/n/ - Transportation » Thread #1098303

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140KiB, 1600x1059, dts.jpg

Anonymous Tue 08 Aug 2017 04:28:02 No.1098303 View View Reply Original Report

Quoted By: >>1098321 >>1098340 >>1098375 >>1098435 >>1098474 >>1098475 >>1098596 >>1098658 >>1098776 >>1098798 >>1098929

Are downtube shifters worth using anymore?

I found a potential bike but it has downtube shifters. Since I've never used them before, I'm not sure if I should just look for a different bike.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1489039650813.jpg, 140KiB, 741x1050

Anonymous Tue 08 Aug 2017 04:57:06 No.1098313 Report

Quoted By: >>1098358 >>1098360 >>1098372 >>1098556

Yeah, if:
a) You're a retrogrouch
b) You need to frequently disassemble your bike for easy transport
c) You're super bored and like inconveniencing yourself because your other bike has Di2 and you enjoy blogging about going back to basics to an audience of nobody
d) You're going to go on a tour where the itinerary includes Aleppo, yak herding in Mongolia, and fighting gigganiggas on Mars, places where even the slightest risk of barcons or STI grenading is not acceptable and you absolutely must have the simplest and most reliable method of changing gears that there is.

Otherwise, make like a loli and get STI

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 08 Aug 2017 05:34:57 No.1098321 Report

Quoted By:

>>1098303
>I found a potential bike but it has downtube shifters
that is maybe a minor mark against the bike, but not a big deal
if you like the bike then buy it, if not don't
downtube shifters are a bit inconvenient but they are simple and reliable
if you're mainly focused on transport, i'd recommend barcons over anything
but for more performance oriented riding, brifters are really pretty nice
also note that it usually isn't too hard to go from downtube shifters to barcons

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 08 Aug 2017 05:54:16 No.1098325 Report

Quoted By: >>1098341 >>1098347

You can just add STI shifters you know.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 08 Aug 2017 06:24:39 No.1098338 Report

Quoted By: >>1098651 >>1098833

>suicide shifters

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 08 Aug 2017 06:36:04 No.1098340 Report

Quoted By:

>>1098303
The only objectively solid reason to use them over STI is mechanical simplicity, but barcons or thumbies will have the same advantage and put the shifters in a much better place so...

I like them for aesthetic reasons; they keep the cockpit on something like a rando bike really clean for example.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 08 Aug 2017 06:37:06 No.1098341 Report

Quoted By: >>1098347 >>1098574 >>1098599

>>1098325
Not if it's <8 speeds. And I'm willing to bet if it came with DT shifters it's probably a 5

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 08 Aug 2017 06:55:48 No.1098347 Report

Quoted By: >>1098354

>>1098325
That's good to know

>>1098341
It's 10 speed

I should note that this would be for touring mostly.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 08 Aug 2017 07:35:44 No.1098354 Report

Quoted By: >>1098356

>>1098347
>It's 10 speed
so 2 in the front an 5 in the back? That's a 5sp in modern terms.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 08 Aug 2017 07:38:55 No.1098356 Report

Quoted By: >>1098494 >>1098682

>>1098354
3 front
10 back

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Nukeproof Trixer.png, 3MiB, 2012x1208

Anonymous Tue 08 Aug 2017 07:45:43 No.1098358 Report

Quoted By:

>>1098313
you forgot about, having an integrated Trixter hydraulic detangler in a dirt jump bike with full transmission, preventing that the cable of the shifter also do not interfere in barspins and taiwhips bruh

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Nukeproof Trixer.png, 3MiB, 2012x1208

Anonymous Tue 08 Aug 2017 07:50:12 No.1098360 Report

Quoted By: >>1098367

>>1098313
you forgot about, having an integrated Trixer hydraulic detangler in a dirt jump bike with full transmission, preventing that the cable of the shifter also do not interfere in barspins and taiwhips bruh

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO z-baby-raccoon-1-1.jpg, 16KiB, 300x400

Anonymous Tue 08 Aug 2017 08:35:12 No.1098367 Report

Quoted By:

>>1098360
thougt it p much went without saying senpai

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 08 Aug 2017 09:22:00 No.1098371 Report

Quoted By: >>1098651

The first bike I got a year ago had them. They're a bit finnicky and I much prefer STI shifters on the bike I've got now, but it's hardly something to not buy a bike over

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 08 Aug 2017 09:41:33 No.1098372 Report

Quoted By: >>1098377

>>1098313
How do you transport your bike if STIs are a problem but brake levers aren't?

