Shifter/brake options

[RichardB]

If it was me, I'd stick with the ST-3500s for a bit longer before ditching them. I have Soras on my tourer (a wee poem for you!) and 105 on my carbon, and it's true the latter are significantly and noticeably better than the former: less travel, less wobbliness, greater precision. At first I found it a bit disconcerting (I had the 105 setup before I got the Sora), but I got used to it reasonably quickly, and wouldn't dream of going back to separate brakes & shifters.

Yes, I will certainly not rush into this, and give the Soras a fair trial. I will probably get on with them fine - in fact, I get on with them OK at the moment, but I can't help feeling that they are less good (in terms of feel and robustness) than the stuff I was using 20 years ago.

 

[growingvegetables]

OK, bear with me ...

... I am wondering about the possibility of changing to plain brake levers (not fussed if aero or traditional) and a different shifting arrangement, either downtube or bar-end (not fussed if indexed or friction).

Brilliant - just about answers all the questions I was just about getting round to ask!

I have a 2 year old Revolution Country Traveller; fitted with Shimano 2200 STI shifters (possibly Shimano 2303). First time I'd had drop bars in ... (many!) ... years. I thought I liked the STI to begin with, and persevered with getting used to them.

Minus points
- to get effective braking, I have to ride on the drops; braking while riding on the hoods is just ... nothing like as effective. Frustrating. And occasional brown-trouser moments (yup, had a few).
- to change gear, I have to ride on the hoods ............

Ah.
That has always irked me slightly.

- I've never grown to like the floppiness in the brake levers.


But - my affair with STIs is over. Unceremoniously and unilaterally finished. STI ... consider yourself DUMPED.


Yesterday, the RH shifter failed; suddenly stuck in the highest cog. No warning beforehand. Flipping the lever to change down, it comes to a "hard" stop. No stiffness. No "kinda stretchy" stop (that I'd associate with a cable stick/fray/break). Derailleur moves freely. Cable moves freely. The side thumb lever to change up moves freely and normally; but obviously does nothing (gears are stuck on smallest cog).

Best guess? Summat's broke within the shifter mechanism.

I had a brief attempt at looking inside - and backed off quickly. No way am I playing with a mad watchmaker's incredibly finicky bundle; tiny bits, pawls, springs, and miniscule gubbins, all flying off in all directions; all impossible to put back together.

And I don't want to spend upwards of £100 on a straight STI replacement. I want summat reliable and repairable that'll last a darn sight more than 10000 miles.

And ... bingo, you've done the thinking; got the answers I was feeling my way towards. SO, @RichardB - did you stick with the STI, or make the changes to "simple" brake levers and bar-end shifters? As straightforward as you made it sound?

 

[RichardB]

No, I didn't stick with the STI. In the end I discussed it with the LBS and he was good enough to swap the bike for a Galaxy Cross, which has straight bars, cable discs and good old thumb shifters. Gear changes are crisp and instant, braking is powerful and predictable. I lost a bit in the changeover but it was worth it. I was close to changing the Galaxy to traditional levers (you can still get them with the cable coming out of the top, yay) and down tube shifters, but in the end the frame already had nice brackets welded on and they would have looked very bodged with a bolt-on bracket and levers.

Your description of the braking with the STI levers matches my own experience exactly, and just replacing something when it breaks is not how I like to do things. I like to keep things simple and repairable as far as possible (cars as well) and the complex mechanism of the STI doesn't fit with that. My loss, probably, but I doubt I will be buying an STI bike in the future.

I have a plan to build or refurbish an older touring/racing bike at some point, and it will have normal levers and basic shifters. I know I can get on with those. (I was brought up in Leeds, by the way. Haven't been back for years, though.)

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Have a look at this.

https://thecrazyrandonneur.wordpres...have-a-large-handlebar-bag-with-sti-shifters/

 

[RichardB]

Have a look at this.

https://thecrazyrandonneur.wordpres...have-a-large-handlebar-bag-with-sti-shifters/

That's a great idea. I plan to use my handlebar bag in the future, and having the cables in the way was a big factor in my dissatisfaction with the STIs. That is a very neat solution.

 

[bigjim]

I've found STIs just don't brake well when used with Canti's. I don't know why. They are fine with modern sidepulls. I'm no fan of canti's anyway. I've taken them off my Galaxy and fitted long drop sidepulls for much better simpler braking.