Whilst I'm making myself look dense...

[Paulus]

Arch, STI or campag ergo shifters don't have numbers on the to show what gear your in as you get to know what one your in by the feel of the bike and the amount of effort you are putting in, in relation to the speed you are going at. It's a learning curve.

 

[Arch]

Arch, STI or campag ergo shifters don't have numbers on the to show what gear your in as you get to know what one your in by the feel of the bike and the amount of effort you are putting in, in relation to the speed you are going at. It's a learning curve.

Yes, my poor memory has already been exposed, thanks...

 

[Fnaar]

Can we please not call it the 'granny ring'..it makes me uneasy....

 

[rich p]

Can we please not call it the 'granny ring'..it makes me uneasy....

Urggggghhhh!!!!!

Did you have to?

 

[Membrane]

So what are the advantages of a shifter which doesn't show you what gear you're in?

One of the advantages of drop bars is that they allow about five different positions for your hands. The STI shifters used with drop bars allow shifting and braking from two of those positions: with your hands on the hoods (used for relatively relaxed riding), and with your hands "in the drops" (for when an aerodynamic position is needed).

Fitting gripshifters to drop bars isn't very practical, it requires the drop bar to be split in the middle (to get them on), which in turn requires a special stem, and you could only use them when your hands are on top, or they'd have to be fitted to the lower straight bits (impractical).

Fitting Shimano trigger shifters afaik doesn't require the bar to be split in two halves, but they also could only be operated from one hand position on the bars.

 

[Arch]

One of the advantages of drop bars is that they allow about five different positions for your hands. The STI shifters used with drop bars allow shifting and braking from two of those positions: with your hands on the hoods (used for relatively relaxed riding), and with your hands "in the drops" (for when an aerodynamic position is needed).

Fitting gripshifters to drop bars isn't very practical, it requires the drop bar to be split in the middle (to get them on), which in turn requires a special stem, and you could only use them when your hands are on top, or they'd have to be fitted to the lower straight bits (impractical).

Fitting Shimano trigger shifters afaik doesn't require the bar to be split in two halves, but they also could only be operated from one hand position on the bars.

Ok, cheers. As I'm not a great fan of drop bars, I suspect I'll never need them then. Or I'll manage with downtube shifters or bar end shifters... With me, there tends to be a conservative desire to make do with whatever is available cheaply...

 

[Jacomus-rides-Gen]

I think some Shimano STI's have indicators to signal the gear, might be new Tiagra levers?

 

[Cathryn]

Urggggghhhh!!!!!

Did you have to?

My friend from India who'd hassled me about my gears asked me in perfect seriousness if 'I'd ever had a good look at my ring'. I stared at him for a while wondering if he was joking, but he was deathly serious, so I had to admit with a grave face that I'd never examined it closely before.

 

[cyclebum]

I must admit thats 1 chat up line i've never had

 

[sloe]

One word:

Sturmey Archer

 

[Over The Hill]

Overlap of gears....

Back cogs ---------------------Front cogs
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ------------------"Granny"
--------1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8--- --------Middle
---------------1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 -----Big

So Granny and 8 (Small to small) will give the same ratio as middle and 5 (Mid to mid)
Not sure if the overlaps are quite that much but the idea is the same.

As for the above "Ring" notes - try one of those naked cycle protests, I expect you will see all you want when they get to a steep hill.

 

[Elmer Fudd]

One word:

Sturmey Archer

That's two,


or possibly four.

 

[sloe]

That's two,

You, sir, are a pendant.

 

[sloe]

That's two,

You, sir, are a pendant.

 

[Elmer Fudd]

You, sir, are a pendant.