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 08 Aug 2017 10:09:33 No.1098375 Report

Quoted By: >>1098377 >>1098601 >>1098651

>>1098303
>Are downtube shifters worth using anymore?

Heh, it depends.

If they're not indexed and if you have a 10 speed cassette just forget it, it'll be a nightmare.

If you're intending to shift gear frequetly because there is lots of hills where you are it'll be a bit of a hassle.

Also forget about down shifting before a stop to have quicker start, upshifting for pedaling out of the saddle for a few seconds and then down shifting when back in the saddle... that kind of things.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO aaaaaaaaaaaa.jpg, 82KiB, 980x1606

Anonymous Tue 08 Aug 2017 10:30:53 No.1098377 Report

Quoted By:

>>1098372
DTs are ideal for rinko bikes, which are meant to be assembled and disassembled in minutes and packed small.
>>1098375
git gud like Sean Kelly did and learn how to shift with your knee.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 08 Aug 2017 12:35:30 No.1098398 Report

Quoted By:

They take a bit of getting used to, but once you get the hang of them they're a blast. I love going through several gears with one swoop. They're also ridiculously simple so they'll work forever

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 08 Aug 2017 15:14:18 No.1098435 Report

Quoted By:

>>1098303
I have two dts, one indexed, one friction. It is like fucking your Aunt. I do it twice a month on the weekend.

nikolasv !!gwLtMyM6EoH

nikolasv !!gwLtMyM6EoH Tue 08 Aug 2017 18:20:57 No.1098474 Report

Quoted By:

>>1098303

Are they worth buying standalone and installing on a new bike? Certainly not, sti shifters are clearly superior ergonomically. But there are lots of perfectly good used bikes with downtube shifters that are a much better and even cheaper buys than entry level modern bikes. I tried a friend 1970's something Takara(japanese brand) road bike and it was shocking how good it was all things considered even though it had downtube shifters. You just learn to cope with shifting less as a result of the shifter being out of the way.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 08 Aug 2017 18:22:03 No.1098475 Report

Quoted By:

>>1098303
It shouldn't be a deal breaker to have a bike with downtube shifters, you'll get used to them within 10 rides

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 08 Aug 2017 19:10:38 No.1098494 Report

Quoted By:

>>1098356
Whoa, and it has DT shifters? Sounds posh!

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 08 Aug 2017 22:31:21 No.1098556 Report

Quoted By: >>1098593

>>1098313
>Otherwise, make like a loli and get STI
I'm betting you're a french pedophile according to this bad choice of verb. Get cancer.
Also I use tube shifters, it's okay, and simple to repair.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 08 Aug 2017 23:30:27 No.1098574 Report

Quoted By:

>>1098341
microshift make shimano comparable 7 speed sti

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 08 Aug 2017 23:43:10 No.1098583 Report

Quoted By: >>1098604

Bar-end shifters are GOAT

STI = pussy boy playskool shifters

Downtube = you're claiming to be practical but using slightly more cable to put them on your bar ends is GOAT like I said

If it's a travel bike that splits in half then DT is acceptable and very sexy solution

Oh yeah and fuck DT shifters on 60cm frames. holy shit it's like reaching down to tie your shoes at 20mph

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 09 Aug 2017 00:38:42 No.1098593 Report

Quoted By:

>>1098556
>calling me french
you FUCKER

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 09 Aug 2017 00:44:58 No.1098596 Report

Quoted By: >>1098597

>>1098303

Properly positioned downtube shifters are almost as easy to use as integrated shifters, and easier than normal barcons on aerobars when riding from the hoods.

