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Electronic vs Mechanical shifting

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Old 02-04-23, 05:59 PM
  #101  
smd4
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Originally Posted by Atlas Shrugged
they play no role in modern cycling or this discussion.
You might do well to re-read the thread title…
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Old 02-04-23, 06:03 PM
  #102  
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Originally Posted by smd4
Did you not read the part I wrote about “once properly adjusted?” I use downtube shifters and have never once worried about frayed cables, gummed up cables, or any additional adjustments once properly set.

I’d much rather have my Seiko automatic than any digital watch.
People with vintage cars feel the same way about carburetors, points, bias ply tires, manual transmissions and am radios. Interesting but obsolete. There is a reason there are no manufactures selling down tube shifting bikes it is a vestige of a time gone by.
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Old 02-04-23, 06:07 PM
  #103  
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Originally Posted by Atlas Shrugged
The would has moved on decades ago from these archaic systems. Glad you enjoy them but they play no role in modern cycling or this discussion.
They do since the title of the thread is comparing Electronic vs Mechanical shifting. So modern mechanical non DI2 SL 7900,9000, 9100, 6600, 6700,6800 and 8000 shifting levers are archaic according to your definition??? Very interesting to know...
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Old 02-04-23, 06:08 PM
  #104  
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Originally Posted by Atlas Shrugged
There is a reason there are no manufactures selling down tube shifting bikes
Oh.

Bianchi

Last edited by smd4; 02-04-23 at 06:12 PM.
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Old 02-04-23, 06:13 PM
  #105  
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Originally Posted by smd4
Guess you thought wrong. Of course, if something happens to screw up the indexing, I can always switch to friction with the turn of a D ring.
Is that right? Do most fans of down tube shifters prefer indexed rather than friction?
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Old 02-04-23, 06:13 PM
  #106  
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Originally Posted by Atlas Shrugged
People with vintage cars feel the same way about carburetors, points, bias ply tires, manual transmissions and am radios. Interesting but obsolete. There is a reason there are no manufactures selling down tube shifting bikes it is a vestige of a time gone by.
Yet there are still brands some who are selling frames where you can install down tube shifters. Though shimano doesn't make the down tube sl for 11 or 12 speeds, other brands do and some people use down tube shifters.
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Old 02-04-23, 06:14 PM
  #107  
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Originally Posted by tomato coupe
Is that right? Do most fans of down tube shifters prefer indexed rather than friction?
As a very long time user of down tubeshifters, I always prefered indexed.
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Old 02-04-23, 06:26 PM
  #108  
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Originally Posted by georges1
As a very long time user of down tubeshifters, I always prefered indexed.
I have one of Campy’s first indexed down tube shifters and it works great after all these years. Still prefer it to friction. But then, I prefer my Campy Gen 1 Ergos to that. Can’t say that my latest and greatest Shimano brifters (manual) are much of an improvement over the Gen 1 Ergos.
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Old 02-04-23, 06:45 PM
  #109  
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Originally Posted by tomato coupe
No, you've just drawn a fuzzy grey line and declared that those things are on the side of "solved real problems" and electronic shifting not.
Challenge accepted.

Actual problems solved:
  • high pressure clinchers - fussy and expensive tubulars
  • indexed shifting - user errors and steep learning curve with friction shifting
  • integrated brake/shift levers - must move hands away from brake levers to shift
  • carbon frames - corrosion, fatigue failure (and others)
  • disk brakes - poor wet weather braking, friction-induced blow offs
  • low pressure tubeless tires - pinch flats
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Old 02-04-23, 06:55 PM
  #110  
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Has anyone put sram etap on a brompton successfully ?
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Old 02-04-23, 07:18 PM
  #111  
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Originally Posted by terrymorse
Challenge accepted.

