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 dunno. You might be throwing the baby out with the bathwater here. Shifting: a by-product of the gruppo or the poor maintenance of said gruppo by the folks from whom you rented the bike? My experience was rather different. I rode Tiagra for a few years (9spd), and didn't think it was that bad. Yes: my Ultegra is better, smoother, lighter, but I never Schlecked on the Tiagra and found it to be good, reliable, durable stuff (Shimano knows steel).
The shift indicators never bothered me, though I rarely paid them any heed. I thought it was a clever little addition as far as it went: functional. But that's what Tiagra is. It's heavier and probably won't last as long as the Ultegra/Dura Ace stuff, but it's a great entry-level bit of gear. Aesthetes might groan, but there you go.
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.
@Velodeluded
I'm clearly in the minority, but nothing wrong with it. If you're riding your bike, no one can see the orange indicators anyway. Taping them over will look hideous. Kidneys can be useful things; I'd ride the stuff into the ground, all the while saving your pennies. It's only through riding your Tiagra stuff that you would appreciate an upgrade anyway.
a. at least the indicator is orange
b. this is perhaps a good Rule to follow: do not ever rent a bike
c. others seem to nearly apologize for decking out the ride with 105 or such, and i run shit rival on my daily rider, but in the end, if your out front on the club ride, or even better a breakaway on race day...does it matter? I have seen plenty of Masters semi-pro run steel bikes, older gear and they have diesel engines that kill
@Xyverz
Agreed. My #2 has 105 and they work fine. It's one of the few things I haven't upgraded. Mind you, I'm kinda persnickety about having them dialled-in just right. I think Tiagra is aimed at the consumer who likes know what gear they're in. If you tell them you were spinning a 52-12 they won't understand.
@Chris
That Chopper looks like new! Man, I lusted after one of those in the 70s. Shockingly unstable, poorly made, badly balanced, weighed a ton, but an object of desire nevertheless.
They don't really bother me too much. Really not much of a feature but considering who Tiagra is marketed towards it kind of makes sense. If you haven't a clue even a little info would be helpful.
Concerning 105 it's often OEM on frames nice enough to continue to upgrade. In that sense it sand economical base to build from on a frame you would not have been able to afford had it been spec'd with a more expensive group. As already noted its perfectly adequate for rain and CX bikes.
@Steampunk
Isn't aesthetics the whole point? My n=1 experience with Tiagra was similar. I kept it clean, lubed, changed cables regularly, and after 4 years of real riding, it took a shit. The internals just seized on me. I blame those damn indicators. I think for a bike you are going to hang in the garage and ride a couple times a season, it is fine, it will last forever, but for real day in day out service, it falls short. For the minimal difference in price, the 105s are a stellar upgrade, and they look good to boot.
Nice. Is this the first installment of irreverence?
Whenever I do something like let my mind wander and start to imagine that I have something in common with others I see out cycling I realize many folks are willing to put up with, or don't know any better, and will ride a bike with Tiagra. I passed a gal yesterday who was in fancy strappy sandals. I said hello, she just looked at me. "I don't get a hello out of you?" What? "I said hello, say hi." I'm sure she was riding Tiagra.
A few weeks back I was all set to Pantani-climb the biggest local hill. Halfway up I spot a woman, in sandals with a fanny pack, walking her bike. She was an older woman so I took pity and slowed to ask if she was okay. She was fine but had to stop because she couldn't turn her cranks. Why? She had absolutely no idea how to shift and would just guess. She didn't even know the difference between her FD and RD shifting. I stopped and gave her a short tutorial. She began to inquire about the numbers. I told her as politely as I could to fucking forget the numbers and just listen to what I was saying. Things almost went off the rails. I got her to the top though.
@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.