Irreverence: Shift Indicators

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• @ralph

  Plus, I had a Schwinn Stingray back in the early 70s with a center-mounted shifter much as shown in the picture, although I only had a 3-speed. Good times.

  We're probably about the same age...the red one was the Apple Crate, the green was the Pea Picker, and the yellow, the Lemon Pealer.

• Uh, DA 7700 pioneered these. It's inline on the cable right next to the shifter.

• @Steampunk

  @razmaspaz

  I rode the shit out of mine in all weather, but made a point of cleaning it thoroughly and regularly. I upgraded a couple of years ago and recently passed along the parts for a build at my café. The shifters remained in terrific shape; crankset, too.

  I think my thing is this: it's easy to bemoan cheap bike bits and it's easy (for those who can afford to) to jump the queue drop a packet on the first bike without really earning their wheels. That's all well and good, but it seems to me that the proper progression from Pedalwan to sensei involves actually experiencing the different levels of quality, in terms of parts, riding proficiency, wrenching, etc. (Incidentally, I don't think I've completed that transition, but I am learning from a couple of excellent sensei). You can fork over $5000 for your first bike and take it to a mechanic to have it worked on, but that won't make you ride better uphill. Or you can earn those upgrades through becoming stronger on the bike, learning to care for your own machine, and taking apart every bolt, cleaning everything, applying anti-seize lubricant, and putting the bike back together (so it's probably in better shape than when you bought it). That's how your bike becomes yours and I think it also changes one's perspective on issues pertaining to aesthetics.

  At the end of the day, my Tiagra worked fine and I took pleasure in riding my bike.

  Amen. I bought my Allez with Tiagra 9-speed and it still works well after 15,000 kms. One day I will upgrade, but for now I take pleasure in going faster than those with bikes that cost 3-5 times more than what mine did. My dad taught me from a very young age: "You have to earn your bike" I'd like to think that I'm doing that

• @Steampunk

  It seems to me that the proper progression from Pedalwan to sensei involves actually experiencing the different levels of quality, in terms of parts, riding proficiency, wrenching, etc.

  I rode a noodly steel 7 speed Tiagra road bike for 10 years without knowing there was anything better. And I loved it!

  I don't have that bike anymore, but barely a week goes by that I don't appreciate the crisp shifting in modern gearing.

  It makes me wonder what I'm taking for granted given that my first MTB is a really nice full suspension Yeti. I never had to live through 1990's cantis or off-road hardtails or any of the history that has been improved upon.

• (No offense to people who ride MTB hardtails...I may end up buying one myself).

• In the end it's all about perspective. The first bike I ever bought (though not my first bike) was a 120-Euro work of art froma sports department store. Things that failed on that bike: plastic pedals, handlebar clamp, seatpost, and ultimately the rear hub. All within 500 kms of use. I still had a blast riding that bike and it makes me appreciate my aluminum, 18-speed Allez even more

• @Xyverz

  I may be a broke-ass poor Velominatus, but even I set my low-end standards to 105 ... which is why my ground-up brifter housing will continue to be ground-up until I get a new bike.

  Having checked The Lexicon, I see that the correct term here is Velominatus Budgetatus. I am not of the highest order, so I believe I'm still a Pedalwan. Please forgive my transgression.

• Err, that should be "highest order yet..."

• I've been reading a lot of posts on this site lately that use the term "does it really matter..." "its good enough" or " you're being a little too serious". Have we all gone mental and forgot where we are?

  In the immortal words of Walter Sobchak "Has the whole world gone crazy? Am I the only one around here who gives a shit about the rules?"

  enjoy and do not forget the V or shall you all be smote by the prophet.

• I'm 18 and just finished my A levels so I basically have no money. I've always rode a bike throughout my life, but never seriously, so got my first 'proper' road bike this February. The bike has a 2300 groupset. The combined weight of the bike is around 12kg so it's pretty heavy! The 2300 shifters have a little 'wand', I don't take any notice of them.

  I don't agree with the comments of some users saying that by having shifters with the little orange thing they must be crap cyclists. I train hard, I put my heart and soul into cycling, and I still thrash idiots on bikes worth many thousands of pounds, and am up there in the top 10-15% of many of the popular strava segments in my local area.

  The things are annoying and pointless, but that doesn't determine how good the cyclist is. These comments are coming from imbeciles.

  I've about already had it with snobby, stuck up cnuts who think they're better than everyone else because they have a £7,000+ DA equipped bike and wear full Rapha Sky kit. Just fcuk off.