A very noobish question
06-03-22, 11:57 AM
#26
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Well, 6 years after introduction is not a lot of generations down the line, but y'know, half-empty, half-full. Never actually saw one of those, so the accessory doesn't appear to have caught on.
Fun piece of trivia that it exists, though! Do you have a picture of it?
Fun piece of trivia that it exists, though! Do you have a picture of it?
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06-03-22, 12:23 PM
#27
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I have coached many new cyclists, and the OP raises an important point that confuses many. When you push on the left shifter, which controls the front derailleur, it makes the bike 'faster' as the chain goes into a bigger cog.
On the right side, when you push on the shifter, it moves the chain into a bigger cog, which makes the bike 'slower' for easier pedaling. So the left and right shifters do opposite things. It is easy to forget this inconsistency as we become experienced riders. I imagine that there a lot of things that I take for granted on a bike, that a new rider notices and is confused by.
Nevertheless, new riders should be coached not to look at the shift indicators or the gearing, but through experience, learn to shift gears by feel. Riding a bike is like playing hockey: if you have your head down, you are going to get creamed.
Similarly, riders should not be using headphones, or riding while inebriated, or fiddling with a phone, GPS or bike computer, or being in sightseeing or coffee-clatch mode, or being distracted by pain, anger, joy or any other emotion. Safe riding is a Zen thing.
On the right side, when you push on the shifter, it moves the chain into a bigger cog, which makes the bike 'slower' for easier pedaling. So the left and right shifters do opposite things. It is easy to forget this inconsistency as we become experienced riders. I imagine that there a lot of things that I take for granted on a bike, that a new rider notices and is confused by.
Nevertheless, new riders should be coached not to look at the shift indicators or the gearing, but through experience, learn to shift gears by feel. Riding a bike is like playing hockey: if you have your head down, you are going to get creamed.
Similarly, riders should not be using headphones, or riding while inebriated, or fiddling with a phone, GPS or bike computer, or being in sightseeing or coffee-clatch mode, or being distracted by pain, anger, joy or any other emotion. Safe riding is a Zen thing.
06-03-22, 12:51 PM
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Bikes are not cars.
When I drove manually shifting cars the shift lever was very long and originating from the floorboard - why aren't bikes like that?
My bike has no reverse - why?
Do new bicycles come with instruction manuals, like they used to?
Did anyone ever read them?
edit: I ride a dozen vintage bikes with friction shifting (and I suffer hearing loss), so I look at my chainline routinely after a shift.
When I drove manually shifting cars the shift lever was very long and originating from the floorboard - why aren't bikes like that?
My bike has no reverse - why?
Do new bicycles come with instruction manuals, like they used to?
Did anyone ever read them?
edit: I ride a dozen vintage bikes with friction shifting (and I suffer hearing loss), so I look at my chainline routinely after a shift.
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Vintage, modern, e-road. It is a big cycling universe.
Vintage, modern, e-road. It is a big cycling universe.
Last edited by Wildwood; 06-03-22 at 01:02 PM.
06-03-22, 01:10 PM
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I have coached many new cyclists, and the OP raises an important point that confuses many. When you push on the left shifter, which controls the front derailleur, it makes the bike 'faster' as the chain goes into a bigger cog.
On the right side, when you push on the shifter, it moves the chain into a bigger cog, which makes the bike 'slower' for easier pedaling. So the left and right shifters do opposite things. It is easy to forget this inconsistency as we become experienced riders. I imagine that there a lot of things that I take for granted on a bike, that a new rider notices and is confused by.
Nevertheless, new riders should be coached not to look at the shift indicators or the gearing, but through experience, learn to shift gears by feel. Riding a bike is like playing hockey: if you have your head down, you are going to get creamed.
Similarly, riders should not be using headphones, or riding while inebriated, or fiddling with a phone, GPS or bike computer, or being in sightseeing or coffee-clatch mode, or being distracted by pain, anger, joy or any other emotion. Safe riding is a Zen thing.
On the right side, when you push on the shifter, it moves the chain into a bigger cog, which makes the bike 'slower' for easier pedaling. So the left and right shifters do opposite things. It is easy to forget this inconsistency as we become experienced riders. I imagine that there a lot of things that I take for granted on a bike, that a new rider notices and is confused by.
Nevertheless, new riders should be coached not to look at the shift indicators or the gearing, but through experience, learn to shift gears by feel. Riding a bike is like playing hockey: if you have your head down, you are going to get creamed.
Similarly, riders should not be using headphones, or riding while inebriated, or fiddling with a phone, GPS or bike computer, or being in sightseeing or coffee-clatch mode, or being distracted by pain, anger, joy or any other emotion. Safe riding is a Zen thing.
