Bicycle Mechanics - Down Tube Shifter

Hello-

Another biker newbie here. Anyway, I'm looking at a bike (2700 Trek 2100) that was converted to a 9 speed down tube shifter.

Ahem-What the hell does that mean? Advantages? Disadvantages?

The reason I'm considering this bike is it seems like a good buy ($400). It also has Vredstein tires and custom handlebars.

Any information would be AMAZING. Thanks-
Rick

Hello-

Another biker newbie here. Anyway, I'm looking at a bike (2700 Trek 2100) that was converted to a 9 speed down tube shifter.

Ahem-What the hell does that mean? Advantages? Disadvantages?

The reason I'm considering this bike is it seems like a good buy ($400). It also has Vredstein tires and custom handlebars.

Any information would be AMAZING. Thanks-
Rick

Disadvantage is that you have to reach down every time you shift. You can get used to it, but it will never be as easy as a brifter. Many people love down tube shifters. Try them and see if you like them. You can always convert later.

Advantage is that the whole shifting system is MUCH simpler and cheaper. Also, pretty much bulletproof.

You don't say what year the bike is so it's tough to know how many speeds the bike came with. Assuming it came with less than 9, a 9 speed downtube shifter (and again assuming a matching cassette) would be an upgrade over a lesser number of gears because for the same cassette range, the spacing will be tighter. Tighter spacing allows you to pedal at your preferred cadence for the speed you are going.

Now, if the bike was delivered as a 9 speed bike and then the downtube shifter was added, that would be considered a downgrade by most. Standard 9 speed shifters on road bikes are integrated shifters/brake levers allowing you to shift without removing your hands from the bars (as you would with a downtube shifter because it is located...on the downtube, the downward angling tube going from the headtube to seattube).

Do you have pictures of the bike you are considering? Might help is determining if it's worth $400.

Whether a downtube shifter or "shifters on the brake" to me depends what percentage of the time u ride with your hands on top of the bar (favors downtube) or on the hoods (favors brifters). And unfortunately that has lots to do with bike's geometry and your body which u really don't know until u get the bike and ride for a while. The chicken or the egg!

Everything else being equal, brifters are more expensive than downtubes (brifters are newer inventions), but lots of people like downtubes, so it's not necessarily a bad thing.

Post a pix, u will get more feebacks that way.

Here's a couple of photos; hope it works:

http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd332/rjenkins100/42d0_1.jpg

http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd332/rjenkins100/1bb4_1.jpg

Also, in my first post, I accidentally wrote 2700 Trek 2100; its a year 2007 Trek 2100.

Hope that helps. Thanks-

of course it's hard to tell what the rest of the component set is but it looks like a pretty nice bike. Those low spoke wheels always give me the shivers but i'm pretty big. If you like it and it fits you well i'd say it's probably a pretty good buy, you'll get a lot of good riding out of that bike. It'd be pretty easy (and relatively cheap) to convert to drops later on also if you wanted.

(Just make sure that the stand clamp didn't leave an impression in the downtube)

That's a funny setup. Some custom parts-bin special, it looks like. I'd be wary of the single front ring - you'll want to get a device to keep the chain from derailling. $400 is probably not bad. I'd see if I could find a mtn shifter to get the shifting up to the bars.

thanks for all the info.!