Category: Shifting
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Three Years Later, I Still Prefer Downtube Shifters….
from Rookie’s keyboards I received an e-mail from a reader asking me whether he should replace his downtube shifters (DT shifters) with something more modern or one of those bar-end versions that go into the handlebars. While I have nothing against modern shifters and bar-ends, I personally wouldn’t bother. I actually enjoy the downtube shifters…
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Shifting Issues In The Middle
from Rookie’s keyboard Happy Sunday, friends Today, I’m going to talk about a very common problem, namely – inadequate mid-gear shifting. When that happens the derailleur shifts fine when the chain is on the smallest or largest cogs at the back, but the shifting in the middle of the cassette is quite poor. Possible Sources…
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Explaining The “Lazy” Front Derailleur Phenomenon
from Rookie’s keyboard, Hello, friends Another busy day. This morning I got a bit of backpain from working at the warehouse and repairing the two bikes that I had on my line was…less than ideal. But I managed. On the positive side, one of the repairs gave an idea for a new post (writing this…
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When 10+9 works…
from Rookie’s keyboard Hello, friends It’s Saturday morning. And I went to the bike shop where I work part-time early. Because later I am going on a fairly long ride, and I wanted to complete the work on a client’s bike beforehand. It’s nothing complicated – just a transition from a 9 to a 10-speed…
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When Derailleurs “Slap”
from Rookie’s keyboard, Hello, friends The other day a confused young girl entered the bike shop and said something I couldn’t quite understand so I asked her to repeat her sentence. “It slaps,” she said. “What slaps,” I asked. “Back wheel….slaps,” she repeated. I grabbed the bike saddle, lifted the bike and spinned the pedals…
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Bar End Shifters = The Classic Long-distance Choice
from Rookie’s keyboard Hello, friends Long-distance cyclists are not as crazy about new technology as the MTB and road racing maniacs. Instead, the main priorities are reliability, serviceability, and convenience rather than speed. For that reason, many equip their adventure bikes with bar-end shifters (BESs). Below is a list containing detailed characteristics that make bar-ends…
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Integrating a 3x FD In a 2x Drivetrain (High IQ Tactics)
from Rookie’s Keyboard Hello, friends I’ve been on fire lately. Despite pulling pretty long hours at the courier warehouse where I’ve worked for a while, I have a lot of energy. But honestly, sometimes, we have pretty “low traffic” hours there. Today, I will tell you a little technical secret that the bicycle world doesn’t…
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“Hacking” Thumb Shifters In The Name of Hybrid Road Bikes
from Rookie’s Keyboard Hello, friends Today, I am going to tell you some important technical points regarding thumb shifters and the possibility of integrating them into a road bike/drop bar setup. Why would you want to do that? Well, the main incentive would be to combine road bars with an MTB mech (derailleurs) and drivetrain.…
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Grip shifters are cool but just don’t cut it.
from Rookie’s Keyboard, Hello, friends Today, I saw a locked, beaten commuter that had a set of grip shifters – the type that I had on my bike as a kid. The find made me nostalgic but also gave me an idea for a new post. So, let’s analyze grip shifters. For those who don’t…