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Do brifters shift triples well?

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Do brifters shift triples well?

Old 06-12-19, 10:20 AM
  #26  
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My ergobrifters shift a triple great. This is one area that I think Campy has a clear advantage over Shimano. The Campy ergo levers (at least the older ones) don't have preset 1-2-3 positions on the left lever. Instead there are many small clicks that let you trim the derailleur as needed, it's very much like shifting a friction shifter. My only limitation in cross chaining a triple with this is when the chain starts rubbing the other chainrings. Very adaptable and no problems shifting a triple at all.
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Old 06-12-19, 10:26 AM
  #27  
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I run my ergobrifter STIs with a 1x.
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Old 06-12-19, 11:38 AM
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Originally Posted by cyccommute
They have for about 20,000 miles on one bike and about 12,000 miles on another. The key is to pick the proper front derailer. Don't choose one of the fancy expensive Shimano ones. Choose one of the lower end Shimano derailers. They can handle a wider range of gears on the cassette and they work better. The expensive ones are just too clever for their own good.
I am using an old Shimano Deore XT M730 front derailer. Has been on the bike since 1990. I won't be changing that out, because it has shifted reliably for 29 years. But I agree with you that the current higher-end front derailers limit the shifting possibilities. I tried a modern one last year, and it wouldn't shift at all, because I didn't have exactly 10 teeth between rings.
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Old 06-12-19, 11:48 AM
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Belly up to the bar-end

Originally Posted by fietsbob
I'd agree well set up, they're fine, I've just personally seen no need to replace my bar end levers...
I understand. I always disliked downtube shifters, and went to bar-ends in 1980 for a cross-country tour– 3x5 gearing! I have used bar-ends ever since. But I just had a hankering to try Shimano STI Shifting Brake Levers (not brifters!), and came across a set of DuraAce 2x9 for little money. I have mounted and ridden with the right/rear shifter, and it would be easy to get used to. Have not tried the left/front lever, as it is for a double and doesn't pull enough cable.

I'll bet a lot of younger riders have never seen a bar-end.
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Old 06-12-19, 02:22 PM
  #30  
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The Shimano Claris brifters have been really great for me in shifting. I have a Claris 2403 FD & it is finicky to set up as well as rub slightly if the chain line is not ideal. I may try a cheaper version FD, but it was difficult finding a bottom pull triple with a 34.9mm clamp that could sweep the 48/38/28. I may end up going to a 50/39/30, but that 28 really is nice when climbing while exhausted.
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Old 06-12-19, 02:31 PM
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Originally Posted by BCDrums
I I'll bet a lot of younger riders have never seen a bar-end.
Sure they have, it's where they sit and drink warm draft PBR from happy hour priced pitchers while texting to the person on the next bar stool.

-Bandera
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Old 06-12-19, 02:58 PM
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Originally Posted by Bandera
Sure they have, it's where they sit and drink warm draft PBR from happy hour priced pitchers while texting to the person on the next bar stool.

-Bandera
Do people not like themselves that much to have warm draft PBR?
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Old 06-12-19, 04:46 PM
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Originally Posted by Troul
Do people not like themselves that much to have warm draft PBR?
A reply from Dennis Hopper, noted beerophile.
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Old 06-12-19, 05:41 PM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by BCDrums
I am using an old Shimano Deore XT M730 front derailer. Has been on the bike since 1990. I won't be changing that out, because it has shifted reliably for 29 years. But I agree with you that the current higher-end front derailers limit the shifting possibilities. I tried a modern one last year, and it wouldn't shift at all, because I didn't have exactly 10 teeth between rings.
The XT probably won’t play well with an STI shifter. The pull ratios are different. You may be able to get it to work but it probably won’t work very well. For 9 speed and below, a rear derailer will work with either road or mountain shifters. The same can’t be said for front derailers.
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Old 06-12-19, 05:57 PM
  #35  
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Originally Posted by cyccommute
The XT probably won’t play well with an STI shifter. The pull ratios are different.
I am sorry to hear this! I have such good shifting in the front with the bar-end I have that I would be reluctant to change the shifter if it would mean having to find another front derailer that would work as well as the XT.

Today I mounted a DuraAce ST-7700, designed for a double, and indeed, it would not shift three rings. It pulls about a centimeter of cable, versus the bar-end, which pulls two centimeters. How much cable does an STI triple pull?
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Old 06-13-19, 03:34 PM
  #36  
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I have a Campagnolo ten speed triple setup that shifts beautifully.
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Old 06-14-19, 10:38 AM
  #37  
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Originally Posted by cyccommute
Don't choose one of the fancy expensive Shimano ones. Choose one of the lower end Shimano derailers. They can handle a wider range of gears on the cassette and they work better. The expensive ones are just too clever for their own good.
Not too fancy for their own good, just not designed for what you want. High end stuff like that is usually designed for the lightest possible weight and often a more specialized intent. Thus it will be more particular in setup and depend on the rest of the system being in spec as well. The midrange stuff is intended for more workhorse bikes and as a tradeoff for working over a wider range of possibly mismatched parts will weigh more.
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Old 06-14-19, 10:49 AM
  #38  
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My 11-speed Crampy Athena triple works flawlessly, FWIW.

