Mountain Biking - XTR Daul Control Explaination

Could somebody educate me it the operation of Dual Control? I have looked at a few pictures, but really don't get it. Is it a single lever that is pushed and pulled like the old thumb levers? It's not like the whole brake lever swings is it?

Anybody have a good link, web site?

I'm trying to decide if Trigger or Dual Control is my next move.

http://bike.shimano.com/media/images/cycling/products/bikecomponents/ST/ST-M975-popup_v1_m56577569830600684.jpg

okay, bascially to activate the brakes, you'd operate it as usual, by pulling it in to the bar. but to shift up, you would tap the brake lever DOWN, pivoting in the perpendicular axis. basically the end of the brake lever goes DOWN, pivoting against the body. the thumb lever is used for the downshifts.

dual control makes your cockpit cleaner, but if you crash, then you have to replace what is essentially your brake lever AND your shift lever. and they are retardedly expensive. personally, i would stick with separate units, so if my brake lever breaks, i'm not forced to essentially replace my shift lever as well.

The thumb lever USED to be removable, i.e. you could ditch it and downshift by tapping the lever up with the back of your fingers.

I did this since I was used to my road STI levers and this was the same thing sideways (and backwards due to the rapid-rise).


You could also brake and shift to an easier gear with one up-and-back motion, which is pretty slick once I got used to it.

I agree with Rev that I wouldn't use it on a FR or DH rig (yet) but I'm a big fan these days for XC and commuting.

and to prevent your bling bling from going into the graveyard, you could use a PTFE tape and tape it around your handlebar, tighten your DC on it and if its crashes, it will rotate instead, pretty good idea guys, im going to put it soon :D, anyone else tried this?

Anyway to use the dual control in your pic above, you will need a Shimano Disc Brakes :D, and it works is pull to brake, push the lever up or down to shift :D Good stuff, enjoy!!!

ViperZ - picture a set of DuraAce brifters sideways. That's pretty much the simplest explanation.

LowCel just give you another way to imagine it simpler. Anyway some people say DC is harder to brake then normal shifter and brakelever because its lever is sort off flexible (moves front and back, up and down)

Understood, thanks Everyone!

I'll need to think about this a bit now... I'm not so sure I want the swinging lever. However I can see how it could work well too.

From personal experience I give XTR shifters a thumbs up. Very easy to get used to, never accidently shifted when breaking or vice versa. I've also wrecked pretty hard a couple of times on pavement, shifters got scratched up but still work flawlessly.

IMO: the dual control concept just does not work for me, really funky, and besides sram rules... arg.

but anyways, i thought those looked really cool and rode a stumpy fsr with them from the lbs the other day and was not impressed. of course i was compairing 160mm xtr disks vs. my 203mm saints, but i found the brakes to be very impresice, they felt very squishy and didn't modulate very well. kind of very vauge and no 'feel'. (fwiw, i hope the guys screwed up bleeding them!!!)

the ride also reinforced my opinion of dual control and shimano shifters in general (i'm a recent sram convert, now with 2 shimano bikes, 1 campy bike and 1 sram bike). i really think in MTB sram really hit the nail on the head with the thumb controlled shifter. it keeps your operations seperate and able to be used independently at any time. thumbs for shifter, index fingers for breaking. love it.

kay, from my opinion, peoples thinking of Dual Control is similar to TwistGrip, some says that it looks uncomfortable but when they used it, mostly like it. This applies to Dual Control too. When you try it and used to it, you would prefer nothing else (this is if you like it) :D.

Anyway 07 Shimano LX to XTR are equipped with 2-Way Release, very usefull. I am very happy with my 07 LX shifter. I seldom use my index finger on the release lever.

check this out.

same as old one.

Thanks everyone!


MikeE46, that's a good pictorial, Thanks!