Shimergo...again....

[kipperthedog]

I am quite tempted to give this a go. I don't like being boxed in by "having" to use matching components, I like the idea of being able to change from 8 to 9 speed if I want to with the hubbub cable thing and I really don't like the massive lever bodies on the Claris STi levers that my modern road ride has. I like oddball too!

I do however prefer the traditional look of the 2nd generation ergos which is still the pattern for Xenon. I am a little dubious the composite levers though, has anyone experience of them? Would I be disappointed with them even after the lowly Claris levers do you think? I can't really justify spending a lot, so 2nd hand higher up the range is the alternative to new Xenons really.

(I have thought about older STis as I like the RSX ones I have on my winter bike but haven't quite taken to the idea of 90's bits on a 2014 bike yet.......haven't ruled it out completely though)

 

[Johnsqual]

Re:

Have some Xenon composite levers on my commuter, which I moved over from a second hand bike I bought in about 2009. So about 6-7 years of quite heavy use, and they were not even new when I bought them.

So I'd say they are fairly reliable

The shift lever behind the brake lever is a little flexy, certainly compared to the alu levers, but apart from that they are pretty good considering where they sit in the heirarchy.

Johnny

 

[kipperthedog]

Re:

Veloce and Mirage also have the plastic shift lever don't they?

 

[SimonJC]

I like the idea of being able to change from 8 to 9 speed if I want to with the hubbub cable thing

I presume you mean the Shimano facility on 9-speed levers where you can mount the cable slightly differently on the rear mech so that it indexes for 8 speed? I had that set up on my time trial bike, as there is no need for 9 gears in such a discipline and it worked perfectly. This was a 9-speed Dura-Ace bar end shifter with 9-speed rear mech. In fact I regularly removed the smallest sprocket so I ended up with 7 speed!

 

[Johnsqual]

Re: Re:

Have some Xenon composite levers on my commuter, which I moved over from a second hand bike I bought in about 2009. So about 6-7 years of quite heavy use, and they were not even new when I bought them.

So I'd say they are fairly reliable

The shift lever behind the brake lever is a little flexy, certainly compared to the alu levers, but apart from that they are pretty good considering where they sit in the heirarchy.

Johnny

I have Veloce 9 speed on another bike and the shifter paddle behind the brake lever is aluminium. The little 'ear'
on the body of the brake lever unit is plastic though.

Johnny