Got the levers on Wednesday, installed them on Sunday at the co-op. Test rides seemed good.
Today was the first commute on the new shifty bits... They rock. Much faster than the straight-friction LaPrees, with way less lever travel per shift and overall. That's really nice on the front, since I'm running a road double front derailleur with 45/42/30 triple crankset. The LaPrees used their full swing to reach the big ring. The Silvers have travel to spare.
The shift to the granny is a double-double, 42x26 to 30x20. I make this shift once per ride to work, since the shop is at the top of the only hill on the ride. (8%, 1/2 mile) This morning, I had the best granny-shift since I put the triple on the bike. Almost a single motion. I need more practice on my double shifts, 'cuz it's so, so good when you nail one.
The shift feel is really, really nice. Almost as smooth as Simplex Retrofrictions, in fact. You can feel the little ratchet teeth, but it's almost subliminal, like a little "zzzzt" through your fingertips. It's nothing like the toothy feeling of a Shimano bar-end lever in friction mode. And the Silvers are so much quicker than the Simplexes. We'll see over time, but on balance I may like them better.
Yeah, 70 bucks plus shipping is a ludicrous amount of money to spend on downtube levers. But these are really, really good.
--Shannon