This is possibly the most offensive piece of gear I have encountered on a bike. Do you really need a little orange wand to tell you what gear you’re in? There is only one gear to be in: the hardest one at which you can still make the pedals go around in something resembling a circle.
These goofy little things were found on the bike I rented last weekend for a benefit ride on the east coast in honor of my late Aunt. It was a wonderful ride and great family time… but really, shift indicators? Further proof that all has been in decline since the advent of indexed derailleurs. What added insult to injury in this case was the quality (or lack there of) in the shifting itself. Tiagra is a far cry from my beloved Dura Ace. I would try to shift and the little orange wand would wobble uselessly back and forth — like a Seattle driver trying to merge on the highway — until, finally, an enormous noise would ripple up the bike and a new gear *might* be achieved. I began to brace myself for the effort…. and…. SHHHHHIIIIIFFFFFFTTTTT. Like passing a gallbladder stone. (Or so I imagine.)
In the end, this Cannondale Synapse was just fine. It even had a sharp paint job. Almost sharp enough to make up for the kiddie shifters.
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I'm a bit torn. I would like to get a nice bro-set for my N which is currently festooned with those very Tiagra shifters, but I also want to get an N+1 to go MtBing with the VMH.
The question then... which do I do *first*?
The next idiot that uses the word Gruppo in relation to Shimano should be banned from the site. Come on people the lexicon and rules exist for a reason.
@TBONE
Indeed. Rule #93: Componentry must be Italian. No exceptions.
As for the downshifting, it hasn't changed. You can downshift multiple cogs. You're talking about the upshifting having changed, not the downshifting.
I'm an owner of a 2010 Sora group-san on a (aluminum frame/carbon fork) 2011 GT series 4. My dilemma is this-upgrade the bike all together to all carbon and at best an Ultegra/105/Tiagra/FSA mixed bag for under 2k or, go with an Chorus/Athena 11 mixed gruppo,(of which I scored NIB 53-39, Athena crankset ,Chorus FD and 11-23 Miche cassette for $300 USD via E-bay just today, praise be to Merckx.) strip the Sora shit off, buy a new and much better wheel set, buy a decent CX frame, slap the Sora stuff on the CX frame or keep it in stock to use as I break what will likely be a low end Shimano or SRAM group for racing 'cross.
Is the GT frame sexy-nah, but for a low end frame it's more than adequate considering the ass upon the saddle. Will the Campy group improve my riding? It's probable, considering 3 more cogs and better engineering and workmanship,IMO. It's more likely to be a better buy than a carbon frame, as the rider will need to lose 10x more than the .5 kg difference in frame weight to notice. I will end up with a new bike, and a bunch of much needed spare parts that won't make me cry if they break. Are the indicators lame?-sure, and they barely indicate anything except than you moved the lever one way or the other, and it suddenly just got really easy or really hard to pedal. As for the laughable FD shifter indicator-certainly made for those who cant count past 21 without taking off their socks and pants.
105 is my personal bottom line, but my daughters have Tiagra on their entry level bikes and they're actually half-decent. Must be benefitting from some trickle down. The old school exposed cables are great to grab on to for extra stability when doing the phantom aero-bar thing too.
@wiscot and dont forget the redundant barrel adjuster for the rear d! wtf?!?!?!?! good article, but don't forget your beloved dura-ace featured an in-line gear indicator on the cable! for the right shfiter? that was the older 10 speed DA.
@wiscot
Twat. It's not my bike. I made my views on adults on choppers quite clear.
@TBONE
As long as it's only ever used on the track or for getting to the track.
@oldnslowly
I don't have a cervelo but just case it wasn't clear, Don on adults riding choppers:
Chorus 9 speed on my custom 853 and Super Record on my BMC SLC like the one Floyd won on.
Don't need flash gear but want what I have, so life is good.
If Tiagra is what gets someone out on the road, so be it.
Its about the ride.
However, if one needs a little piece of hi viz plastic to know which gear they are in, ahem, maybe the sport is not for them.
I suspect most Tiagra owners don't even look at them anyway. What was Shimano thinking?
Tiagra is a group-San.
Get with it.