One of the nice things about bar-end shifters is you can use them in friction mode, which for the front, has more advantages than disadvantages.
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Old 06-14-19, 10:57 AM
  #39  
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Originally Posted by cyccommute
The XT probably won’t play well with an STI shifter. The pull ratios are different.
XT and XTR are DynaSys and have different pull rates.
Deore rear derailleurs are the top end derailleur right before the DynaSys line and will work with Claris and 105 shifters.
IIRC, my XT RDs say Deore XT which is kind of confusing.

But the Deore RDs have been rock solid for us.
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Old 06-14-19, 01:18 PM
  #40  
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I run a 3 x 9 Dura Ace 7700/7703 shifter setup with an Ultegra 6603 crankset & front derailleur and an Ultegra 6500 GS mid-cage rear derailleur.

I like the system a lot. Once set up properly, it shifts almost as well as a 2x system does. The set up procedure has to be followed though, and failure to set the cable tension correctly can lead to a lot of headaches. Unfortunately, each time I put new cables & housings on I managed to muck things up for a while. In order for all the front shift clicks (including trim) to be preserved I found that you must shift the left shifter all the way to low granny then set the front derailleur cable with the cage halfway between the 30 & 39 tooth chainring and then pull the slop out of the cable. You then can dial in the 30, 39 & 52 tooth chainring trim positions using the adjuster barrel. The upper & lower stop screws should have already been set BTW.

Using a new nylon bottom bracket guide, new compressionless housing and burnished stainless cable inner wire all helped the tactile feel be able to (eventually) be spot-on.

There are many ways to not get this right. This might be part of the reason Triples are a dying breed.

I like mine a lot & in fact I have the parts to do 2 or 3 more Shimano triple brifter bikes. To me it is pretty cool to run a tighter ratio cassette (mine is a 12-23 nine speed) which permits one tooth jumps, very handy for spirited riding in tight groups yet still can go low for almost all the steeper river valley hills in my area.
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Old 06-14-19, 03:23 PM
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Originally Posted by Caliper
Not too fancy for their own good, just not designed for what you want. High end stuff like that is usually designed for the lightest possible weight and often a more specialized intent. Thus it will be more particular in setup and depend on the rest of the system being in spec as well. The midrange stuff is intended for more workhorse bikes and as a tradeoff for working over a wider range of possibly mismatched parts will weigh more.
It’s not that they are just lighter. There is a lot of difference in the dimensions on the plates between the higher end models and the lower end models that has an effect on how they work. Deore and Tiagra, for example, have more space between the inner and outer plates that allow for easier set up and wider range. The narrower plates on the more expensive derailers don’t make them work any better even when paired with the same level of components.

Originally Posted by bakerjw
XT and XTR are DynaSys and have different pull rates.
Deore rear derailleurs are the top end derailleur right before the DynaSys line and will work with Claris and 105 shifters.
IIRC, my XT RDs say Deore XT which is kind of confusing.

But the Deore RDs have been rock solid for us.
Even before Shimano screwed everything up with DynaSys, the road and mountain bikes used different cable pulls. The derailer BCDrums is talking about is very old derailer. Probably a 7 or 8 speed. It still has a different pull and would be tough to make it work with STI shifters.

The XT has also always been Deore XT.
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Old 06-15-19, 06:31 PM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by cyccommute
It’s not that they are just lighter. There is a lot of difference in the dimensions on the plates between the higher end models and the lower end models that has an effect on how they work. Deore and Tiagra, for example, have more space between the inner and outer plates that allow for easier set up and wider range. The narrower plates on the more expensive derailers don’t make them work any better even when paired with the same level of components.
.
I beg to differ. Narrower derailleur plates mean you can shift with less movement of the cage. That translates to some combination of less travel and/or lighter effort at the shift lever. The kind of stuff people talk about when they spend more on a groupset than an entire bike with lower range components costs. To get the derailleur to shift this setup well, they probably also hold tighter tolerances in the shifter and on the chainrings/cassette and rely on clean cables and following all the setup instructions. You'll also notice that the highest tier of components also tends to have a slightly narrower gearing range that probably helps with shift quality as well. The top end of bike components have never been meant to work perfectly with anything, they have been meant to work on flagship bikes bought by riders who can justify & afford to spend the price of a nice used car on a bicycle.
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Old 06-15-19, 07:38 PM
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Originally Posted by Caliper
I beg to differ. Narrower derailleur plates mean you can shift with less movement of the cage. That translates to some combination of less travel and/or lighter effort at the shift lever. The kind of stuff people talk about when they spend more on a groupset than an entire bike with lower range components costs. To get the derailleur to shift this setup well, they probably also hold tighter tolerances in the shifter and on the chainrings/cassette and rely on clean cables and following all the setup instructions. You'll also notice that the highest tier of components also tends to have a slightly narrower gearing range that probably helps with shift quality as well. The top end of bike components have never been meant to work perfectly with anything, they have been meant to work on flagship bikes bought by riders who can justify & afford to spend the price of a nice used car on a bicycle.
While the narrow plates may mean less movement, they do make set up more difficult and limit the range of gears that can be used without rubbing. I would doubt that the tolerances are that much better. The lower end components don’t shift any worse, they just work better over a wider range of gears.

On the other hand, SRAM front derailers don’t have the same narrow and sculpted plates. Their high end derailers offer the same weight savings but they work and are easier to set up than the high end Shimano front derailers.
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