OK, i'm putting this out there, i'm likely to get toasted
- Thread starter cce
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Re: OK, i'm putting this out there, i'm likely to get toaste
For many, many years they were my favourite form of changing gears however the modern Shimano stuff is so good these days I use that (clutch mech and all). Saying that, as 'fit and forget' you can't beat a set of Deore's.
For many, many years they were my favourite form of changing gears however the modern Shimano stuff is so good these days I use that (clutch mech and all). Saying that, as 'fit and forget' you can't beat a set of Deore's.
velomaniac
MacRetro Rider
Re: OK, i'm putting this out there, i'm likely to get toaste
Everyone is different and thus differing gear selector solutions all have their advocates.
To say thumbies 'suck' whilst admitting you'll probably get toasted seems you want to court controversy. Best to say you personally dont like thumbies but you have extensively tested them so your making an informed choice.
I like friction shifters of any kind because I'm crap at setting up indexed shifters but I believe indexed is good otherwise no one would use them. Its me who is the issue with indexing.
Everyone is different and thus differing gear selector solutions all have their advocates.
To say thumbies 'suck' whilst admitting you'll probably get toasted seems you want to court controversy. Best to say you personally dont like thumbies but you have extensively tested them so your making an informed choice.
I like friction shifters of any kind because I'm crap at setting up indexed shifters but I believe indexed is good otherwise no one would use them. Its me who is the issue with indexing.
Re: OK, i'm putting this out there, i'm likely to get toaste
My first MTB had thumbshifters on it as it was a Kona and they were one of the last companies to use them. They actually made it part of the sales pitch that they were superior as you could take them off index if you were on the trail and your rear mech got knocked and the indexing went out of whack. Made perfect sense of course.
Didn't stop me wanting rapid-fire though and every bike I've owned since has had them even if it meant taking off what was on when I bought it. It is just more intuitive to me.
My first MTB had thumbshifters on it as it was a Kona and they were one of the last companies to use them. They actually made it part of the sales pitch that they were superior as you could take them off index if you were on the trail and your rear mech got knocked and the indexing went out of whack. Made perfect sense of course.
Didn't stop me wanting rapid-fire though and every bike I've owned since has had them even if it meant taking off what was on when I bought it. It is just more intuitive to me.
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Re: OK, i'm putting this out there, i'm likely to get toaste
I ride both, xt thumbies xt rapid fire, deore thumbies, only thing I didn't like we're gripshifters. Been building with thumbies for ease of use and setup.
I ride both, xt thumbies xt rapid fire, deore thumbies, only thing I didn't like we're gripshifters. Been building with thumbies for ease of use and setup.
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Re: OK, i'm putting this out there, i'm likely to get toaste
Tricky - first generation of STi is pretty poor but from 1994 onwards it all got better and better. The only slight hiccup was the road STi style MTB shifters with the brake lever going up and down - some found these terrible whereas others loved them.
I have used thumbies, road STi and all versions of indexed shifter over the years and am split 50/50. I dont mind either.
Main weakness of any STi is front mech indexing and maintenance - matching mech with shifter is important. They all seem to need a good flushing and regreasing as the Shimano grease hardens up over the years. Modern systems seem to gum up in the cables more too. I guess a bit of condensation is emulsifying the lube.
I have found the plastic innards of some SRAM shifters to be totally unrepairable if the plastic gets bent through forced over shifts and so-on.
Thumbies are nice and simple. I rarely use my thumb anyway, is nearly always the side of my (spade like) hand.
Tricky - first generation of STi is pretty poor but from 1994 onwards it all got better and better. The only slight hiccup was the road STi style MTB shifters with the brake lever going up and down - some found these terrible whereas others loved them.
I have used thumbies, road STi and all versions of indexed shifter over the years and am split 50/50. I dont mind either.
Main weakness of any STi is front mech indexing and maintenance - matching mech with shifter is important. They all seem to need a good flushing and regreasing as the Shimano grease hardens up over the years. Modern systems seem to gum up in the cables more too. I guess a bit of condensation is emulsifying the lube.
I have found the plastic innards of some SRAM shifters to be totally unrepairable if the plastic gets bent through forced over shifts and so-on.
Thumbies are nice and simple. I rarely use my thumb anyway, is nearly always the side of my (spade like) hand.
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Re: OK, i'm putting this out there, i'm likely to get toaste
You're all fools, thumbies and STIs are utter trash and GripShift is where it's at
You're all fools, thumbies and STIs are utter trash and GripShift is where it's at
dirttorpedo
Senior Retro Guru
Re: OK, i'm putting this out there, i'm likely to get toaste
I've run two generations of thumbies, one of gripshift and two or three of rapidfire. Ergonomically I love rapidfire. Shift up or down in a heartbeat. Finicky to get set up, but sometimes I think that's more due to the incessent need to add cogs to the rear. I love the simplicity and bombproofness of thumbshifters, but they are only really good at shifting in one direction. I loved the idea of gripshift ajnd its simplicity, but in practice I found the way it placed my wrist while riding uncomfortable. Having broken a wrist as a kid, it always made me leery while trail riding.
I've run two generations of thumbies, one of gripshift and two or three of rapidfire. Ergonomically I love rapidfire. Shift up or down in a heartbeat. Finicky to get set up, but sometimes I think that's more due to the incessent need to add cogs to the rear. I love the simplicity and bombproofness of thumbshifters, but they are only really good at shifting in one direction. I loved the idea of gripshift ajnd its simplicity, but in practice I found the way it placed my wrist while riding uncomfortable. Having broken a wrist as a kid, it always made me leery while trail riding.
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Re: OK, i'm putting this out there, i'm likely to get toaste
dt shifters are what 'modern' thumbies have turned into.
dt shifters are what 'modern' thumbies have turned into.
