On Wed, 13 Aug 2003 04:02:07 GMT, wrote:
I see no conflict there. I seldom if ever shift while braking
anyway.

You've never been halfway through a shift when you suddenly need to
brake?

Shifting takes fractions of a second. I am able to manage my riding
to not split mechanical motions into the 1/100 second range.

I thought you said you preferred downtube shifters. I
may have thought wrong.

However, with downtube shifters, it's more than
a 1/100 second project to remove hand from shifter
and reach immediately for front brake in an emergency.

Another, maybe more important reason why left-front-brake is good:
With these expensive and fragile brake/shift levers, there is often
an inconvenient conflict when you want to brake and shift in rapid
succession.

Let me clarify: I am commonly annoyed when I go to shift and
find that it won't because I was just braking.

You make it sound like motor racing. Shifting is not a rapid fire and
often performed act in bicycling although with more and more gears,
many riders believe they are operating a Ducati of the like as I see
then shift their away from a traffic light as it turns green.

Well, what about downshifting after braking? Sometimes I
forget to downshift, or didn't know I was going to need
to slow down, so I must shift after braking; or I might
try to interrupt my braking momentarily to downshift
before reaching a stop sign. These operations often
result in a conflict where it doesn't shift.

However, it is better in these operations to have the
rear shifter and front brakes in opposite hands; and
shifting requires more dexterity than braking, so to
have the rear shifter in my right hand and front brake
in my left hand works well.

People who don't have those situations, I'm sure, don't
have those problems. BTW, I still like integrated brake
and shift levers, despite that minor issue.


As far as rapid fire, sequential shifting: It can be
useful at times, especially when a traffic light turns
green. In fact, this is probably the only time I do it.
I find that I keep up with the automotive traffic if I
pour uninterrupted power into the pedals and shift,
well, like I was riding a Ducati. I find that I _don't_
keep up if I leave it in one gear the whole time.

Maybe if I didn't have a 9-speed, I'd be okay, but it's
certainly easier to calmly rapid-fire shift shift shift
than it is to use a single gear as long as possible,
then shift four gears before being able to add power
again.

I'd be lying if I said that it wasn't also fun to do
that, but I'd do it whether it was fun or not.

Regardless of fun, on my other road bike, with a 6
speed wide ratio freewheel and downtube shifters, I
have no need to shift like that, and don't. I ride off
with the traffic, and shift once or twice, not 5 times
like I do on my 9 speed with it's one and two tooth
jumps and easy-access quick shifters.

Jobst Brandt

Palo Alto CA
--
Rick Onanian