But that's the catch. On most bikes, the DT braze-ons are going to be positioned wrong for your reach. Clamp-ons are fine but usually only found on shitty cheap frames.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 09 Aug 2017 00:49:22 No.1098597 Report

Quoted By: >>1098608

>>1098596
Is it possible to tell from a photo or does it vary too much from person to person?

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 09 Aug 2017 00:49:38 No.1098598 Report

Quoted By:

I'm think of changing from handlebar stem friction shifters on my 70s 10-speed to downtube shifters.

I think the original bike came with stem shifters but I really liked the downtube shifters I had on my old bike until it was stolen.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 09 Aug 2017 00:54:16 No.1098599 Report

Quoted By:

>>1098341
both my bikes with DTs index for 6 and 7 rear cogs, respectively. 5-rear ("ten-speeds") went out in the early 80s, but DT shifting was still normal until at least the mid-90s.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 09 Aug 2017 01:01:05 No.1098601 Report

Quoted By: >>1098628

>>1098375
>Also forget about down shifting before a stop to have quicker start,

uh, wut? I do that every ride, every stop.

also, if you ride hands-free, you can still shift DTs with your feet

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 09 Aug 2017 01:04:33 No.1098604 Report

Quoted By:

>>1098583
>Oh yeah and fuck DT shifters on 60cm frames. holy shit it's like reaching down to tie your shoes at 20mph

63cm frame here. I dunno what you're talking about, but I suspect you need to git gud

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 09 Aug 2017 01:37:03 No.1098608 Report

Quoted By:

>>1098597

it's not really worth worrying about.
A lot of dudes rode a lot more miles than you will in your life using DT shifters. You will be OK.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 09 Aug 2017 03:17:20 No.1098628 Report

Quoted By: >>1098825

>>1098601
just slap the shifters with your dick imo

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 09 Aug 2017 04:45:20 No.1098650 Report

Quoted By:

Yes. I prefer downtube friction shifters for commuting/adventuring/cruising around. Indexed brifters are nice for GOTTA GO FAST rides.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 09 Aug 2017 04:47:03 No.1098651 Report

Quoted By: >>1098653 >>1098682 >>1098706

>>1098338
>retard
>>1098371
Finnicky? They're much less finnicky than modern shifters.
>>1098375
When do bikes ever have downtube shifters and 10 speed cassettes? Sure, someone's probably made a frankenbike like that, but you won't come across that often at all.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 09 Aug 2017 04:54:11 No.1098653 Report

Quoted By:

>>1098651
It'll be to run a mtb triple

sieg

sieg Wed 09 Aug 2017 05:10:25 No.1098658 Report

Quoted By:

>>1098303
yeah they're still good if non-indexed it's super low maintence

no batteries to charge, no wires to maintain.

no random wifi signals that jam your SRAM wireless

no gunked up 20 year old shimao shifters

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 09 Aug 2017 08:40:35 No.1098682 Report

Quoted By:

>>1098651
>When do bikes ever have downtube shifters and 10 speed cassettes?
juste read the thread anon : >>1098356

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 09 Aug 2017 11:44:25 No.1098706 Report

Quoted By:

>>1098651
mine weren't indexed, so they were a bit finnicky
that wasn't a problem once I got used to what point got me into what gear though

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 09 Aug 2017 12:30:32 No.1098713 Report

Quoted By:

the only reason I'm personally using downtube shifters right now is because my bike is too small and I'm saving up for a new bike instead of getting STI

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO gevenalle-audax.jpg, 218KiB, 720x960

Anonymous Wed 09 Aug 2017 16:19:06 No.1098776 Report

Quoted By: >>1098777 >>1098801 >>1098830 >>1098834 >>1099144 >>1099156

>>1098303
>Are downtube shifters worth using anymore?
Of course they are.

My only indexed setup is my 1x10 mountain bike. And it's good, but off-topic.

All of my geared road bikes have friction shifters. (Except for my singlespeed, obviously.)

My touring bike has a pair of pic related, and I love them in my 3x9 setup. For some reason, people love seeing these out in the wild. Apparently everyone has seen them online, and they're curious to feel them/try them out. I always get positive impressions.

