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Foot shifting - what could possibly go wrong?

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Foot shifting - what could possibly go wrong?

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Old 11-18-21, 02:47 PM
  #1  
gugie 
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Foot shifting - what could possibly go wrong?

At the risk of another 10 page thread...

https://vimeo.com/647013746?mc_cid=c...eid=300491c2e0
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Old 11-18-21, 02:50 PM
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Hah! I just watched that video. Yeah, I don't think I'm quite coordinated enough to do that, but it's probably not more difficult than getting your feet into toe clips without looking.
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Old 11-18-21, 02:53 PM
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I've tapped stubborn derailleurs w/ my foot, but that's a bit out of my comfort zone
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Old 11-18-21, 03:22 PM
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That's a hard pass for me.
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Old 11-18-21, 03:22 PM
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After making clear to my kids why it's important to keep one's fingers out of the chain/chainring interface, I think my credibility would go out the window if they every saw me do that. Don't we have front derailleurs so we don't have to do that?
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Old 11-18-21, 03:25 PM
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"a front derailer, which is kinda-like-a tiny, cable actuated foot anyway" ....
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Old 11-18-21, 03:25 PM
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Shifting down would be easy. I am surprised how quickly the shift up into a larger ring was. That definitely is something I would think would take time and require the foot to stay in place.
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Old 11-18-21, 03:30 PM
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-----

...can see the coming thread where enthusiasts argue over which is the best model of Chuck for this practice

next comes mods to shoes

then folks begin selling their mods mailorder...

who knew there was a Converse brand of front mech!



-----
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Old 11-18-21, 03:37 PM
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greasy shoes....
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Old 11-18-21, 03:47 PM
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Errrrmmmmm, no, I can manage to crash all by myself. No need to use Chucks and Grant to pull it off.

Bill
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Old 11-18-21, 04:11 PM
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yeah, I think this video is just for fun even though with this dude seems like it might be SOP. I am curious about that chain tensioner. Looks homemade maybe. Anyone know if that's a commercially made thing? Could be cool for a 3 speed Sturmey archer setup with front double chainrings.
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Old 11-18-21, 04:20 PM
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It look like a Falcon or SunRace rear derailleur without a cable.
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Old 11-18-21, 04:25 PM
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Please get a front derailleur even if you think cable and shifters are not cool on your handlebars. Place a shifter on your seat tube and use something like a Sturmey Archer fulcrum pulley to reverse the direction of the cable to the rear derailleur.

Or just use a downtube shifter. I like the simple two speed idea but shifting with your foot....... not such a good idea.
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Old 11-18-21, 04:33 PM
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It's all fun and games until you get your foot stuck in the spokes or caught between the wheel and seat tube.
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Old 11-18-21, 04:34 PM
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Whole idea is kind of stupid, if you want a 2 speed bike to foot shift, get a Sturmey Archer 2 speed kick back hub. Much more elegant, reliable, and safer solution. Don’t have to slow down to shift either, what’s the point of that?
Plus, I don’t have any shoes that need the toe covered in grease
Tim


No cables or shifters

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Old 11-18-21, 04:36 PM
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THAT'S not a suicide shifter...

THIS is a suicide shifter!
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Old 11-18-21, 05:33 PM
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Next: a pulley on a small bracket projecting from the front of the right cycling shoe....
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Old 11-18-21, 05:48 PM
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Not sure it if that was the exact model.... but a few years back )8 to 10) Rivendell had a 4 speed Single speed the quickbeam. 2 cogs in the back and 2 chaing rings in the front. the idea was if you need a different gearing, you just stopped and flipped the rear wheel and/or move the chain up front. there was no tensioner
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Old 11-18-21, 05:50 PM
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Yeah, he should put brifters on that rig instead.
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Old 11-18-21, 05:55 PM
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Try shifting a Campagnolo Cambio Corsa going up hill.
I am not nearly flexible enough to reach that far back and down, even with one of the "tourist" models with the longer controls.

Note to shift any one of the Campagnolo lever shifters, the chain must be backpedaled, catch the new gear, cock the lever and resume pedaling.
All the while keeping the forward momentum going.
Shifts must be planned in advance so the bike keeps rolling forward.
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Old 11-18-21, 06:00 PM
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Originally Posted by repechage
Try shifting a Campagnolo Cambio Corsa going up hill.
I am not nearly flexible enough to reach that far back and down, even with one of the "tourist" models with the longer controls.

Note to shift any one of the Campagnolo lever shifters, the chain must be backpedaled, catch the new gear, cock the lever and resume pedaling.
All the while keeping the forward momentum going.
Shifts must be planned in advance so the bike keeps rolling forward.
Still seems safer than the tomfoolery above. I love and appreciate my toes.
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Old 11-18-21, 06:15 PM
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I mean, I guess if you're just trying to maximize usefulness and you don't have the resources for an alternative it works, but I think this guy is doing it not out of necessity but to be real neato.
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Old 11-18-21, 06:15 PM
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Originally Posted by Velo Mule
It look like a Falcon or SunRace rear derailleur without a cable.

I don't think so. The bottom pivot on this tensioner connects in the middle of the pulley cage.




Edit: Looks like a Paul Melvin. $$ Melvin Chain Tensioner – Paul Component Engineering

Last edited by tricky; 11-18-21 at 06:20 PM.
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Old 11-18-21, 06:44 PM
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Originally Posted by tricky
$113.50 could buy you a real nice front derailleur and shift lever.
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Old 11-18-21, 07:49 PM
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Originally Posted by gugie
$113.50 could buy you a real nice front derailleur and shift lever.
haha! I had the same thought. Rivendell might even know where to get some of those.
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