the actual benefits??

smithaay

hello
Im wondering wether having double tap shifters actually gives you much benefit
I am asking this question because i am thinking of changing from 8 speed to 10 speed.
At the moment i am using shimano 2300 8 speed. when upgrading to shimano 105 i will be buying a new cassette a new chain and a new rear derailleur. ( the chain and derailleur being shimano 105 too)
but im just starting to think of the advantages of having double tap shifters as for the price tag they dont seem to do too much more than my thumb shifter ones. (except from looking nicer )

thanks in advance

anto164

I find they're much easier to shift when in the drops.

If i want a faster gear on my STIs with thumb shifters, i've got to move my hand to the hood to change gear, then back to the drops.

And also when on the hoods, there won't be a thumb shifter in the way of wherever your thumb naturally sits.

MattC59

Hi,

As you're talking Shimano, I assuem that by double tap, you mean you push the brake lever in to shift up the cassette and push the inner lever to shift down the cassette ? Or are you talking about the SRAM double tap, where you push the lever one click to shift down the block, two clicks to shift up the block ?

Either way, if you're going from 8 speed to 10 speed, you'll need new shifters anyway, in which case the 105 shifters don't have a thumb shifter.

cougie

Double tap is the name for the SRAM changers ?

STI is Shimano.

No pros use thumbshifters on their road bikes - integrated shifters are definitely the way to go.

smithaay

thanks for the replies
In answer to mattC59 yes i am talking about shimano shifters sorry forgot the name that was given to shimanos shifters haha.

surely the pros that use campagnolo use the thumb shifters??

Ben6899

smithaay wrote:

thanks for the replies
surely the pros that use campagnolo use the thumb shifters??

Yes, but Campagnolo Veloce, Athena, Chorus, Record, whatever are worlds apart from Shimano Sora. And that isn't me being a snob; that's me speaking da troot.

smithaay

oh no i wasnt comparing campagnolo to shimano 2300 haha

Kolraz

I could be wrong, but I think campy thumb shift buttons are positioned quite differently to shimano's, so it is still possible to shift from the drops.

This is the main benefit to the brake lever shifters, as shifting down the cassette from the drops is almost impossible with 2300/sora.

jameses

i guess I'm one of the few that don't have a big problem using the thumb shifters from the drops. What I do find really annoying about them, as mentioned by anto, is that they are positioned exactly where my thumbs want to be when on the hoods! The sides of my thumb joints get a bit raw after a few hours. Can't wait to fit my new shifters over the holiday...

Pross

I'm not sure you can fit a 10 speed into the same rear axle width as an 8 speed? I'm sure to be corrected but I know I couldn't do that with my old 7 speed without getting the rear triangle amended (steel frame). So check that before you splash out on components!

bompington

You're all lightweights, what you need is good old-fashioned downtube shifters ;-)

Pross

bompington wrote:

You're all lightweights, what you need is good old-fashioned downtube shifters ;-)

I have, they're even set on friction rather than index as I went up to 9 speed by using a 10 speed cassette and removing the smallest sprocket which meant it fitted my 7 speed hub. :-)

bompington

Pross wrote:

bompington wrote:

You're all lightweights, what you need is good old-fashioned downtube shifters ;-)

I have, they're even set on friction rather than index as I went up to 9 speed by using a 10 speed cassette and removing the smallest sprocket which meant it fitted my 7 speed hub. :-)

What's "indexed", some new-fangled idea from shimano or something?

rolf_f

bompington wrote:

What's "indexed", some new-fangled idea from shimano or something?

It's a clever device whereby rather than controlling the amount of lever movement yourself, movement of the lever automatically clicks across so you find yourself almost, but definitely not quite perfectly on the next sprocket (clickety clickety clunk, clickety clickety clunk)