FordTrax

I am looking to convert an old road frame to a travel bike with S&S connectors. I am giving some thought as to the type of shifting which would work best on a bike that will be uncoupled in the middle and loaded in a car trunk. My thought is that Brifters (modern Ergo Shifters) may be a PITA since when I reassemble the bike the shifting may be off due to minor changes in cable length even using something like Easy Split Connectors.

My question is would the older notched index shifting system work better with the Easy Split; when I say better I mean when I reconnect would the shifting be out adjustment due to the slight change in the cable length?

Or is friction shifting the best way to go if I am going to use something like Easy Splits, since there is no indexing to be off when the cables are reconnected?

I kind of would like to use index but I am not sure if that is going to be any better from a shifting standpoint than the modern brifters. Any thoughts experience with these would be appreciated.

HillRider

I had an S&S coupled Co-Motion single bike with 9-speed Shimano STIs and the equivalent of the Easy-Split cable splitters on the rear shift and brake cables. Each time after reassembly of the splitters, shifting was always spot-on and needed no adjustment. Use them with confidence.

laxpatrick

This - I'm continually amazed that shifting has been dead on with no adjustment required after 5 airline trips and my Breakaway Cross.

fietsbob

My touring bikes have been about robust simplicity , friction bar end shifted freewheel drive train..

In shipping Bene Sugg ; remove the RD, so bumping in transit, won't bend the hanger... out of alignment..

pdlamb

My S&S coupled bike uses indexed bar-end 9-speed shifters; like HillRider, shifting is always spot-on when I assemble it right. (The second time I did start screwing the adjuster, which, not surprisingly, messed up the adjustment). The cable splitters give you a highly reproducible cable length. Use whatever shifters you want.