Electronic vs Mechanical shifting
#76
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Nonsense. Housings can always get dirt in them, is likely the single biggest reason for deteriorating shifting performance, mt. bikes more than road, but it happens to both. Its usually the first thing recommended as a fix when a newbie on here complains about poor shifting performance. Mechanical is also a slow process, you don't realize sometimes that your shifting sucks as it happens slowly over time. Then you switch housing and cables and are like "I should have done that a while ago".
#77
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Nonsense. Housings can always get dirt in them, is likely the single biggest reason for deteriorating shifting performance, mt. bikes more than road, but it happens to both. Its usually the first thing recommended as a fix when a newbie on here complains about poor shifting performance. Mechanical is also a slow process, you don't realize sometimes that your shifting sucks as it happens slowly over time. Then you switch housing and cables and are like "I should have done that a while ago".
Apart from this, lots of mountain bikes use a one piece outer from the shifter to the RD, which also helps.
Then there's the big mistake done people make: lubing the cables. That only attracts dirt and is totally useless when using quality cables and outers.
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But are you honestly going to say there were not two generations of Shimano shifters that did not chew up cables in 4-5,000 miles?
Or that new cables, housings, and ferrules do not require time to seat and/or stretch? After which one has to adjust.
Or that barrel adjusters aren't pretty much standard equipment, why is that
I think what I hear is electronic is set and forget. I have never had a mechanical shifter setup that was set and forget unless I go back to my 70's downtube campy friction levers.
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You can make that argument about almost every development in bicycles in the last 100 years, but that doesn't mean those developments don't offer advantages.
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Nobody is saying that.
But are you honestly going to say there were not two generations of Shimano shifters that did not chew up cables in 4-5,000 miles?
Or that new cables, housings, and ferrules do not require time to seat and/or stretch? After which one has to adjust.
Or that barrel adjusters aren't pretty much standard equipment, why is that
I think what I hear is electronic is set and forget. I have never had a mechanical shifter setup that was set and forget unless I go back to my 70's downtube campy friction levers.
But are you honestly going to say there were not two generations of Shimano shifters that did not chew up cables in 4-5,000 miles?
Or that new cables, housings, and ferrules do not require time to seat and/or stretch? After which one has to adjust.
Or that barrel adjusters aren't pretty much standard equipment, why is that
I think what I hear is electronic is set and forget. I have never had a mechanical shifter setup that was set and forget unless I go back to my 70's downtube campy friction levers.
I’d much rather have my Seiko automatic than any digital watch.
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#82
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I have always used mechanical shifting even the 1992 Altus c10 Transmission on my Giant Tourer works like a swiss watch, same with my 1991 raleigh with its campy record synchro II 7speed down tube shifters to be upgraded and even my 1992 Peugeot with its sl 7700 dura ace 9 speed shifters to be upgraded . Even with the fully XT780-T transmission on my mountain bikes ,it shifts amazingly fast. I have tested the mavic mektronic and the ZMS but wasn't convinced back then. Quality cabling is a mandatory with mechanical derailleurs
#83
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The above belongs in the vintage forum. No one here cares.
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I used to swear up and down that I would never get electronic shifting because mechanical shifting has gotten so good. I am warming to it for my next bike since everyone I know who has Di2 loves it. I am also sick of changing internally routed cables and Shimano shifters eat through a lot of those.
If I were to go electronic, I would go with Shimano Di2. I have heard too many stories of broken battery tabs on SRAM eTap.
If I were to go mechanical, I would go with SRAM as I am sick of how often Shimano shifters eat cables. I now have SRAM Force 22 on my road bike.
If I were to go electronic, I would go with Shimano Di2. I have heard too many stories of broken battery tabs on SRAM eTap.
If I were to go mechanical, I would go with SRAM as I am sick of how often Shimano shifters eat cables. I now have SRAM Force 22 on my road bike.
#87
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It's like breaking a shift cable, but I'm back in business a lot quicker.
Last edited by DaveSSS; 02-04-23 at 05:50 PM.
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#88
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I used to swear up and down that I would never get electronic shifting because mechanical shifting has gotten so good. I am warming to it for my next bike since everyone I know who has Di2 loves it. I am also sick of changing internally routed cables and Shimano shifters eat through a lot of those.
If I were to go electronic, I would go with Shimano Di2. I have heard too many stories of broken battery tabs on SRAM eTap.
If I were to go mechanical, I would go with SRAM as I am sick of how often Shimano shifters eat cables. I now have SRAM Force 22 on my road bike.
If I were to go electronic, I would go with Shimano Di2. I have heard too many stories of broken battery tabs on SRAM eTap.
If I were to go mechanical, I would go with SRAM as I am sick of how often Shimano shifters eat cables. I now have SRAM Force 22 on my road bike.
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- high pressure clinchers with hooked rims
- indexed shifting
- integrated brake/shift levers
- carbon fiber for frames, rims, components
- disc brakes
- low pressure tubeless tires
Not on that list:
- electronic shifting
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Plenty of innovations have solved real problems. A few from memory:
Not on that list:
- high pressure clinchers with hooked rims
- indexed shifting
- integrated brake/shift levers
- carbon fiber for frames, rims, components
- disc brakes
- low pressure tubeless tires
Not on that list:
- electronic shifting
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I have always used mechanical shifting even the 1992 Altus c10 Transmission on my Giant Tourer works like a swiss watch, same with my 1991 raleigh with its campy record synchro II 7speed down tube shifters to be upgraded and even my 1992 Peugeot with its sl 7700 dura ace 9 speed shifters to be upgraded . Even with the fully XT780-T transmission on my mountain bikes ,it shifts amazingly fast. I have tested the mavic mektronic and the ZMS but wasn't convinced back then. Quality cabling is a mandatory with mechanical derailleurs
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