27
votes
How do experienced cyclists know which gear they are in without an optical display?
All the elite riders I have encountered just know. I think its part of the attention to detail necessary at that level. You almost never see them looking down to check (that would be showing a ...
- 17.2k
22
votes
How do experienced cyclists know which gear they are in without an optical display?
Cadence mostly. The answer to your question is in the title. Experience.
Same way motocross riders know what gear they are in. The speed of the engine vs how fast they are moving.
- 229
22
votes
My bike goes up one gear at a time, but down two: is this normal?
On or off road, but especially off road, it is desirable to be able to shift down more than one gear at a time to deal with abrupt changes in gradient and avoid being stuck in too a high a gear and ...
- 75.5k
22
votes
What are strong methods of linking two shifter cables together?
Some travel bikes were designed with frame couplings. This was in the era where airlines were stricter with luggage size requirements, and a coupled frame could fit in a box that wouldn’t incur ...
- 29.6k
19
votes
How do I remove a severely stripped/rounded-off Allen/hex head bolt?
I can suggest three methods.
The mounting clamp has a gap. You can use a thin saw to split the bolt there. It might scratch the clamp, but with careful action, the saw blade will not touch the ...
- 14.4k
17
votes
Can a counterfeit Shimano chain be used on an authentic Shimano drivetrain?
You can normally use chains from other legitimate vendors, be it SRAM or KMC or something else. You do not need to use Shimano™® chains only.
But no-one can tell you whether your chain is of ...
- 16.1k
15
votes
Accepted
What is this stamped metal piece that fell out of a new hydraulic shifter?
Providing the 7900 is the same, I’m sure it is but someone more qualified can chip in if it’s different.
How did it fall out ? Shimano have a proper tool for removing them.
Info from here Fawkes
- 1,098
14
votes
Accepted
Why are trigger shifters so widely used, instead of the twisting grip shifters(revoshift)?
In the context of a high-end MTB designed to go quickly over difficult terrain, trigger shifters have the following advantages:
They can be operated using only the thumb, without changing the grip, ...
- 256
14
votes
Accepted
Can a counterfeit Shimano chain be used on an authentic Shimano drivetrain?
The main problem is quality, in terms of dimensions and variance.
If you think its an 11 speed chain but someone has just repackaged some 10 speed chain, then there will be issues.
Likewise, if it ...
- 121k
14
votes
Can you use two different shifters (eg. Left-Tiagra,Right-105) on the same cockpit/handlebar?
The shifters on your left and right side don’t have to match. They can even be from completely different manufacturers.
On road bikes it can be problematic because when riding “on the hoods” (the ...
- 26k
14
votes
What are strong methods of linking two shifter cables together?
Don't
Personally I'd shop around and find a source of longer cables. Tandem brake/gear cables are exactly the same just longer, and shouldn't be 15x the price. I got some from Wiggle years ago and ...
- 121k
13
votes
Broken 105 shifter in fall, cause and is repair possible?
Sadly, all I have is bad news.
It's not a quality control issue. It may not have felt like much of a crash but that lever was hit hard.
There is no way to fix it. The plastic shell is part of the ...
- 20.7k
12
votes
Are there any 8-speed brifters with internal cabling?
The new Claris, called R2000, has internally routed brake and shifter cables, an improvement on a previous version, that still sported the externally routed shifting cables.
It is still 8 speed group, ...
- 121
12
votes
Accepted
My bike goes up one gear at a time, but down two: is this normal?
Depending on the year of your Giant Escape 3, it either has Shimano EF40 or EF41 shifters. Both shifters have the same User Manual which has this information on downshifting:
Assuming you are talking ...
- 236
12
votes
Accepted
Rohloff twist shifter is too slippery when sweating
Cycling gloves are designed for comfort and to improve grip by absorbing sweat and providing a contact material that provides grip even when damp or wet. Typically, hands do not sweat much so most ...
