opinions/facts - XT thumbies Vs XT trigger shifters??

[baj]

getting a new (to me) bike that has '97 XT trigger shifters.. I always hankered after XT thumbies as a teenager thinking they were lighter and more simple with less to go wrong and a bit beefier build quality..

are any of the above points true??! whats the general consensus??

 

[Tallpaul]

M739 8sp shifters are excellant, I don't think the shift action was ever really improved beyond these.

M732 Thumbies are just fine, work flawlessly and are effortlessly cool.

Being able to 'trim' the front mech with thumbies is often lorded as usefull, but a well set-up front mech shouldn't need it.

I actually prefer to shift using RFP's, but this is retrobike...style over function counts.

 

[tintin40]

thumbies are the best. had fiction mode. lighter. tough. best place for gear shifters to be for me

 

[scant]

if thumbies were so amazing shimano would still make them.
personal preference. give the thumbies a try.. personally I couldnt ever go back to thumbies for propper riding

 

[baj]

thanks for the replies, a mix of opinions then.. I've really got on well with my Deore trigger shifters and having not used thumbies for about 15yrs they may take a bit of getting used to again!

hmmm ..... jury is out for the moment!

 

[terryhfs]

Thumbies make my wrists hurt and I tend to shift less as a result. In 22 years of using them on my Ozark I've never needed friction mode. They do look cool however.

STI means I can shift, brake and steer all at the same time with no loss of control. They're intuitive in a way that thumbies aren't - with a thumbie I have to look and think about if I'm going to be thumb pushing or index finger pulling - it doesn't matter with STI.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

i went back to thumbies (paul & dura ace 9speed) after using trigger shifters for quite a while on my main ride. what drives me nuts with trigger shifters is that you can't shift down more than one gear at a time. only real drawback for thumbies is that they are mounted on top of the bars (so brake easily when crashing) and you don't have as much control while shifting.
so thumbies for me.

 

[scant]

. what drives me nuts with trigger shifters is that you can't shift down more than one gear at a time. .

M970 shifters you can.

 

[tintin40]

yes they can do that far too easily for my taste :x

 

[lewis1641]

i love the look and simplicity of thummies and if i were to ride in some far reaching part of the world i'd probably use them but to be honest i much prefer to use rapid fire.