My winter projects were completed during the winter, and I like the results. Ever since I received my Riv Road custom in 2001, I have had Ultegra brifters on it, the first brifters I had owned. But the last few years, I have disliked the shape of hoods. I bought some used Campy Veloce brifters (in spite of my revulsion to Campy that stems from 3 broken Record cranks back In The Day and some exclusionary choices on their part), and put them on in 2009. Last year I slowly but persistently realized this bike was begging to be simplified. So over the winter, off came the brifters and on went a right bar-end and a left Simplex downtube orphan shifter. The Veloces went on the Legolas.
Results: the Riv Road steering was noticably lighter without the brifters. I calculate the weight difference to be much less than a pound. (The Ultegras were claimed to be 451 gm/1 pound plus dual cables and housing, while the Cane Creek brake levers and one bar end shifter weigh 365 gm plus one set of cable/housing.) And the brifter shift cables did not likely stiffen the steering much as they were mounted with the right shifter cable routed to the left stop and vice- versa. Still I noticed a different, lighter, feel to the steering without the brifters that is very nice. And of course as you all know the shifting is simple and sweet. The friction left lever is totally binary with one position for either the small (all the way in) or large ring (all the way out), working for 7 of 9 cogs except the worst two cross chained cogs that I don't want to use anyway. So the Riv Road feels Right now. Those Simplex shifters are so nice. I use another pair on my LHT, and the left lever handles the triple crank nicely too. Friction shifting is so easy with modern derailers. It wasn't as much fun with those nasty old Campy record derailers. The Veloce brifters feel right on the Legolas, a bike without downtube shifter bosses. I am running Jack Browns and a 12-36 cassette with 36/50 chainrings. I can do all sorts of narly riding on the Legolas Now all of my bikes feel aesthetically and functionally properly configured. Tires are all holding air, wheels are all true. I don't know what to do with myself...as I gaze out to the garden...and the wooden deck that needs to be oiled. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