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06-03-22, 02:37 PM
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Yes, this is another way of explaining it, probably the better way for a novice so they understand what's going on.
06-03-22, 02:39 PM
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Yep, it was a little thing that was place inline on the derailleur housing just a couple inches from the shifter. The cable ran through it and had a little orange ring that moved w/ the cable and indicated which cog you were on.
06-03-22, 02:42 PM
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I just got a bike with SRAM brifters, and the one lever thing is driving me a little nuts because I keep trying to work them like they're STI.
06-03-22, 05:19 PM
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06-03-22, 05:21 PM
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(Note that I'm not one of the ones hating on indicators. It's a real dumb/bizarre thing to hate on.)
06-03-22, 06:52 PM
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Says who? I ride 5 different bikes, I like to know how the same gear combination might feel different on the different bikes, so I do occasionally need to look at my gears to figure out precisely what combo I'm using in a given situation.
Your first sentence makes the rest of your comment somewhat ironic, btw.
Your first sentence makes the rest of your comment somewhat ironic, btw.
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06-03-22, 06:53 PM
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Doesn't matter how it feels in the legs...you still look down hoping to see one more gear...that is why it's called the "bail out" gear after all...but, sigh, sometimes it's just not there.
06-03-22, 06:57 PM
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Or on the really cool bikes we had when we were kids. One of the hand-me-down bikes I had as a kid was a purple 5-speed which had a big banana seat, a chrome sissy bar and a huge shifter that looked like it came out of a Z28 Camaro. It was the coolest bike ever! Too bad I outgrew it in a couple of years....
06-03-22, 07:37 PM
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06-03-22, 07:48 PM
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06-03-22, 08:14 PM
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If youre cross chaining so badly that you can hear it youve cross chained well beyond the point where the bike is "happiest." I probably worry too much about cross chaining though
06-03-22, 08:26 PM
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So, for a double, it’s the largest sprocket. And, for a triple, it’s the largest two. Using small/small doesn’t matter as much.
A quick look (if it’s even needed) is enough to check for someone with some experience.
If someone finds the indicators helpful, no one should care.
With hidden cables (the standard for 12+ years), there’s no place for the inline indicators.
06-03-22, 08:26 PM
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So, for a double, it’s the largest sprocket. And, for a triple, it’s the largest two. Using small/small doesn’t matter as much.
A quick look (if it’s even needed) is enough to check for someone with some experience.
If someone finds the indicators helpful, no one should care.
With hidden cables (the standard for 12+ years), there’s no place for the inline indicators.
06-03-22, 08:33 PM
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It’s not normal.
Last edited by njkayaker; 06-03-22 at 08:51 PM.
06-03-22, 08:34 PM
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I use a rule of number of chainrings minus one.
So, for a double, it’s the largest sprocket. And, for a triple, it’s the largest two. Using small/small doesn’t matter as much.
A quick look (if it’s even needed) is enough to check for someone with some experience.
If someone finds the indicators helpful, no one should care.
With hidden cables (the standard for 12+ years), there’s no place for the inline indicators.
So, for a double, it’s the largest sprocket. And, for a triple, it’s the largest two. Using small/small doesn’t matter as much.
A quick look (if it’s even needed) is enough to check for someone with some experience.
If someone finds the indicators helpful, no one should care.
With hidden cables (the standard for 12+ years), there’s no place for the inline indicators.
1/1,1/2,1/3,
2/3,2/4,2/5
3/5,3/6,3/7
Any other ratio is cross chaining. IDK about other setups because ive mainly ridden 21 speed bikes, but I imagine it is similar.
06-03-22, 08:36 PM
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Incredulity is the appropriate response.
That you made no mention of speed makes it even less credible.
06-03-22, 08:39 PM
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The big ring on a 21 speed tripple (probably the most common 3 ring setup) should only be used with the 3 smallest cogs. There are only 9 ratios you should use on those bikes,
1/1,1/2,1/3,
2/3,2/4,2/5
3/5,3/6,3/7
Any other ratio is cross chaining. IDK about other setups because ive mainly ridden 21 speed bikes, but I imagine it is similar.
1/1,1/2,1/3,
2/3,2/4,2/5
3/5,3/6,3/7
Any other ratio is cross chaining. IDK about other setups because ive mainly ridden 21 speed bikes, but I imagine it is similar.
You really should research what experts* say to do rather than doing what you think based on who-knows-what (it’s not experience).
————————————
* I don’t mean people in these forums. (Except for rchung.)
Last edited by njkayaker; 06-03-22 at 08:54 PM.