mystery switch/lever

Peanutt

Hiya,

I have a Falcon Team Banana I use to commute to the station every morning, I love the bike, it's fast and reliable but I just found a mystery lever located underneath the right hand shifter on the downtube and I haven't a clue what it does, any ideas?

Bronzie

Picture?

Peanutt

alas I have no picture of mine but it's a tiny sliding knob much like the one in this pic

http://www.evanscycles.com/product_imag ... er-07-.jpg

nicklouse

what is the shifter?

redvee

Gear levers index or friction? If friction it might be a lever stop. might be a secret go faster switch for those times when you're about to be overtaken

graeme_s-2

The cane creek levers on my fixie have a little sliding metal protrusion which allow the levers to be set in two different positions. This allows you to adjust the reach of the levers.

The levers in the picture you posted have the same feature, is that what you were talking about?

robmanic1

Perhaps it launches a smoke-screen or oil-slick behind you? (Watched too much "wacky Racers" as a kid)

redddraggon

Graeme_S wrote:

The cane creek levers on my fixie have a little sliding metal protrusion which allow the levers to be set in two different positions. This allows you to adjust the reach of the levers.

The levers in the picture you posted have the same feature, is that what you were talking about?

I always thought that button on the lever (in the linked picture) was to shift to a smaller sprocket :shock:

Garry H

redddraggon wrote:

Graeme_S wrote:

The cane creek levers on my fixie have a little sliding metal protrusion which allow the levers to be set in two different positions. This allows you to adjust the reach of the levers.

The levers in the picture you posted have the same feature, is that what you were talking about?

I always thought that button on the lever (in the linked picture) was to shift to a smaller sprocket :shock:

Agreed, never seen one of them mounted on the down tube either :shock:

Bronzie

On a downtube shifter (yeah I'm old enough to have used them back in the day) most likely it switches between index gearing and friction gearing

ie if out on a ride your indexing went awry, you could switch to friction and still change gear but without the satisfying click of the lever snapping to the next notch.

Obvious answer to your original question is push / pull / turn / twist it and see what happens................but watch out in case it really does launch the smoke grenades

alfablue

Bronzie wrote:

On a downtube shifter (yeah I'm old enough to have used them back in the day) most likely it switches between index gearing and friction gearing

That is it, exactly. It is useful if your indexing goes out of adjustment mid-ride.

graeme_s-2

Garry H wrote:

redddraggon wrote:

I always thought that button on the lever (in the linked picture) was to shift to a smaller sprocket :shock:

Agreed, never seen one of them mounted on the down tube either :shock:

I forgot he said his lever was on the down tube :oops:

The thing I was talking about in that picture was the little round metal button just to the left of the black shift lever.

alfablue

what brand/model are the shifters?

gkerr4

Graeme_S wrote:

The cane creek levers on my fixie have a little sliding metal protrusion which allow the levers to be set in two different positions. This allows you to adjust the reach of the levers.

The levers in the picture you posted have the same feature, is that what you were talking about?

Isn't that a quick release in case you are running campag calipers which don't have a release on the caliper itself?

My Langster has cane creek levers too and thats what I think it is for.

(Sorry - slightly off topic here...)

graeme_s-2

gkerr4 wrote:

Isn't that a quick release in case you are running campag calipers which don't have a release on the caliper itself?

My Langster has cane creek levers too and thats what I think it is for.

(Sorry - slightly off topic here...)

Maybe that is what they're for. My brake calipers have a release, so when fiddling with the weird button thing on the levers I assumed they were for altering the reach.

Bristol Exile

The slidey bolt on an ergo is the quick release so you can get the brake caliper open wide enough to get the wheel out without deflating the tires.

I always thought it was pretty solid evidence of campags design superiority over other manufacturers (that and their Delta brakes), mind you my Dura Ace shifters are pretty nice too

mercurykev

gkerr4 is correct. On ergos that button allows you to release your brakes to facillitate wheel removal.

alfablue

But isn't it a downtube shifter, not an Ergo?

Peanutt

phew, glas to know I'm not the only one that doesn't know what it does. I don't know the exact make, I'll have a look and post tomorrow.

graeme_s-2

alfablue wrote:

But isn't it a downtube shifter, not an Ergo?

Yeah, I think I managed to completely derail the conversation, sorry! :oops:

nicklouse

Peanutt
i feel the answer has already been mentioned, having googled the bike and seen loverly yellow coloured frame with some big shimano stickers on the seat tube be bet it is a shimano friction/indexed lever.

move the lever to one extreme and then move the gear lever, then move it to the other extreme and then move the lever. Does one have indexing notches, and the other not?

Peanutt

sorry, my mistake, you're right though, slide the switch and no more clicking, I have to say I prefer the un-indexed setting, feels a lot smoother.

Bronzie

Peanutt wrote:

slide the switch and no more clicking, I have to say I prefer the un-indexed setting, feels a lot smoother.

Maybe the rear mech needs adjusting then - where the cable enters it, there should be a knurled nut that you can rotate to alter the cable tension - have a fiddle with it to see if you can get the indexing smoother.

When it's spot on, it works a dream.............other than having to take your hands off the bars to change of course............ah, fond memories!