SRAM DualDrive Shifter?

In the thread "New Shifters that Shift When You're Still, Ed Kirstein
wrote:

It uses the SRAM DualDrive which gives you an 8 speed rear derailleur
and a 3 speed hub. It has all the range of a 3 gear front derailleur
without the fuss of one. I'm very impressed with it. No matter what
gear I am in on the rear derailleur, if I come to a stop, I can just
shift to the lowest gear on the internal hub and have no trouble getting
going. Its a beautiful system.


Giant is bringing out a model called Mono DX which has this shifter
(11-34 teeth 8 speed). This model is being recommended as the
replacement for the 2003 Melbourne which was the bike I was wanting to
buy, but which is going out of production on the new catalogue. The
Melbourne interested me on account of its Shimano Nexus 7 shifter. The
claim being made by my bicycle merchant is that the DualDrive has all
the same advantages and more, with none of the disadvantages.

I looked on the web-site of SRAM. They seem to be claiming there that
the DualDrive makes it possible to access _any_ gear at a standstill or
under load. Is that true, or is it only the three front gears that can
be changed standing still? If you're on your highest gear on the back
derailleur and have to slam to a stop at a traffic light, can you get
all the way down to the lowest or is it a matter of compromising on the
highest back with the lowest front? I have never used a front shifter
before - my supermarket bike just has a 5-speed back derailleur. How
would the DualDrive compare (in ease of use, maintenance freedom, and
range of terrains that can be comfortably ridden) to the Nexus 7 or to
the much more expensive 14 gear Rohloff SpeedHub, which sounds so
attractive to me I'm almost thinking of having a bike built around it,
and sod the cost!...

Elisa Francesca Roselli
Ile de France

Elisa,

You can only shift the 3 speed hub at a stand still. The 8 gears are just
like a normal derailleur. But, This is not really a problem. I find that
mostly I am riding in the level mode around town and shift the 8-speed up
and down for mild changes in terrain. If I come to a stop, the chances are
that I'm not in the highest gear anyway, and by shifting to the climbing
mode, it is always easy to get going again. As soon as I get going, I shift
to level mode. I only use downhill mode when I really get going fast which
doesn't happen too often in town.

I have also found that if I want to shift a single gear ratio, I can twist
the 8 speed shifter one or two clicks while simultaneously shifting the mode
lever one click and actually just slightly change my gear ratio. Because
there is only one derailleur, you don't have to worry about the chain
jumping or jamming by doing both shifts simultaneously.

Also, a marvelous thing about the dualdrive is how instant the hub shifts.
Say you are in climbing mode and you start to pull the lever to get to level
riding mode. Well, halfway through moving the lever (which takes a fraction
of a second), you are already in the next mode. It is almost instantaneous.
No pause while the chain tries to jump gears.

I am completely sold on this system. My friends that try it out, definately
have some envy and wonder why all bikes aren't made like this one.

I have read that the dualdrive is supposed to have less friction than the
Shimano nexus. Can't confirm that but I have seen it written. Another nice
feature is how easy it is to adjust. Only one barrel adjustment on the
cable is all you do. They give you marks in a little window, when you get
the marks lined up using the cable barrel adjustment, you are done. Really
simple.

Another little detail, is that the rear wheel is not going to have a quick
release but rather a 15mm nut. It means carrying one wrench to be able to
change a tube but I like this feature cause it means I don't have to lock up
the rear wheel since it would be hard to steal the rear wheel off too
quickly. Know what I mean?

I appreciate your exhaustive research and analysis before making your
purchase. I am the same way about big purchases. If you have any
particular questions about DualDrive, feel free to email me at
Please remove "Spam" from my address.

Ed
Roxbury, NY


"Elisa Francesca Roselli"
wrote in message ...
In the thread "New Shifters that Shift When You're Still, Ed Kirstein
wrote:

It uses the SRAM DualDrive which gives you an 8 speed rear derailleur
and a 3 speed hub. It has all the range of a 3 gear front derailleur
without the fuss of one. I'm very impressed with it. No matter what
gear I am in on the rear derailleur, if I come to a stop, I can just
shift to the lowest gear on the internal hub and have no trouble getting
going. Its a beautiful system.


Giant is bringing out a model called Mono DX which has this shifter
(11-34 teeth 8 speed). This model is being recommended as the
replacement for the 2003 Melbourne which was the bike I was wanting to
buy, but which is going out of production on the new catalogue. The
Melbourne interested me on account of its Shimano Nexus 7 shifter. The
claim being made by my bicycle merchant is that the DualDrive has all
the same advantages and more, with none of the disadvantages.

I looked on the web-site of SRAM. They seem to be claiming there that
the DualDrive makes it possible to access _any_ gear at a standstill or
under load. Is that true, or is it only the three front gears that can
be changed standing still? If you're on your highest gear on the back
derailleur and have to slam to a stop at a traffic light, can you get
all the way down to the lowest or is it a matter of compromising on the
highest back with the lowest front? I have never used a front shifter
before - my supermarket bike just has a 5-speed back derailleur. How
would the DualDrive compare (in ease of use, maintenance freedom, and
range of terrains that can be comfortably ridden) to the Nexus 7 or to
the much more expensive 14 gear Rohloff SpeedHub, which sounds so
attractive to me I'm almost thinking of having a bike built around it,
and sod the cost!...

Elisa Francesca Roselli
Ile de France

Thanks for this exhaustive answer. It does sound like the system to go with.
However, I don't like much else about the bike it comes on. If the old 2003
model is still available in the shop where I saw it, I think I'm still sold on
that one, for other reasons.

Ed Kirstein wrote:

Elisa,

You can only shift the 3 speed hub at a stand still. The 8 gears are just
like a normal derailleur. But, This is not really a problem.

Yea, I bought a 2003 Schwinn Voyageur GSX which had better specs than the
2004 version.


"Elisa Francesca Roselli"
wrote in message ...
Thanks for this exhaustive answer. It does sound like the system to go
with.
However, I don't like much else about the bike it comes on. If the old
2003
model is still available in the shop where I saw it, I think I'm still
sold on
that one, for other reasons.

Ed Kirstein wrote:

Elisa,

You can only shift the 3 speed hub at a stand still. The 8 gears are
just
like a normal derailleur. But, This is not really a problem.