Apart from the long distant past when I had bikes with shifters on the down tube or the 'crossbar' of my chopper I've only used rapidfire type shifters on my old & modern bikes. Now I've got a couple of bikes from 1990 & 91 on the do list & I can see I have a choice of period correct thumbies or STi shifters. I've never used thumbies so as someone who missed them first time round what's the pro's & cons? My instincts telling me thumbies are more awkward to use.
Retrobuild - STI or Thumbies?
- Thread starter rwm1962
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I use to use thumbies on all my bikes right up to 1996, they were lighter and allowed me to shift more gears much quicker.
I still like them now and do have on one of my retro builds.
Try them, see if you like them, they would certainly be period correct for your build.
I still like them now and do have on one of my retro builds.
Try them, see if you like them, they would certainly be period correct for your build.
66 triumph daytona
Senior Retro Guru
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Re:
Use the thumbies,they are fit and forget as they say.
Use the thumbies,they are fit and forget as they say.
Re:
I missed out on thumbies first time around too, started on the early STI shifters and never tried the "old fashioned" thumbies.
I've tried them since though, can't say I missed out on anything to be honest.
It's your bike though, so either go with what "looks" right, or go with what you want to use.
I missed out on thumbies first time around too, started on the early STI shifters and never tried the "old fashioned" thumbies.
I've tried them since though, can't say I missed out on anything to be honest.
It's your bike though, so either go with what "looks" right, or go with what you want to use.
TOMAS
Senior Retro Guru
I well and truly also missed them first time around but have XT and also some Deore thumbies on some of my Dyna collection and have to say they are great! You need to find some that aren't too worn though... I have worn internal indexing plates on my XT ones and gives for iffy shifting sometimes - if anyone can think of a fix for this then let me know - drill the index holes bigger and run a larger bearing in between the plates perhaps but all sounds a bit of a faff?!
Thias
Klein Fan
I love my thumbies! They have their advantages. And they look cool, I think.
But on the other hand, STIs work very well, too. I have the m900 variants on my daily bikes, because they work just a tad better than thumbies.
In the end it boils down to personal preference. Try and see for yourself.
But on the other hand, STIs work very well, too. I have the m900 variants on my daily bikes, because they work just a tad better than thumbies.
In the end it boils down to personal preference. Try and see for yourself.
KondratievsBike
Dave Yates Fan
You could go completely period correct and mount the thumbies under the bars where STIs would have been like we did for about three weeks in the summer of 1991 until we realised they were God-awful under there and went back to the tops? :facepalm:
66 triumph daytona
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I did that too,what was in the water back thenKondratievsBike":1qa07ikn said:
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