Trouble shifting shimano?

My wife just started cycling and is having trouble with the throw of the
left lever (front derailleur), her hands are not long enough to reach
without causing her to swerve because she is pushing so hard when
shifting into the big ring. Would Campy be easier? I have no experience
with Campy. Just looking for some help or ideas.
Chris

Chris Dorn wrote:
My wife just started cycling and is having trouble with the throw of the
left lever (front derailleur), her hands are not long enough to reach
without causing her to swerve because she is pushing so hard when
shifting into the big ring. Would Campy be easier? I have no experience
with Campy. Just looking for some help or ideas.
Chris

With a smaller, closer shift lever and the ratcheting friction type
shifter, where she can click it once, return to center, click it again,
etc, Campagnolo left/front shifter is much more forgiving for those with
small hands.

My wife just started cycling and is having trouble with the throw of the
left lever (front derailleur), her hands are not long enough to reach
without causing her to swerve because she is pushing so hard when shifting
into the big ring. Would Campy be easier? I have no experience with Campy.
Just looking for some help or ideas.
Chris

Check this page on our website- http://www.chainreaction.com/shifting.htm

Sometimes people mistake having to push the lever hard to shift with what's
really required... not so much pressure, but rather holding it in place for
a bit. STI takes a bit of time to "catch" the chain and move it up. It's not
the same technique as the rear derailleur, where you can quickly blip it and
expect the chain to move from cog-to-cog.

When a bike is brand new, the chain will be a bit stiffer and will often
make the more-difficult upshift on the front without so much trouble. But it
doesn't take long for it to become looser and require a bit of help.
Remember, it's not how hard you push, but rather that you hold it in place
for a bit.

Also, make sure the cable is running freely. Check where it goes under the
bottom bracket; a bit of grease there might help.

Also, remember that Shimano does have a women's shifter available, with a
smaller, easier-to-use lever. An expensive option, but for some they work a
lot better, and I'm sure she could try one out on a bike at the shop that
has them.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

On Wed, 23 Mar 2005 07:54:05 -0500, Chris Dorn
wrote:

My wife just started cycling and is having trouble with the throw of the
left lever (front derailleur), her hands are not long enough to reach
without causing her to swerve because she is pushing so hard when
shifting into the big ring. Would Campy be easier? I have no experience
with Campy. Just looking for some help or ideas.
Chris

Hi, have you checked the shifter, to make sure it is functioning
properly? When I road tested my LeMond, I couldn't shift on to the big
ring. I was concerned that it was just that hard to do. I have some
problems with my hands, the left missing two fingers and the two
remaining are webbed together. Well the LBS mechanic, checked it and
said it wasn't right. They replaced the cable and I had no problem
after that.

So, you might want to start by optimizing what you have, before
spending a lot on new Campy levers.


Life is Good!
Jeff

"Chris Dorn" wrote in message
...
My wife just started cycling and is having trouble with the throw of the
left lever (front derailleur), her hands are not long enough to reach
without causing her to swerve because she is pushing so hard when shifting
into the big ring. Would Campy be easier? I have no experience with Campy.
Just looking for some help or ideas.
Chris

One other thing that no one has mentioned is to check that the chainrings
match. (53B goes with 39B, and 53A goes with 42A -- typical road bike
examples) You can certainly use unmatched rings or rings without modified
teeth, but there should be some improvement when using a matched set.

In addition to what Mike said about pushing the lever, make sure she is
easing up on the pedals when shifting to a bigger ring.

--Art

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
My wife just started cycling and is having trouble with the throw of
the left lever (front derailleur), her hands are not long enough to
reach without causing her to swerve because she is pushing so hard
when shifting into the big ring. Would Campy be easier? I have no
experience with Campy. Just looking for some help or ideas.
Chris

Check this page on our website-
http://www.chainreaction.com/shifting.htm
Sometimes people mistake having to push the lever hard to shift with
what's really required... not so much pressure, but rather holding it
in place for a bit. STI takes a bit of time to "catch" the chain and
move it up. It's not the same technique as the rear derailleur, where
you can quickly blip it and expect the chain to move from cog-to-cog.

Almost every entry-level road bike that goes out at my shop comes back with
"the front clatters" explicitly because they don't hold it in. Shimano
really needs to have a little tag on the left shifter explaining this.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

"Phil, Squid-in-Training" wrote in
message ...
Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
My wife just started cycling and is having trouble with the throw of
the left lever (front derailleur), her hands are not long enough to
reach without causing her to swerve because she is pushing so hard
when shifting into the big ring. Would Campy be easier? I have no
experience with Campy. Just looking for some help or ideas.
Chris

Check this page on our website-
http://www.chainreaction.com/shifting.htm
Sometimes people mistake having to push the lever hard to shift with
what's really required... not so much pressure, but rather holding it
in place for a bit. STI takes a bit of time to "catch" the chain and
move it up. It's not the same technique as the rear derailleur, where
you can quickly blip it and expect the chain to move from cog-to-cog.

Almost every entry-level road bike that goes out at my shop comes back
with "the front clatters" explicitly because they don't hold it in.
Shimano really needs to have a little tag on the left shifter explaining
this.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training


Is it different with Campy, and why?

Another thing that is not obvious about the left Shim lever is that a half
swing of the lever will trim the front der to stop noise in a bad
combination such as big ring, big cog.

--Art

Almost every entry-level road bike that goes out at my shop comes back
with "the front clatters" explicitly because they don't hold it in.
Shimano really needs to have a little tag on the left shifter explaining
this.

Which is why I put up that web page. You might think it's because I'm
incredibly altruistic and want to make the world a better place for cycling,
but the real reason is because, with something on-line that I can point to,
they're more likely to believe me when I tell them that something's not
defective, but they need to use it a bit differently.

Same thing for this page- www.ChainReaction.com/chainrings.htm I got enough
phone calls from people over the years regarding their "defective" brand-new
bike with missing chainring teeth... who absolutely would not believe me
when I told them that's the way it was made... that putting up the stuff on
the 'web became a way to keep my sanity.

The amazing thing is that people will believe virtually ANYTHING they read
on the 'web, the problem being that you can do a web search and support just
about any conclusion you've already reached.

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com

Chris Dorn wrote:

My wife just started cycling and is having trouble with the throw of the
left lever (front derailleur), her hands are not long enough to reach
without causing her to swerve because she is pushing so hard when
shifting into the big ring. Would Campy be easier? I have no experience
with Campy. Just looking for some help or ideas.
Chris
The Ergo may be shifted in a couple of short passes in
succession rather than one long hard-to-reach motion

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Thanks all for your suggestions. I think I will give her a little time
to see if she can develop the technique for shifting STI's. If she
cannot then I will look into Ergos, they seem like a good alternative.
Chris