Most important in gear shifts

eternalstudent

Ok so this is a tru noob question:-)

I am wanting to know which is the more important part in the gearshift chain. Is it the mech or the pod?

I ask as I am struggling to shift gear when the bike is under very heavy load, and can only afford to change one component at a time.

My intention is to put XTR components throughout.

Chunkers1980

Pod.

eternalstudent

Thanks

cooldad

I'd say the rider - you shouldn't be shifting under heavy load anyway - anything will struggle to change.
I also doubt you'd feel much difference between XT and XTR except a little bit of weight.

Chunkers1980

M970 and M770 there is a lot of difference in the shifter.

eternalstudent

cooldad wrote:

I'd say the rider - you shouldn't be shifting under heavy load anyway - anything will struggle to change.
I also doubt you'd feel much difference between XT and XTR except a little bit of weight.

And thats why its a question from a noob :-)

Yes I know I should not be shifting under heavy load and I should be able to anticipate but..............
My brain says go go go go you'll be fine, and the legs go NO.

I currently have M530's on the bike which are coming up to 5 years old, I will slowly upgrade all of the bike but it will be done mostly looking at old stock or fleabay so I prefer to take my time but go for the best my budget can extend to :shock:

cooldad

So slacken off pedaling for a split second. Or learn to anticipate. Spending on XTR is going to make no difference to something that isn't the fault of the shifter.

felix.london

In my experience;

cable innner
shifter
mech

in that order

idiotdogbrain

cooldad wrote:

So slacken off pedaling for a split second. Or learn to anticipate. Spending on XTR is going to make no difference to something that isn't the fault of the shifter.

This.

Dirtydog11

I ask as I am struggling to shift gear when the bike is under very heavy load,

Sounds like you've been reading too many magazine reviews.

Don't shift under heavy load, despite what you may have read.

cooldad

Google 'dab of oppo'

Thewaylander

In truth well maintained cables cut to correct lengths.

chez_m356

Thewaylander wrote:

In truth well maintained cables cut to correct lengths.

that will make all the difference to someone doing this

eternalstudent wrote:

I ask as I am struggling to shift gear when the bike is under very heavy load

Ouija

felix.london wrote:

In my experience;

cable innner
shifter
mech

in that order

+1

Nothing causes stiff shifts more than poorly maintained and sticky cables and/or indirect pull dérailleurs. From the cheapest to the most expensive, shifters pretty much do the same thing, which is to pull the cable a fixed distance at the handlebars and they all do it equally well. What determines smooth shifts is how much of the cable moves at the other end of the bike which is determined by how old and rusty and non-slippery your cable is and how many unnecessary kinks and curves you have in the outer cable (especially from the back of the frame to the rear dérailleur). Certainly, straight outers, PTFE/teflon inners and direct pull dérailleurs attached to cheap shifters give just as smooth a shift as the expensive combos i have on my carbon fibre bikes (SRAM X0's).

So the question isn't how to get better shift under load, so much as how good are your shifts in general. Do you sometimes struggle to get up to or down to some gears? Are the shifters feather light to press or do they bend your thumb back a bit and require a bit more pressure to press? Has the dérailleur been banged at all? Is the mech hanger straight?

A system that is smooth under normal loads tends to work well under load as well. If it's not, it's usually a sign that something isn't right in general and it usually isn't the shifters.

Thewaylander

chez_m356 wrote:

Thewaylander wrote:

In truth well maintained cables cut to correct lengths.

that will make all the difference to someone doing this

eternalstudent wrote:

I ask as I am struggling to shift gear when the bike is under very heavy load

Nothing will help a person trying to change under heavy load because gears don't work that way least not well, but it is the most important thing to a good shift.

chez_m356

Thewaylander wrote:

chez_m356 wrote:

Thewaylander wrote:

In truth well maintained cables cut to correct lengths.

that will make all the difference to someone doing this

eternalstudent wrote:

I ask as I am struggling to shift gear when the bike is under very heavy load

Nothing will help a person trying to change under heavy load because gears don't work that way least not well, but it is the most important thing to a good shift.

as far as this thread is concerned the most important thing is knowing how to shift correctly

The Rookie

+1, throwing money (components) at a problem created by rider technique is pointless, learn the right technique and you fix the 'problem' for free! You should learn to shift sympathetically (or you'll also be breaking more chains as the side loads on the pins is nasty when shifting under load), shift (move lever) just as a pedal is coming to the top, keep it moving with much reduced load for one stroke as it shifts (the chain from one sprocket to the next) and back on the power again for the next pedal stroke, even more important if downshifting.

Doddy did a good vid in an MBUK vid a while ago on this - excellent advice.

eternalstudent

Thanks a lot for the advice, all been useful.

Dirtydog11 wrote:

I ask as I am struggling to shift gear when the bike is under very heavy load,

Sounds like you've been reading too many magazine reviews.

Don't shift under heavy load, despite what you may have read.

I think you might be quite correct here I have read a lot and they have a tendency to mention "able to shift under load"

Ouija wrote:

felix.london wrote:

In my experience;

cable innner
shifter
mech

in that order

+1


So the question isn't how to get better shift under load, so much as how good are your shifts in general. Do you sometimes struggle to get up to or down to some gears? Are the shifters feather light to press or do they bend your thumb back a bit and require a bit more pressure to press? Has the dérailleur been banged at all? Is the mech hanger straight?

A system that is smooth under normal loads tends to work well under load as well. If it's not, it's usually a sign that something isn't right in general and it usually isn't the shifters.

This may be the case. My drive train has taken the proverbial kicking. This is why I am planing on changing the components :oops:, and why I am looking to change in a sensible order.

The Beginner wrote:

+1, throwing money (components) at a problem created by rider technique is pointless, learn the right technique and you fix the 'problem' for free! You should learn to shift sympathetically (or you'll also be breaking more chains as the side loads on the pins is nasty when shifting under load), shift (move lever) just as a pedal is coming to the top, keep it moving with much reduced load for one stroke as it shifts (the chain from one sprocket to the next) and back on the power again for the next pedal stroke, even more important if downshifting.

Doddy did a good vid in an MBUK vid a while ago on this - excellent advice.

Definitely being trying this of late, I would rather be a good rider than a shit rider with a fancy bike :-).

Also its so damn icy on the trails that being in slightly to high a gear was causing nightmares!!!!