A lot of people who have never tried friction shifters on a bike with "many gears" (>=8 spd) will tell you "it's a nightmare". It isn't, and I have no problem finding the gear I want.

For the record, most of my bikes are 61cm or 62cm, and it isn't a particular effort to reach down and shift either.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 09 Aug 2017 16:26:43 No.1098777 Report

Quoted By:

>>1098776
>that pic
That looks pretty cool

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 09 Aug 2017 17:29:53 No.1098798 Report

Quoted By: >>1098830

>>1098303
I liked my lever shifters a lot, although mine were mounted to the stem. They are simple and basically maintenance free.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 09 Aug 2017 18:01:30 No.1098801 Report

Quoted By:

>>1098776
>Hey I heard you needed some integrated shifters, son!

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 09 Aug 2017 19:40:31 No.1098825 Report

Quoted By:

>>1098628
same

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 09 Aug 2017 20:06:28 No.1098830 Report

Quoted By: >>1098831

>>1098798
>mounted to the stem.

>>1098776
>pic related

OP here, the fact that you can just shove them seemingly anywhere is extremely cool to me.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 09 Aug 2017 20:09:56 No.1098831 Report

Quoted By: >>1098903

>>1098830
Oh, and something that I'm confused about. I hear you can easliy switch between indexed and friction on some shifters. Is that very common? How do you do it?

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 09 Aug 2017 20:22:47 No.1098833 Report

Quoted By:

>>1098338
Downtube friction shifters aren't suicide shifters, stem shifters or toptube shifters are, tho.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 09 Aug 2017 20:27:45 No.1098834 Report

Quoted By:

>>1098776
>A lot of people who have never tried friction shifters on a bike with "many gears" (>=8 spd) will tell you "it's a nightmare". It isn't, and I have no problem finding the gear I want.

Can confirm. My city bike has a 10 speed cassette and friction shifters, it's incredibly smooth and easy to find a gear. I feel like it's easier to friction shift a 10 speed than a 5 speed, for sure.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO shimano-600-sis-sl-6208-shifters (...).jpg, 18KiB, 400x300

Anonymous Thu 10 Aug 2017 02:40:22 No.1098903 Report

Quoted By:

>>1098831
A lil dial on the top of the rear shifter. See pic related.

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 10 Aug 2017 05:12:26 No.1098929 Report

Quoted By:

>>1098303
>sweet ass steel frame
>double plate lugged fork crown
>fatty gum walls
>hammered fenders
>smooth action downtube shifters
>rando rack
and then
>a fucking ziptie

at least it's a black one, so as not to degrade so much in the sunlight.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO lance half STI.jpg, 67KiB, 577x670

Anonymous Thu 10 Aug 2017 06:46:06 No.1098939 Report

Quoted By:

Obviously the answer is half STI half downtube

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1492288031644.png, 126KiB, 800x769

Anonymous Thu 10 Aug 2017 23:48:59 No.1099144 Report

Quoted By:

>>1098776
Those look fucking cool

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 11 Aug 2017 01:10:10 No.1099156 Report

Quoted By: >>1099184

>>1098776
price on those ?

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO IMG_20170810_213406_1.jpg, 361KiB, 1300x1507

Anonymous Fri 11 Aug 2017 02:38:15 No.1099182 Report

Quoted By:

I'm gonna put these on my World Tourist once I get a new groupset for it.

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 11 Aug 2017 02:45:51 No.1099184 Report

Quoted By:

>>1099156
Way too much for what they are.

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 11 Aug 2017 02:52:54 No.1099190 Report

Quoted By:

you can like hold a piece of food or a drink and the bars in one hand then reach down and shift front and rear with the other hand, sti, you gotta switch hands

downtube 1
sti 0

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 11 Aug 2017 02:54:17 No.1099191 Report

Quoted By: >>1099234

>x10 dt doesn't have a friction mode

fuck you shimano i thought we were freinds

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 11 Aug 2017 05:16:18 No.1099234 Report

Quoted By:

>>1099191
Jus

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