Actual problems solved:
  • high pressure clinchers - fussy and expensive tubulars
  • indexed shifting - user errors and steep learning curve with friction shifting
  • integrated brake/shift levers - must move hands away from brake levers to shift
  • carbon frames - corrosion, fatigue failure (and others)
  • disk brakes - poor wet weather braking, friction-induced blow offs
  • low pressure tubeless tires - pinch flats
"Steep learning curve for friction shifting" -- seriously? Those are minor issues at best.
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Old 02-04-23, 07:21 PM
  #112  
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Originally Posted by tomato coupe
"Steep learning curve for friction shifting" -- seriously? Those are minor issues at best.
Not so minor when you sell a customer a bike with friction shifting that they can't manage to shift. BTDT.
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Old 02-04-23, 07:30 PM
  #113  
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Originally Posted by georges1
the cable eating shifters from shimano were and are the 7900,9000 and 9100 series regarding mechanical shifters . But always value good cables when installing those
Yes, the problem started when Shimano went to under bar tape routing which was 5700/6700/7900. AFAIK, all the generations after this have the problem. I had the problem on 5700, 5800 and 6800.
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Old 02-04-23, 07:30 PM
  #114  
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Originally Posted by spelger
another question related to a new bike i am looking at. for those of you that ride with electronic shifting do you think you would ever or never go back to mechanical? its an option for me that brings up the price a bit and am a bit on the fence about it. my accountant says its in my budget so am leaning toward it. in my reading up about it though it really sounds cool.
Some people in this discussion appear to have missed the original question.
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Old 02-04-23, 07:38 PM
  #115  
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Originally Posted by terrymorse
Plenty of innovations have solved real problems. A few from memory:
  • 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
this list, including the electronic shifting seems more innovation to me as opposed to solving problems.
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Old 02-04-23, 07:44 PM
  #116  
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Originally Posted by terrymorse
Not so minor when you sell a customer a bike with friction shifting that they can't manage to shift. BTDT.
Indexed shifter: "Push the right lever up to shift to a higher gear in back."
Friction shifter: "Push the right lever up to shift to a higher gear in back."

You're right, friction shifting is a lot harder.
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Old 02-04-23, 07:44 PM
  #117  
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Originally Posted by spelger
this list, including the electronic shifting seems more innovation to me as opposed to solving problems.
Yep.
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Old 02-04-23, 07:46 PM
  #118  
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Originally Posted by PeteHski
Some people in this discussion appear to have missed the original question.
yeah, maybe i should have emboldened that bit like you did but then it wouldn't be as fun a thread as it turned out.
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Old 02-04-23, 07:56 PM
  #119  
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Originally Posted by tomato coupe
Are they indexed?
Yeah, indexing became all the rage in order to get more newbies into cycling and make it less intimidating to work "all those gears". Electronic shifting just takes it to the next level. Now anyone can use the gears on their bike - no skills or practice necessary. I'm partial to friction shifting myself.
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Old 02-04-23, 08:01 PM
  #120  
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Originally Posted by spelger
yeah, maybe i should have emboldened that bit like you did but then it wouldn't be as fun a thread as it turned out.
True. It’s always fun to hear the reasoning why some people refuse to accept pretty much any new tech. Always the same old bs with zero experience of the actual tech in question.

I thought your original question might put them off as they didn’t qualify, but they just can’t help themselves.
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Old 02-04-23, 08:10 PM
  #121  
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Originally Posted by tomato coupe
I would have thought that most fans of down tube shifters would opt for friction, to attain the ultimate in simplicity.
Why do people think the only shifting options(friction or indexed)before brifters is/was DT shifters? Barcons for the win.
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Old 02-04-23, 08:10 PM
  #122  
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Originally Posted by Jeff Neese
Yeah, indexing became all the rage in order to get more newbies into cycling and make it less intimidating to work "all those gears".
Really? Because “newbies” certainly weren’t the ones dropping the big bucks for top of the line professional racing components.
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Old 02-04-23, 08:10 PM
  #123  
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Originally Posted by seypat
Why do people think that the only shifting options(friction or indexed)before brifters is/was DT shifters? Barcons for the win.
Eew. No.
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Old 02-04-23, 08:12 PM
  #124  
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Originally Posted by seypat
Why do people think the only shifting options(friction or indexed)before brifters is/was DT shifters?
Nothing in my post suggests that.
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Old 02-04-23, 08:27 PM
  #125  
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Originally Posted by tomato coupe
I would have thought that most fans of down tube shifters would opt for friction, to attain the ultimate in simplicity.
My Trek Elance 400T is switchable (on the downtube) and I do leave it in friction mode.
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