Road Cycling - STI Shifters

I have been riding an old bike with grip shifters for a few years and am now ready to graduate to a road bike.

I am about to embark on test rides and I have no idea how the STI levers work. I don't want to look like to big of a dork, so how to you up-shift and how do you down shift?

Thanks in advance.

For Shimano STI levers, the entire mechanism (brake lever) moves inward to increase cable tension. The smaller inner lever moves inward independently to release tension. No one that works at a shop will look down on you becuase you don't know how to use an STI lever.

No one that works at a shop will look down on you becuase you don't know how to use an STI lever.

Not if they want your business! I have found that most LBS owners and the people they employ, at least in my area, will go well out of their way to help out. They have never been condescending, superior, or even too busy to answer even my stupider questions.

The only time they laughed at me was when I was breaking spokes left and right, they nicknamed me "The Spoke Guy" or " The Spokinator." They all had a good laugh at my expense, but it was all in good natured - cyclist to cyclist - fun. Made me feel like I was part of the fraternity.

Perhaps we need a little saying for STI shifting, you know like "righty tighty, lefty loosey" for bolts and such.

Any suggestions?

I said no one will look down on you. Meaning they won't try to make you feel like a moron because you don't know how to do something. I was trying to say the same thing you did.

On the left lever, pressing the entire lever inward will upshift (bigger/harder gear) the chainring and pressing the smaller lever (the one closer to you when you're on the bike) will downshift. It's the opposite for the right (cassette) lever - entire lever goes to easier gear, smaller inside lever goes to harder gear.

Small lever=small ring/cog
Large lever=large ring/cog

I said no one will look down on you. Meaning they won't try to make you feel like a moron because you don't know how to do something. I was trying to say the same thing you did.

Yes, I know. My first comment about wanting your business was tongue in cheek. The rest was how my LBS operates and how all good ones should.

Don't forget to ask them about the "half click" on the front derailleur. It keeps the chain from rubbing on the derailleur cage while shifting through the cogs.

Don't forget to ask them about the "half click" on the front derailleur. It keeps the chain from rubbing on the derailleur cage while shifting through the cogs.

No kidding! I rode half a season before someone enlightened me about trimming my front der. :lol:

No kidding! I rode half a season before someone enlightened me about trimming my front der. :lol:

Ok. Enlighten me! What are you referring to? I'm new to STI shifters.

Thanks,

Sheldon

Ok. Enlighten me! What are you referring to? I'm new to STI shifters.

Thanks,

Sheldon

Say you've got bad knees like me, so you're on a triple crank. You've been going up a hill on the second from largest cog in the rear in your middle ring on the front. After cresting the hill, you end up shifting four cogs down for spinning on the flats. Your chain starts to rub on the front derailleur cage. You move the left brake lever just a bit, not enough for a full shift, and the front derailleur moves right just enough for the chain to clear, but not shift to the big chainring. A "half click". By moving the smaller black lever just a bit, and not enough to drop the chain onto a smaller ring up front, you keep the chain from rubbing when going back to the larger rear cogs for hills.
If you're on the small chain ring with the front derailleur all the way to the left, you should "half click" to the right before sweeping you brake lever to shift to the middle chain ring. Before I discovered this, my chain was trying to jump onto the middle ring when shifting, and not making it, sometimes ending up falling off the middle ring and dropping onto the bottom bracket.
I think the double crank works the same on the front derailleur.

If you're riding Sora levers, there's no small lever behind the brake lever. You use the little thumb switch (like Campy) to shift to a smaller cog.

If you're riding Sora levers, there's no small lever behind the brake lever. You use the little thumb switch (like Campy) to shift to a smaller cog.

The problem with the "mouse ear" on Sora is you can't reach it from the drops. If you can afford it, go with the better arrangement found on the higher end shifters.

The problem with the "mouse ear" on Sora is you can't reach it from the drops.

Unless the arrangement is drastically different from Campy levers, the ability to reach the thumb shifter from the drops depends entirely on the size of your hand. I have no problem whatsoever hitting mine.

[QUOTE=Dchiefransom]Say you've got bad knees like me, so you're on a triple crank. You've been going up a hill on the second from largest cog in the rear in your middle ring on the front. After cresting the hill, you end up shifting four cogs

Ah, thanks. I've got Tiagra shifters. Everything seems pretty well tuned at the moment because the bike is new but I'll keep this in mind. I didn't know I could do anything more than just live with the indexed shift points. That was the one advantage to the downtube shifters on my other bike. I could fine tune those babies every which way if the chain was making noise.

Sheldon

Unless the arrangement is drastically different from Campy levers, the ability to reach the thumb shifter from the drops depends entirely on the size of your hand. I have no problem whatsoever hitting mine.

Campy and Sora shifters are great when riding in the cold with insulated gloves. They don't get caught between the levers when shifting.

Unless the arrangement is drastically different from Campy levers, the ability to reach the thumb shifter from the drops depends entirely on the size of your hand. I have no problem whatsoever hitting mine.

It is different from Campy. I can reach the mouse ear on Campy shifters because it's lower. I just can't afford Campy. :(