But then my favourite drives of all were Series 2 & 3 Landrovers. So probably best to count my opinion out.I like my current friction-lever riding, and will replace the brifters on one of my bikes with friction bar-end shifters. Put it down to sheer frustration at the bike being off the road because a teeny-tiny bit of finely machined plastic (?) broke, and gummed up the RH brifter. Terminally.
Alembicbassman
Confused.com
It's the only Dura Ace stuff I can afford
winjim
Smash the cistern
My comment was an ironic nod to the thread title, really. That said, I do quite like the idea of the bicycle as an entirely mechanical entity. There's something quite satisfyingly pure about it. Of course that's just my preference and my attitude; there's nothing "wrong" with electronic shifting and I'm sure we'll see more and more of it as the technology progresses and becomes cheaper until your "average consumer" can afford it just as well as those who fancy themselves racers.
As for charging, has anyone yet developed an electronic gear shift system that runs off a dynamo? That would be good way to go I think.
Smokin Joe
Legendary Member
- Location
- Bare headed cyclist, Smoker
Mavic's foray into electronic shifting in the early nineties used a battery in the shifter only. The rear mech had a capacitator powered by the top jockey wheel which took care of the shifting. The front mech was mechanical. Unfortunately Mavic's R&D budget was probably around what Shimano spend on paper clips so they never got it to work reliably, though Chris Boardman was a fan and used it on some of his bikes.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
I run 8 speed down tube SIS shifters on my two old bikes. They work and shift super efficiently. I've done a few sportives and heard other folks gears clattering at a hill. More likely down to user set up, but it's not allowed, wasn't in my day.. Get yer gears sorted....
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
They work fantastically. Been using SIS downtube shifters since 1986.
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
I'll take your word for it. As I said I've never actually tried them so I don't really have any right to an opinion on them. Not that I normally let that stop me.
U
User33236
Guest
Don't really see the need.
I did 169km (105 miles) a couple of weeks ago and the battery only dropped 10%. At that rate it's 1000 miles or so between charges which isn't that onerous.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
I'll take your word for it. As I said I've never actually tried them so I don't really have any right to an opinion on them. Not that I normally let that stop me.
They are good. Been using Shimano 600 and Dura Ace ones since 86. The Dura Ace 7400's are fabulous. Just click and changed.