- 30.4k
12
votes
Accepted
Shifter cable ruptured near the inner end in ST-R7020 - usual defect?
The cable turns a double right angle in quite a small space. It's a very common failure on all the 11speed shifters from 9000/6800 onwards. The "solution" is to change the right hand cable ...
- 13.6k
11
votes
Does my shifter need to be replaced after crash damage?
Based on your description and photo, probably not. As long as it still functions correctly. That is the key.
So, if it still works and is not broken/cracked, go ahead and use it. Keep an eye on it ...
- 6,089
11
votes
Accepted
What are strong methods of linking two shifter cables together?
Using ferrules and a swaging tool you can do a side by side connection or you can make loops in the ends of each cable. There are lifting and non-lifting ferrules. Be sure to get the lifting ferrules.
...
- 20.7k
10
votes
Are my gears setup backwards?
No, it's set up the right way. (In fact, because of the way the front and rear gear systems work, it's essentially impossible to set them up backwards: you'd have to re-engineer the whole system.)
...
- 17k
10
votes
Shimano Revoshift twist grip unusably tight
As per AndyP’s comment, I have also heard anecdotally that these styles of shifters can be stiff for children’s hands, but then again some thumb push trigger shifters can feel quite stiff to my adult ...
- 12.7k
10
votes
Accepted
Anyone know of 3x7 brifters with internal cabling?
It's a hack, but you can do this with the current Claris ST-2400 3x8 levers using an alternate cable mounting position on many "classic" shaped Shimano rear derailleurs. (Make sure whatever you're ...
- 81.9k
10
votes
Accepted
Need help understanding my grip shifters on my handle bar
You have two shifters. A friction shifter for the front derailer and a 6-speed indexed shifter for the rear derailer.
The shifters are operating by turning the grip front and back (like a motorbike ...
- 16.1k
10
votes
Accepted
What is this adjuster in the shifting cable?
It is an inline barrel adjuster. By holding the end closest to the Shimano "O" and rotating the knurled end you can finely adjust the shift point of the front derailleur. If looking at it ...
- 18.4k
10
votes
Accepted
Shifter cable broke in the shifter and now the end is stuck in the shifter
Take off the little plastic cover on the bottom of your 5800 shifter. The line of its edge is visible in your second photo (1 or 2 screws). You will then have good access to remove the head. You can ...
- 13.6k
9
votes
How do experienced cyclists know which gear they are in without an optical display?
One of my bikes has no indicators and I'm less familiar with it than my other bike which has indicators and more years especially at the top. But I don't find it to be a problem. You don't need to ...
- 57.3k
9
votes
Campagnolo cabling: can I use other non-Campagnolo brands?
You don't have to buy Campy brand cables, but you do have to buy Campy-compatible cables, because they use a head that's a little bit smaller for both shift and brake cables. If you ignore this, it ...
- 81.9k
9
votes
Accepted
Friction-shift (rear) always changing up the gears
Rode downtube friction shifters bikes for a while.
I can see two possible causes : either the shifter was too lubricated, or the screw isn't tightened enough. Try to tighten it more, but pay ...
9
votes
Accepted
Using 9 speed bar end shifters in friction mode with 10 speed derailleurs and cassette
Beyond the question of finickiness of actually using the system with higher cog counts, it's a matter of whether there's enough total cable pull from the shifter in friction mode to cover the range of ...
- 81.9k
9
votes
Accepted
Which the function of this "thing" (photo) in Shimano XTR SL-M952 rear shifter?
There was a remote shifter available for ST-M952 and SL-M952 and some others of the era, so you could shift from your bar end. It actuated the main shifter via cables and housings. This is a stop for ...
- 81.9k
9
votes
Accepted
Shimano STI shifters: do they come in different sizes?
Yes.
Shimano introduced the 3300 STI in 1999, which has a downshift lever on the hoods, and reach adjust via screw (the main models had only rubber shims to adjust reach). This continues today as ...
- 4,170
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