Please allow me to dissent. I resisted DT shifters like the plague, but three things brought me around to friction DT. You may or may not agree with my rationale:
1. Simplicity. Other than having no shifters at all, DT friction is the simplest approach. 2. Relatedly, reliability in all respects. You go from a system with moving cable housing to one in which the geometric relationship of the shifters and the derailers is fixed, a function of the bike frame. Consequently, there is no way in which movement of the handlebars can have any effect on shifting, ever. 3. Finally, aesthetics. For me, and perhaps only me, there is something about DT shifters. I think it started with this photograph many years ago: http://sheldonbrown.com/org//brown/pages/20browndampierreclose.htm. It just seemed somehow *perfect*. I've used barcons, and just about everything else, but I like DT shifters. So there. On Wednesday, December 17, 2014 5:10:16 AM UTC-5, ascpgh wrote: > > I'm with you Glen. When DT shifters were it, I was enjoying mountain > biking and my shifters right there on the bar, by the brake levers. I have > longer legs than my torso would dictate to production frame and my 60 cm > road bike always had me feeling a little unsteady; those shifters were so > far down there and the old school 42/52 rings with not much range of the > five cogs didn't really reward those shifts either. Brifters drew me back > and facilitated longer trips not limited by the mental fatigue, until > things broke. That was more maddening than the wobbliness of reaching to > what felt like my ankles to get another gear. > > Bar ends came to me via my Bridgestone RB-1 and an XO-2. That RB paved the > way to my Rambouillet and its bar ends, switched into friction mode ever > since. Aesthetes abhor the housing paths if a bar bag is intended. Me, I'll > figure it out. I can't imagine greater happiness of the form and function. > > Andy Cheatham > Pittsburgh > > On Wednesday, December 17, 2014 1:38:43 AM UTC-5, Glen wrote: >> >> As a tall guy I never liked shifters on the down tube, way too far to >> reach. It took brifters to introduce me to bar ends, now i'm sold >> >> >> On Tuesday, December 16, 2014 10:09:21 PM UTC-7, lungimsam wrote: >>> >>> If I love friction bar end shifting, will I find friction DT shifting >>> just as easy and enjoyable? >>> >>> Never done it before, and seems like the reach may make it more >>> difficult and looks like there's a big potential for knees banging into >>> forearms while pedalling and reaching down to shift at same time. >>> >>> What's your experience been with DT shifting? >> >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
