Shifting Options for a Triple

[ncernitz]

A good friend recently purchased an older Rodriquez triple that is equiped with bar end shifters. It turns out that reaching that low to shift aggravates his back. Will Campy Ergo's work on the front derailer, have heard that STI won't? The only other option I can think of is to mount an aerobar just for ease of shift position. Thanks.................

[TandemGeek]

Ergos are ideal for the front derailleur; fully trimable with 9 stops in much the same way as a bar-end or downtube shifter. Ergos can be used in a variety of different all Campy or hybrid Campy/Shimano configurations, e.g., 9 speed Campy Ergo shifters/RD and Shimano cassettes, Campy Ergo shifters / Shimano RD & Cassette, etc...

If you desire an all Shimano STI drivetrain, an STI lever can be made to work quite well with a triple front derailleur but it takes a lot of careful attention to the set-up and adjustment of the 5 hard stops that the left-hand STI shifters provide.

Also, there is no shame in having a hybrid shifting system where the left shifter / front derailleur is an Ergo or bar-end model and the right shifter / rear derailleur is a Shimano STI model.

[cedo]

. . . an STI lever can be made to work quite well with a triple front derailleur but it takes a lot of careful attention to the set-up and adjustment of the 5 hard stops that the left-hand STI shifters provide.

Mark, from what I can gather, tandem riders have varying experiences with this situation. Some say it is tricky to set up, others say it's not really that difficult. Not being very mechanical, I let our LBS adjust the front STI derailleur, and it has run smoothly.

My biggest difficulty was in shifting technique, not derailleur adjustment. Once I began to shift correctly (I was being too gentle which caused the chain to re-engage too slowly), STI front derailleur shifting problems disappeared.

[Michel Gagnon]

All are valid answers, but it strikes me that if he cannot reach his bar-end shifters without hurting his back, he should look at handlebar position. I would recommend raising the bars by moving spacers around (if applicable) or by replacing the current stem (typically 0-5 degree) with one that has more rise. What's the point of having drop bars if one isn't comfortable with one of the two main positions?

Once he is comfortable with all positions on the bar, he could look at the ideal shifter system. Besides, it's easier to deal with handlebar positions with a new stem ($25) than with shifters ($150-300)

[zonatandem]

No $$ option:
Turn drop bars upside down (with drops/bend facing UP) insert barcons. Looks a bit 'hokey', but who cares?

[ncernitz]

I must apologize, I probably wasn't as clear as I should have been. The bike is a three seater and we are being told that STI will not work due to the increased cable length and frame flex. Sorry..............

[TandemGeek]

I must apologize, I probably wasn't as clear as I should have been. The bike is a three seater and we are being told that STI will not work due to the increased cable length and frame flex. Sorry..............

Same story as before.

[ricardo kuhn]

This SITE is full of great Ideas (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/team-triplet/TTSite/exp1.htm)
for example this Secondary stem so you can mount Lights, Bags, Bells, shifters,,, etc.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/team-triplet/TTimages/2004/P8088450.jpg
the Whole bike is a exelent Showcase of practicality and redundant designs

I love it...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/team-triplet/TTimages/2004/P8088454.jpg

Hopefully this can be useful for you current shifting problem, personally i be a little scare of removing the hands from the bars, but then again down tube shifters work just fine for a long long time. .