1993 Eddy Merckx Corsa Extra

Very nice John, I like it.

I've got a pair of those Modolo brake levers but all black. I've not seen the black and white ones. I might use them on a bike sometime but not got the right one yet.

I've also recently started using DT shifters again on the Duralinox. It's quite a backward technology shift to have to grope down to find them. It's a good job they're Shimano indexed, just a quick click and away. I still find myself trying to move the brake lever to shift though!
 
Old Ned":32lbijy0 said:
Very nice John, I like it.

I've got a pair of those Modolo brake levers but all black. I've not seen the black and white ones. I might use them on a bike sometime but not got the right one yet.

I've also recently started using DT shifters again on the Duralinox. It's quite a backward technology shift to have to grope down to find them. It's a good job they're Shimano indexed, just a quick click and away. I still find myself trying to move the brake lever to shift though!

Found it pretty tricky at first going back to DT levers I have to admit. I'd only ridden dt levers in the very early 90s and they were indexed. Never done any time with friction until now. Have to say that having done a few miles with them I quite like them now :cool:
 
John":12ldjjse said:
Found it pretty tricky at first going back to DT levers I have to admit. I'd only ridden dt levers in the very early 90s and they were indexed. Never done any time with friction until now. Have to say that having done a few miles with them I quite like them now :cool:

Ok, off on a tangent as usual and plowing a furrow well worn by me but downtube shifters are the schnizzle and, bar racing, laugh at STIs.

Downtube shifters are an area of infinite subtlety in a machine controlled world. Want to chance gear? The subtlety of gently grasping the smoothly working lever, the finessing of the gear so that it is 'just so'. Against that the cold, harsh, brilliance of the STI, all cold efficiency and no soul. Think vinyl v CD. Think form AND function. Go the STI route and soon we'll be changing gear by thought alone. And then not even riding the bike. It is a slippery slope my friends, a slippery slope.

Also, in an increasingly comfortable, mollycoddled world, isn't the uncertainty of friction shifting somehow reassuring, even a little bit rock and roll (ok, so I argued above that friction shifting was superior and more subtle above but let's not place consistency of argument in the way of the flow). Don't conform, stick it to The Man, friction shift, it's what Che would have done.

And don't even get me on to the tyranny of compatability.

Ok, waffled on but to paraphrase Keith Bontrager - light, simple, robust, cheap, for downtube shifters pick all four.

Keeping it sundial

Ed
 
ededwards":1mbe9k06 said:
John":1mbe9k06 said:
Found it pretty tricky at first going back to DT levers I have to admit. I'd only ridden dt levers in the very early 90s and they were indexed. Never done any time with friction until now. Have to say that having done a few miles with them I quite like them now :cool:

Ok, off on a tangent as usual and plowing a furrow well worn by me but downtube shifters are the schnizzle and, bar racing, laugh at STIs.

Downtube shifters are an area of infinite subtlety in a machine controlled world. Want to chance gear? The subtlety of gently grasping the smoothly working lever, the finessing of the gear so that it is 'just so'. Against that the cold, harsh, brilliance of the STI, all cold efficiency and no soul. Think vinyl v CD. Think form AND function. Go the STI route and soon we'll be changing gear by thought alone. And then not even riding the bike. It is a slippery slope my friends, a slippery slope.

Also, in an increasingly comfortable, mollycoddled world, isn't the uncertainty of friction shifting somehow reassuring, even a little bit rock and roll (ok, so I argued above that friction shifting was superior and more subtle above but let's not place consistency of argument in the way of the flow). Don't conform, stick it to The Man, friction shift, it's what Che would have done.

And don't even get me on to the tyranny of compatability.

Ok, waffled on but to paraphrase Keith Bontrager - light, simple, robust, cheap, for downtube shifters pick all four.

Keeping it sundial

Ed

I bet your next bike has Record 11.

I think you should put some miles in on 'brifters'. I enjoy riding the merckx with it's retrofriction gearing. As you say it takes a subtle touch.
However the 10 speed Dura Ace on my modern bike rules :LOL:
 
John":2aqlfps9 said:
I think you should put some miles in on 'brifters'. I enjoy riding the merckx with it's retrofriction gearing. As you say it takes a subtle touch.

Have ridden 8 speed Dura Ace quite a bit. It works but is soulless. And lazy. If you can't move your hand to a downtube shifter then you really aren't committed to change gear.

Rode 9 speed Ergos today which worked flawlessly but with so many gears I always had the nagging feeling that I should shift and them almost instantly shift back. To be honest I felt in the wrong gear almost as much as when ss but without the peace of mind. Or fakenger cool.

Merckx is still sweet though and Simplex are the king of downtube shifters.
 
I'm a downtube shifter anficionado!

There I'm out and I'm proud.

Nothing like the crunching of cog and chain and the sly unwanted shift down a gear just when you really don't need it. I love it :D

Brrrrifters is Tesco.
 
Crikey, just looked at the date of the post there.
You could quite easily say that I'm a little behind the curve here.
:oops:
 
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